Denali Entrance Day

The park's front door at a kid's pace. Easy trails, the sled dog kennels, and the first good look at the mountains.

Season: Summer
How long: Full day, about 7 hours
Starts: Pick-up near the park entrance or Healy
Ages: All ages, strollers welcome on part of it

Most families spend their Denali time on a bus, which is right for the long road into the park. This is the other half. A day around the entrance area, where little legs can walk, there's always a bathroom close by, and nobody has to sit still for eight hours.

We go at the pace of the youngest person in the group. If the moose by Horseshoe Lake is more interesting than the plan, the plan waits.

The day

The visitor center, the big map, and a quick picture of what's where
Horseshoe Lake, an easy loop through spruce to a beaver pond, with snacks at the water
Lunch, then the park's sled dog kennels, where the dogs that patrol the park in winter live
Up the park road to Savage River, the farthest point private cars can drive
The short Savage River loop, along the river and back, then home