Getting There
Talkeetna lies on a 14-mile spur road that branches from the Parks Highway 99 miles north of Anchorage and 138 miles south of the park entrance.
The Alaska Railroad (tel. 800/544-0552 or 907/265-2494; www.alaskarailroad.com) serves Talkeetna daily on its runs to Denali National Park during the summer, and weekly in the winter. The summer fare from Anchorage to Talkeetna is $82 one-way for adults, half price for children, for basic service.
The Talkeetna Shuttle Service (tel. 907/733-1725 office or 907/373-8548 cellular; www.denalicentral.com) runs to and from Anchorage. Fares are $65 one-way, $125 round-trip.
It's possible to stay in Talkeetna but do the Denali National Park shuttle bus ride and other park activities by flying there for the day. Talkeetna Aero Services (tel. 888/733-2899 or 907/733-2899; www.talkeetnaaero.com) offers daily round-trips for this purpose during the summer with a flightseeing tour circling Mount McKinley en route. They charge $395 as a package with ground transfers, a bus tour, and a box lunch.
Visitor Information
Built to serve people aiming to climb Mount McKinley, the Denali National Park Talkeetna Ranger Station, at 1st and B streets (P.O. Box 588), Talkeetna, AK 99676 (tel. 907/733-2231; www.nps.gov/dena), makes a fascinating stop for anyone curious about mountaineering. Inside the handsome structure a large sitting room contains a river rock fireplace, climbing books, and pictures of the mountain -- it's like an old-fashioned explorers' club. Fascinating records open for inspection cover the history of McKinley climbs. Rangers are on hand to answer questions, too. It's open May through Labor Day daily from 8am to 6pm; winter, Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm.
The Talkeetna/Denali Visitor Center, located in a tiny cabin at the intersection of the Parks Highway and Talkeetna Spur Road and on Main Street (P.O. Box 688), Talkeetna, AK 99676 (tel. 800/660-2688 or 907/733-2641; www.talkeetnadenali.com), is a commercial center belonging to a local flight service and providing brochures, information, and advice while earning commissions from bookings. It's the handiest commercial information stop in the region. The center is open daily from 8am to 8pm in summer, and they respond to inquiries year-round with free trip-planning help.
Special Events
The Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival, held over the second weekend in July, is the big community event of the year, a fair beginning its fourth decade as a fundraiser for the Talkeetna Historical Society (tel. 907/733-2487). The named event doesn't involve dropping moose, as an aggrieved animal lover once complained, but tossing moose droppings. Another event, the mountain mother contest, open only to mothers, is a race of Bush skills, including splitting wood and diapering a baby.
