We spent 3 of our 10 day Alaska vacation at this lodge last September and it was worth every penny! Having just retired last August, my wife and I took our once in a lifetime dream vacation to Alaska. While every place and every tour we took during our 10 days in Alaska was unforgettable, the 3 days we spent in Denali National Park at the Denali Backcountry Lodge was the best part of our Alaska vacation. During the bus ride into the lodge, we saw no less than 4 moose and 3 Grizzly Bears! The cabins were clean with a very comfortable bed and just a nice cozy atmosphere. The food was excellent and the staff helpful. We took different hikes everyday and saw Denali each time. Not cheap but highly recommended.

We stayed at the Backcountry Lodge Aug. 9 and 10th. We enjoyed our stay at the Lodge. The food was good but not great. The breakfast buffet was nice, lunch was a buffet with the day trippers and dinner was with overnighters in the lodge. Lunch was fine but I did expect a nicer entree than was served for dinner.
The staff, though dwindling, really tried to accommodate the guests needs and activities. We attempted to take a casual, guide accompanied nature hike but the road was washed out near the Kantishna Roadhouse. Instead of the planned walk our staff person took our group on a walk nearer the lodge. It was a pleasant experience. That afternoon we panned for gold, went on the botany hike and generally enjoyed the scenery. Hors' de vours were served at five where all of the evening guests met for a social hour.
We did not have a naturalist talk either of the evenings we were there but the subjects that were scheduled were not of interest.
The cabins were rustic but clean.
This is an experience I would recommend for everyone to do once. I thought 2 nights was the right amount of time to spend. Our experience was expensive but worth it.

We spent two nights at the Backcountry lodge this week, and what a disappointment. They had big staffing problems -- over half the staff had left since beginning of summer, including the five that walked out on the day we arrived -- so they were stretched thin, and many of them were rude. A few were trying to "cover" nicely, but problems could not be overlooked. The naturalist had "suddenly left" the day before, so the promised naturalist lectures were nonexistent. Several of the guides were rude, or at best, apathetic. Food was mediocre at best. Worst of all, for they most part they didn't care. Despite significant problems with staffing and disgruntled guests, the owner stayed huddled in his office and did not even speak to guests. When we learned that the Denali train would not be running the next morning, we asked him if he would go on the Internet and get updates on the situation. HIs reply: "if you have your computer with you, you can do it yourself." For $1000 a day, I expect good and helpful service, going above and beyond the norm. This place is WAY below. Go elsewhere!!

We were among the first guests this year at the Denali Backcountry Lodge, and upon their advice we booked for three nights. One night would have been great if we hadn't spent a full day on busses to get there, first coming up from Anchorage, then on to the Lodge from the camp entrance. Two nights would have been okay if only to allow us to rest up for the return trip. Three nights was just too much. The bus trips in and out were fabulous--great wildlife, experienced and entertaining drivers. Once there, however, we experienced so-so food (we were irritated that even when we didn't take a long morning expedition, we were expected to make our own lunch out of very plain cold cuts and bread--sometimes not even tomatoes to put on them--presumably because the more elaborate --but hardly gourmet--lunch was being saved for the day trippers. Hardly the kind of treatment we expected for the exorbitant rate we were paying.) The camp guides were mainly inexperienced kids spending their first summer in Denali, and the wildlife around the camp was nonexistent. None of the hikes during our three days saw any wildlife other than waterfowl worth mentioning. Our cabin was pleasant and comfortable, although camp management seemed to have gone out of their way to provide unappealing views from the cabins (see attached pictures). Two cabins overlooked the creek. The other 29 or 30 all had views just as unappealing as ours.

We recommend going as early as possible. The mosquitoes had not yet become onerous, and our views of McKinley were lovely--not from the camp but from various places along the hikes. But we also recommend going in for one night or as a day tripper, if you have the stamina to do it.