These are just a few of my favorite pictures taken of the 6 million acre park (barely ever veering off the single 90 mile road) in 2011. This year I hope that Kate and I can do a little more exploring, you know, since the park is bigger than Massachusetts there is probably a lot more to see. I have yet to visit Denali National Park in the winter, but I can verify that the park is absolutely breathtaking for the other three seasons.
Spring
Purchase Prints or License | Mountains above the frozen Teklanika River at about mile 30 on the Park Road. This is as far as you can drive for the spring road opening.
Purchase Prints or License | The Teklanika River pokes through a little bit in late April.
Purchase Prints or License | The enticing mountains to the south of the Park Road.
Summer
Purchase Prints or License | A grizzly bear eats soapberries on the side of the road near the Teklanika River.
Purchase Prints or License | The vegetation covered Muldrow glacier, a 32 mile long glacier on Denali, below even more ice and rock.
Purchase Prints or License | One of the many vistas to take in from the Eielson Visitor Center on the Park Road at mile 66.
Purchase Prints or License | Some Dall sheep relaxing on a ridge near the polychrome area of the park.
Purchase Prints or License | Bears are cool! Here’s another grizzly down in the Teklanika riverbed.
Autumn
Purchase Prints or License | This is only a few miles from the park entrance on the Park Road. The end of summer (August 20th-September 10th) is really the autumn season in Denali National Park. It’s hard to know exactly when peak foliage is going to come, it’s probably best just to stay the whole time.
Purchase Prints or License | More green evergreens poking out of yellow and red ground foliage.
Purchase Prints or License | Just spectacular views.
Purchase Prints or License | You can just wander around down by the Savage River. There are some trails, or not. The beauty of Denali National Park is that you can just say, “I want to go over there,” and then do it. There are very few established trails in the park, which is very different from most parks where you shouldn’t leave the trails or campgrounds. It’s a pretty cool concept for land management that seems to work well in such a huge place.
Purchase Prints or License | This is the end of the road for most car travelers. Only buses, foot traffic and bikes past the Savage River.