Denali Hwy???
 

We are planning a June trip to Alaska and are tring to find the best way to spend the 7 days we have on land. My husband thinks taking the unpaved Denali Hwy (in a rental car) could be a great way to see wildlife and beautiful scenery. Has anyone tried it??? We were also planning to spend 3 nights at Denali is this overkill??? We love to hike and are wild about wildlife of any kind (but not wild about "insect" wildlife). Any advise would be helpful

Unless the rental companies have changed their policy they don't allow you to drive on unpaved highways. 3 days 2 nights are fine if you expect to spend one full day taking a park service wildlife tour. Consider a white water rafting trip whil;e staying in Denali.

None of the major rental car agents allow driving the Denai Highway and if you do find an independent- be certain to purchase all their insurance waivers as your auto insurance and credit card insurance is usually void, verify your particular policies. I wouldn't consider either of the park tour buses and opt instead for the shuttle buses to Eielson- not a significant "bug" problem to that point. Early June (shuttle to Wonder Lake starts June 8) would probably be ok to Wonder Lake. Key is the first bus out for moose viewing opportunities, bears later. Necessary is a good pair of binoculars. Great hiking opportunities - take a look at the NPS web site for more information. 2 nights is ideal!!

We drove the Denali Highway this last July. Affordable Rental Car out of Anchorage allows you to drive on this unpaved road. Very satisfied with Affordable Rental Car and will use them again in the future. If you check the online riders of many of the major rental car companies, they will indicate you are not allowed to drive on unpaved roads. Regardless, take out all the insurances (windshield, damage etc.). We did not have a problem on the road, but we drove no more than 30 mph. We did pass an SUV who blew out all 4 tires. The scenery was outstanding. It was a whole day affair. We saw some wildlife - our highlight was a moose in one of the lakes along the way, but you have to be on the look out. Check the Bureau of Land Management for a guide of the Denali Highway (we picked up a copy at the Ranger Station in Denali) and I would also suggest The Milepost as a reference. Each indicated points to pull off and view (i.e. beaver lodges, etc.). We tried to eat lunch at one of the campgrounds but we were attacked by mosquitos so we ate in teh car while we continued our trip. We are glad we we did the trip, but can't tell you for sure we would do it again. In Denali, we had a day bus trip in the park, we went horseback riding one morning with a dinner show in the evening and concluded with a white water rafting trip our last day.

Be sure to spend a lot of your time on the Kenai Peninsula. If you do a search of past posts, you will find most agree.

Thanks for the advice especially on the Kenai Peninsula. We have decided to stay 2 nights in that area (originally we were only going to allow 4 hours). Any recommendations on B&B's?? Not just for the Kenai Peninsula but Anchorage and Denali areas as well?? There are too many choices:)

twelch -

We drove the Denali Highway last June.

Scenery was great, but we didn't see much wildlife other than a couple of porcupines and a few distant caribou. The drive, which can't be made at high speeds, is fairly long.

If it helps, the highlights of our two-week trip were:

*bear-viewing trip out of homer to katmai via floatplane. saw about 20 grizzlies, a few as close as 10 to 15 yards. Pricey, but worth it.

*flightseeing around mckinley on a -- apparently rare -- clear day. lots of fun.

*hiking in denali. the bus is no thrill; get out and hike. saw no bears, but getting very close to a few caribou was fun.

*glacier, lodge and abandoned mining town at kennicott.

*hiking and driving around kenai. black bears, moose, russian churches, spectacular scenery.

Denali Highway was good but not near the top of our list.

However, if you decide to go: It's true that most rental car companies don't allow you to drive on unpaved roads. We did it anyway and didn't have any problems. Nobody even asked when we turned the car in.

Whatever you decide, have a great time.

My opinion only, I would not disregard a rental agreement. Even a small accident can cost hundreds and minor injuries hundreds more.

Also towing a car from Denali Hway it may cost you thousands (not hundreds). There is no AAA service and you may be waiting for help many long and lonely hours. But if you are going in June days are long so you won't have to worry about waiting there with your disabled car after dark.
I am with Budget Queen on this one.

Twelch, do you have seven days or seven nights? What time is your flight out of Anchorage? Are you arriving in Anchorage?
What is your budget for accommodation? For the best wildlife do search here and read about bear watching tours and one-day or half a day cruises from Seward .There is plenty of hiking around Anchorage.

Mama-we are going for 6 days/7 nights. I also wrote the "Itineray Suggestions" posting which includes our tentative itinerary...any suggestions or comments would be happily welcomed:) FYI:Airfare has not been bought yet so we are flexiable about departure city.