The park service shows a video in their very large theater at the Information Center near the entrance to the park about every 20 minutes. It is the most breathtaking video I have ever seen. More that worth your while. Children should like it too since it features many of the animals of Denali. Don't miss it!

The largest mountain in North America is just a boat ride or plane trip away. Mt McKinley, known to the locals as Denali 'The great one', is located north of Anchorage and is assessable by train, plane or automobile. In an area just south of Healy, AK sits a wonderful little village of indigenous art, breathtaking scenery and the best Cajun chicken sandwich you've ever had. Denali, AK is home to the entrance of Denali National Park and 5-10 hotel accommodations including Denali Park Resorts. Two separate properties, The McKinley Chalets and McKinley Village, offer different perspectives and themes for the adventurous traveler. For the discoverer, The McKinley Village offers a truly rustic environment. Sitting on the edge of the Nanana River, rooms never lack in the ultra-outdoorsy tent like accommodations. For those a little less in love with nature are the McKinley Chalets. It’s more upscale and ritzy, with a hot tub and an attentive server, and relaxing after a long day’s hike is simply, luxurious. If you are looking forward to a night out on the town, Denali is not for you. However, if you are experiencing a hunger like never before (due to daytime activities), you must try the Smoke Shack where they smoke, grill, char and serve the best meal in a 200 mile proximity. Then make your way up to The Crow’s Nest for a nightcap and to reflect upon one of the best vacation days you’ve ever had. And don’t think that because you’re in the middle of nowhere that there’s nothing to do; that couldn’t be further from the truth. There is whitewater rafting, helicopter tours, mushing tours, bus rides into the heart of Denali National Park, and the ultimate experience in backcountry camping.

Rooms were clean and warm.We had no common lounge which the add stated there was.There was no phone only one that you could call the office.The web sites states there is a common lounge with phone,microwave,hot drinks,coffee,hot chocolate and tea.The hot drinks were in a alley way that is open to the weather and a micro wave beside it.If there was a common lounge it was not visable to any of us and we had a group of 11 people.The roads were very muddy due to the construction.It was hard to walk on them as it rained all the time we were there making the roads very slippery. We had one certain van driver that was very inpolite .He did not open or close the doors for us or help us out of the van since it was very high up even with a step. If it hadn't been for our husbands we may have fallen when getting out. The driver was also very fast driver on narrow,hilly and windy roads in the Sourdough area. It was only that certain one driver that was a problem .All the other van drivers were very nice and friendly.

We were in Denali for 3 days in July 2005. we took the shuttle bus to Wonder Lake. It was beautiful and the time flew by. The driver was knowledgeable and very observant. She stopped often for photo ops and to point out wildlife. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks. Bring food and water because none is available. we did not get off to hike because we saw plenty from the bus. The round trip was 11 hours and well worth it. If you get off to hike you will get picked up by another bus eventually. On the second day we hiked around the entrance. There are trail maps at the Visitors Center. The hikes are all beautiful and range from the very easy Taiga Loop to the strenuous Mt. Healy Overlook. The scenery varies from meandering creeks to forests to open vistas of valleys and mountains. The trails were not crowded and we saw owls and various birds and took loads of pictures. We hiked to the Sled Dog demonstration which is not to be missed. The dogs are friendly and excited to see people and demonstrate their skills. The ranger gives a talk and then you get to see the dogs RUN WITH THE SLED! We also went rafting on the Nenana River. The trips vary from mild to wild and you can paddle or just sit and let the guide paddle. The Subway near the park entrance is open 24 hours and we would get breakfast there and order lunch to take with us. Carry lots of water. Mt Mckinley is awesome. We were fortunate to be among the 30% of visitors to see the summit because it was sunny and cloudless one day. We are ready to go back!