We will be in this area from about July 9 - 17 give or take a few days. We anticipate hiking and exploring this wonderful area. This is our first trip to Alaska and we have the luxury of spending as much time as we want and can go where we want in a Dodge diesel truck with 4x4. Most off roading is not a problem.. My husband does video so we will be looking for good spots for him also.
This will be my first time using a 200-400 - the longest lens I've ever had. That said I realize it is still short for birds. However, being on the D300 will give me an effective 300-600 focal length. I also have a 1.4 tele. We have no specific photo or video targets. I also enjoy bigger animals, flowers, macro, landscapes, ...just about anything!
We haven't decided how to tackle Denali and would also consider the Denali Hwy from Cantwell to Paxson. Is the west end, middle or east end of Denali Hwy more interesting/rewarding?
In Fairbanks, Creamer's Field is a possibility and the Steese Hwy to Eagle summit was another suggestion. Of course, I don't know where to stop or the best time of day along the highway.
Thanks everyone!
Posted by Marcy Ugstad on April 7, 2010 at 12:28 PM
Karen,
When you go to Denali, make sure you take the shuttle into Wonder Lake. Just a note, most animals are seen on either the early shuttles or late shuttles.....Also, there is an area north of Healy on right side of highway, that is a great place to keep an eye out for Grizzlies. We have seen a sow and cub in that area several different years. (Large open area with some spuce trees)
North of Fairbanks, you want to also check out the Chena Lakes Recreational Area - keep an eye out for Moose, especially along the edges of the ponds and rivers. We see 5-6 moose each time we drive through there. Quite a few birds in the area, also. By the way, Moose have no fear of cars and will walk right on out in front of you so really watch the edges of the roads when driving in Moose areas!
Another good area for seeing Sandhill Cranes is in the hay fields out Chena Hot Springs Road - northeast of Fairbanks.
The Steese is a great choice up to Eagle Summit - there is a wonderful area of tundra where you can walk on some hiking trails, great views, macro ops for small tundra plants, watch for bears,caribou, fox, etc.
Realize this time of year (July) is going to be pretty busy with tourists, so keep that in mind, especially when driving!! Long hours will give you lots of time for video and still photography.
In Denali, I would camp in Tek, and then use the Tek Pass for travel in the park. Saves you 60 miles of bumpy road every day, and puts you in a great location.
The entire Denali Highway is wonderful, but I wouldn't tow a 5th wheel over it.
Beyers Lake in Denali State Park is a great place to break up the drive from Anchorage to Denali.
Denali Highway: my favorite area in Alaska accessible by road. The east end (Paxson to Susitna River) is by far the most photogenic and interesting part, especially Paxson to McLaren River. Alpine tundra, good trails, clear water streams and impressive mountains. The best camping is Tangle Lakes Campground. Excellent trails, including Landmark Gap and McLaren Ridge. The views up the McLaren valley from the ridge trail are spectacular on a clear day. If you want a longer hike, let me know and I'll give you some tips. Nice canoeing at Tangle Lakes, too. I'd disagree with Ron on towing a fifth wheeler; if you take it slow, you'll be fine. It's been in decent shape the last two years.
Fairbanks: Creamer's Refuge, Tanana Lake (formerly South Cushman Ponds) and the University of Alaska Large Animal Research Station ("LARS"). A little further form town, Chena Hot Springs Road and especially Chena River Recreation Area are very nice and almost guaranty moose. Excellent trails as well, including Angel Rock Trail and Granite Tors Trail.
Further North: The Steese Highway will get you into high country at 12 Mile Summit and Eagle Summit. The drive there is a little icky: massive forest fires in 2002 and 2004 burned much of the area. Last year, about that time, the fireweed was spectacular, though. The birds are Eagle Summitt are quite different from those on the higher parts of the Denali.
