Wild Beastly Camping in Denali

Wild river and mountains
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Denali National Park is millions of acres of wilderness. Denali puts the wild in wilderness by having NO trails, NO signs, and NO services beyond the entrance visitor center.

We rode the park service green busses deep into the park and backpacked for 7 days. Be prepared for cold, swift, and deep river crossings. Also be prepared for rapidly changing weather- we experienced high winds and cold rain in July. Bear safety is NO joke in Alaska, especially Denali. The rangers want to protect the bears and not the humans- so do your own research about bear safety. Buy bear mace spray and bells in Anchorage. You can borrow a bear-resistant food container from the rangers.

Our campsite was surrounded by bear flowers- the cheetos of the ursine world :)

Caribou in Camp
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We hiked through the Toklat River valley. We loved the views of snow capped mountains. We also saw some gorgeous rainbows. Unfortunately, we also encountered mosquitoes with lethal stings!

Later we hiked into a canyon in the Polychrome range. We were delighted by golden eagles. Unfortunately, we were rained-in for one full day.

We finished our trip with a hike around and up Stony Hill. We tromped through marmot village and we met a caribou. Our campsite was surrounded by bear flowers- the cheetos of the ursine world :)

Something to climb
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We were lucky to live in the wild with squirrels, caribou, and marmots for a week. We relied on our map and compass skills to navigate across the tundra. This trip is not for the virgin camper--it requires a tough stomach and calmness in the face of adverse weather and no-trails!! Remember- we only saw one other hiker in our 7 days in the wild. Therefore: be prepared, very prepared :)

Denali's wildness is unmatched. It tested me, and it opened my eyes up to the untouched world of tundra.