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Most people who visit Denali National Park never make it to Kantishna, an area 95 miles inside the park that has a colorful gold mining past. But the 32-room Kantishna Roadhouse gives you the chance to eat, sleep and explore in this area at your leisure, and perhaps even feel that you have this pristine wilderness to yourself.
Owned and operated by Native Alaskan company Doyon, the 32-room Kantishna Roadhouse offers a cozy, log-cabin feel, yet everything is thoroughly modern. Granted, right by the main lodge you can still peek at, and take photos of, the original recorder’s cabin, where prospectors registered their claims more than a century ago. Standing a short distance away, the original Roadhouse building, which at times served as a private residence, community center, post office, and inn, has heard many a tale shared over a cup of hot coffee and a hearty meal.
The modern Kantishna Roadhouse still serves the same friendly purpose, and with the same spirit of camaraderie. The cabin accommodations feature full bathrooms and electricity, but no TV—that is, no distractions from the landscape outside your window.
Best of all, when you stay here everything is included, from your hearty, family-style meals to the boxed lunches you’ll pack to take on your day’s activities.
Those activities are included, too: guided hikes, fly-fishing in Moose Creek, mountain biking along the old mining roads and panning for gold. There’s an on-site dog kennel and dog-sled presentations from Iditarod-trained handlers. After dinner, you can get comfortable in the lodge’s library room to listen to an Alaskan storyteller, geologist, bird specialist or naturalist. Or you can board the shuttle for a trip to the Wonder Lake area to view Mt. McKinley.
Half the adventure is just getting here, too. A private bus picks you up at the train station and takes you to the end of the Park Road. Your experienced driver will provide your introduction to this magical wilderness—keep an eye out for bears, caribou, fox, moose, wolves, and Mt. McKinley.
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