Posted by David Taylor on April 7, 2010 at 10:27 PM
I actually disagree with Jim on the Denali Highway. Well, I AGREE with him that it is a SPECTACULAR area - and one of my favorite road accessible areas in the state as well. But I really prefer the western side, from Cantwell past the Susitna River Bridge & the Clearwater Mountains. The road on the west side of the Susitna River Crossing looks out over the Alaska Range (east of Denali NP). Even though the mountains are distant, it's still an incredible view, especially along the Monaghan Glacial Plain. There are dozens of pristine reflection ponds perched on the tundra that can be wonderful foreground pieces for landscape images. I've seen caribou in this area too. This is not to say that the eastern portion of the road is not equally as impressive, I just prefer the western side
There are many places to pull off and set up camp, but Ron's right...a 5th wheel trailer on the Denali Highway would be very rough going, and could get real expensive, real quick. The vast majority of it is unpaved, just a few miles of the western side and about 20 miles or so of the eastern end. Everything else is rough, potholed, washboard, tire puncturing gravel hardpack. The truck will do fine (I drive my passenger car on it a couple times a year), just maintain spacing between other vehicles and keep your speed down.
... And I'm a big fan of the Steese! Don't worry you won't find much traffic there (as opposed to the Denali Hwy on a weekend or the Denali Park road, where another bus goes by every few minutes...). I like the way it looks; fireweed's great, and in july-august the whole landscape can be purple from fireweed, including distant mountainsides. The Elliott is also good. Even less traffic.
Denali Highway - on a clear day, the whole road is spectacular. On a cloudy day, the west end can be a little tedious. Cantwell to Paxson is 130 miles or so. 25 miles (5 on the west end, 20 on the east end) are paved. The rest is gravel. The gravel stretch's condition depends upon how much rain there has been and when the maintenance crew were by last. But even when it's bad, if you take it slow - 25 mph or so - towing a trailer isn't bad. I've done so many times.
In your position, I'd take the Parks Highway to Denali National Park and Fairbanks, and then the Richardson to Paxson. Then take the Denali Highway west from Paxson at least as far as McLaren Lodge or so. Then double back to Paxson, and continue on down to points south and east.
The Elliott Highway is nice, but you have to get west of the turn for the Dalton/Haul Road before you get away from the trucks hauling stuff to the oil fields. As I recall, it's 80 miles or so. The Steese, for my money, is more interesting, has less traffic and better campsites. If you decide to do the Steese, contact me by email and I'll give you some tips.
The Richardson Highway between Delta and Paxson is terrific. I actually wrote the chapters in Birder's Guide to Alaska for that stretch. And I didn't put all the good spots in the book. So if you plan that road, again, contact me by email.
Personally, I've always thought that the Denali Highway has been a bit overhyped for what it is, and it wasn't rough at all when I drove it. The scenery is nice and best at it's very western and eastern ends, but for most of the distance the mountains are so distant, so I was disappointed. I found the Parks Highway, and especially the Richardson Highway, to be far more interesting.
Denali National Park, was probably my favourite part of the interior of Alaska, and definitely worth a few days. I camped at Teklanika and had the Tek pass, which was perfect. The mess of commercialization around the park entrance isn't too nice, but once you get into the heart of the park, the scenery and wildlife is great. The real key is to just get off the buses from time to time and go for a hike through the tundra on your own, and then it really feels like the wilderness. So many people just stayed on the buses all day long, which struck me as a very boring and unfulfilling way to experience the area.
I think that Jim's suggested route in the post above is ideal.
Discussion
8 repliesThis will be my first time using a 200-400 - the longest lens I've ever had. That said I realize it is still short for birds. However, being on the D300 will give me an effective 300-600 focal length. I also have a 1.4 tele. We have no specific photo or video targets. I also enjoy bigger animals, flowers, macro, landscapes, ...just about anything!
We haven't decided how to tackle Denali and would also consider the Denali Hwy from Cantwell to Paxson. Is the west end, middle or east end of Denali Hwy more interesting/rewarding?
In Fairbanks, Creamer's Field is a possibility and the Steese Hwy to Eagle summit was another suggestion. Of course, I don't know where to stop or the best time of day along the highway.
Thanks everyone!
When you go to Denali, make sure you take the shuttle into Wonder Lake. Just a note, most animals are seen on either the early shuttles or late shuttles.....Also, there is an area north of Healy on right side of highway, that is a great place to keep an eye out for Grizzlies. We have seen a sow and cub in that area several different years. (Large open area with some spuce trees)
North of Fairbanks, you want to also check out the Chena Lakes Recreational Area - keep an eye out for Moose, especially along the edges of the ponds and rivers. We see 5-6 moose each time we drive through there. Quite a few birds in the area, also. By the way, Moose have no fear of cars and will walk right on out in front of you so really watch the edges of the roads when driving in Moose areas!
Another good area for seeing Sandhill Cranes is in the hay fields out Chena Hot Springs Road - northeast of Fairbanks.
