Although clients aren’t traveling right now, they soon will be. So it’s important to refresh your knowledge on popular destinations like Alaska.
Alaska’s top attraction, Denali National Park and Preserve is larger than the entire state of New Hampshire. Just one road penetrates its backcountry; this single route, accessible only by the park’s shuttle buses, crosses taiga, tundra, boggy lowlands, and mountain passes.
Denali (Koyukon Athabaskan for The High One) – formerly known as Mount McKinley – is the highest mountain peak in North America. It is the world’s third highest peak after Mount Everest in Asia and Aconcagua in South America. Located in the Alaska Range, Denali is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve. Alaskans rely on context to distinguish between the park and the mountain. Below are 5 attractions that you will want to know about as a travel professional.
1. Visitor’s Center: The park headquarters, near the main entrance at the eastern end of the park, is a necessary stop for all visitors. Roughly 400,000 travelers journey to Denali each year, primarily between late May and early September. The Visitor Center has an information desk, general store, restaurant, and bookshop. A mile away, the Wilderness Access Center handles shuttle bus tickets and campsite reservations, while next door, the Backcountry Information Center issues backcountry permits.
The park’s road is the avenue for visitors to see and experience Denali. The road is 92 miles long, and only the first 15 miles are paved. The paved section, leading from the park entrance to Savage River, is open during the summer for private vehicles. Travel beyond the paved section is by the park’s shuttle or tour bus.
2. Tours: The park’s concessionaire runs a full schedule of guided tours in summer, the most popular of which is the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Choices range from short nature tours that go just beyond the Savage River to all-day round trips as far as the Toklat River, 53 miles each way. Tourists can go rafting, flightseeing, take an ATV tour, or visit the kennel of an Iditarod Musher.
The tour bus routine is simple: Everyone watches for wildlife—every seat has great views. Anyone who spots wildlife shouts out, the bus comes to a halt, and folks rush to one side or the other for a glimpse. No one is allowed off the bus when animals are near, but people can open the windows to watch or take pictures. Wildlife is most active in the early morning and late afternoon, so the 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. tours are more popular than the mid-morning and mid-afternoon departures.
3. Park Transportation: The concessionaire operates the park’s Visitor Transportation System (VTS). VTS shuttle buses leave the visitor center every 30 minutes for Wonder Lake, 85 miles into the park. Wonder Lake, near the end of the shuttle route, affords one of the finest sights of the mountain when Denali is clear. People use the hop-on, hop-off shuttle as a way to hike the park on their own. A later shuttle picks them up for the return trip.
Whether on a tour or a shuttle bus, travelers can expect to see wildlife; however, they might not see Denali itself. A clear view of the mountain is possible only about 20 percent of the time during the summer due to clouds. It is visible more often during the winter. Flightseeing trips offer increased opportunities to see The Great One up close.
Due to road and weather conditions, tours are offered from mid-May through mid-September. During the winter, the park is accessible by dogsled, snowshoes, or skis, but no motorized vehicles are allowed. Winter accommodations are available at small lodges or roadhouses.
4. Denali Highway: This 133-mile gravel road connects the Richardson and Parks Highways. The road presents stunning views of the Alaska Range. Along the Denali Highway are numerous hiking trails, mountain lakes, caribou, bear, moose, and waterfowl.
If clients can’t get into Denali, driving the Denali Highway gives them similar scenery and wildlife. The road can be dusty and rough, with limited services. The road has a short summer season and in early spring and late fall can be dangerous for the ill prepared. Operators offer bicycle tours of the Denali Highway, complete with vans or trailers and a crew to handle camping chores. The town of Cantwell, 27 miles south of the Denali entrance off the Parks Highway, has limited accommodations. Kantishna: The community is at the end of the road in Denali Park. Once a gold mining camp, Kantishna is the largest privately owned property in the park. Mining continues on a small scale.
5. Dinner Theater: Dinner theater performances are offered during the summer season. They offer a rousing good time and have the spirit and feel of old-time mining days. Tickets can be purchased from hotels and tour operators. The Denali Park Salmon Bake, established in 1984, pumps out the freshest Alaskan meals by the hundreds but still manages to feel authentic. The portions are quite huge!
Taken from The Travel Institute’s Alaska Destination Specialist course.
