Welcome to the Gateway of Denali… Talkeetna, Alaska!
This was one of my most favorite stops while traveling through Alaska! The quaint and quirky town has so much charm. This might be my secret crush town in Alaska.
The town of Talkeetna lies near the southern border of Denali National Park & Preserve and is the check-in point for hikers going up Denali. Talkeetna is the hub for climbers flying to Denali base camp at 7,000 feet to begin their climb up North America’s tallest peak.
Talkeetna is a very small town, a day or two is perfect! There is a nice variety of things to do in Talkeetna from adventurous to shopping and free to pricey.
Regardless of how long you stay, Talkeetna will be forever in your heart.
While visiting, we stayed at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, a beautiful lodge situated just outside the main part of town. We stopped here on our way to the Denali National Park and I was blown away with the views here! Walking into the lodge you are greeted by an impressive 46-foot rock fireplace!
The highlight of my stay was the ability to ask the front desk for a “mountain call.” Yes, the front desk staff will call your room when Denali is showing in all her glory! A site to behold! This view, my tears and the time I spent just soaking in the moment, was truly a religious experience! If you are one of the lucky ones to have this opportunity to “see her”, make sure to grab a 30% Club pin or shirt to remember the moment!
If the backyard sight of the Alaskan Mountain Range & Denali wasn’t enough, what I experienced next changed my life! The next morning several of us loaded up and drove in town to K2 Aviation. After a safety briefing, familiarization of the plane, we took off to go see Denali up close and personal! Oh my goodness, never in my life have I experienced something so majestic!
After soaking in these amazing views airborne, we landed on a glacier with Denali… right there!! We unloaded, walked around, took pictures, threw snowballs, prayed, sang, it was amazing!
So after returning from the flight of a lifetime, here are a few must-do’s if you have the time.
Whether it’s beer at the Denali Brewing Company, a pit stop for a snack at the quirky Nagley’s General Store, grabbing a bottle of Birch Syrup from Kahiltna Birchworks or picking up a photograph of the Northern Lights from Aurora Dora, just have a look around, there’s lots to do and see in Talkeetna!
This is a post written by one of our Journey Planners, Keri Cameron.
You can learn more about Keri here.