The Steese is a great choice up to Eagle Summit - there is a wonderful area of tundra where you can walk on some hiking trails, great views, macro ops for small tundra plants, watch for bears,caribou, fox, etc.
Realize this time of year (July) is going to be pretty busy with tourists, so keep that in mind, especially when driving!! Long hours will give you lots of time for video and still photography.
Have fun!
Marcy Ugstad
Redmond, Oregon (AK during summers)
The entire Denali Highway is wonderful, but I wouldn't tow a 5th wheel over it.
Beyers Lake in Denali State Park is a great place to break up the drive from Anchorage to Denali.
Ron
Denali Highway: my favorite area in Alaska accessible by road. The east end (Paxson to Susitna River) is by far the most photogenic and interesting part, especially Paxson to McLaren River. Alpine tundra, good trails, clear water streams and impressive mountains. The best camping is Tangle Lakes Campground. Excellent trails, including Landmark Gap and McLaren Ridge. The views up the McLaren valley from the ridge trail are spectacular on a clear day. If you want a longer hike, let me know and I'll give you some tips. Nice canoeing at Tangle Lakes, too. I'd disagree with Ron on towing a fifth wheeler; if you take it slow, you'll be fine. It's been in decent shape the last two years.
Fairbanks: Creamer's Refuge, Tanana Lake (formerly South Cushman Ponds) and the University of Alaska Large Animal Research Station ("LARS"). A little further form town, Chena Hot Springs Road and especially Chena River Recreation Area are very nice and almost guaranty moose. Excellent trails as well, including Angel Rock Trail and Granite Tors Trail.
Further North: The Steese Highway will get you into high country at 12 Mile Summit and Eagle Summit. The drive there is a little icky: massive forest fires in 2002 and 2004 burned much of the area. Last year, about that time, the fireweed was spectacular, though. The birds are Eagle Summitt are quite different from those on the higher parts of the Denali.
Recommended reading: Milepost (doesn't have to be 2010); A Birder's Guide to Alaska (which covers a lot more than just birds).
HTH.
There are many places to pull off and set up camp, but Ron's right...a 5th wheel trailer on the Denali Highway would be very rough going, and could get real expensive, real quick. The vast majority of it is unpaved, just a few miles of the western side and about 20 miles or so of the eastern end. Everything else is rough, potholed, washboard, tire puncturing gravel hardpack. The truck will do fine (I drive my passenger car on it a couple times a year), just maintain spacing between other vehicles and keep your speed down.
We really appreciate your sharing some of your favorite spots with us! We have planned to visit Alaska for many years and THIS is the year!
God Bless!
Some additional points:
Denali Highway - on a clear day, the whole road is spectacular. On a cloudy day, the west end can be a little tedious. Cantwell to Paxson is 130 miles or so. 25 miles (5 on the west end, 20 on the east end) are paved. The rest is gravel. The gravel stretch's condition depends upon how much rain there has been and when the maintenance crew were by last. But even when it's bad, if you take it slow - 25 mph or so - towing a trailer isn't bad. I've done so many times.
In your position, I'd take the Parks Highway to Denali National Park and Fairbanks, and then the Richardson to Paxson. Then take the Denali Highway west from Paxson at least as far as McLaren Lodge or so. Then double back to Paxson, and continue on down to points south and east.
The Elliott Highway is nice, but you have to get west of the turn for the Dalton/Haul Road before you get away from the trucks hauling stuff to the oil fields. As I recall, it's 80 miles or so. The Steese, for my money, is more interesting, has less traffic and better campsites. If you decide to do the Steese, contact me by email and I'll give you some tips.
The Richardson Highway between Delta and Paxson is terrific. I actually wrote the chapters in Birder's Guide to Alaska for that stretch. And I didn't put all the good spots in the book. So if you plan that road, again, contact me by email.
Denali National Park, was probably my favourite part of the interior of Alaska, and definitely worth a few days. I camped at Teklanika and had the Tek pass, which was perfect. The mess of commercialization around the park entrance isn't too nice, but once you get into the heart of the park, the scenery and wildlife is great. The real key is to just get off the buses from time to time and go for a hike through the tundra on your own, and then it really feels like the wilderness. So many people just stayed on the buses all day long, which struck me as a very boring and unfulfilling way to experience the area.
I think that Jim's suggested route in the post above is ideal.