Not to be confused with the Denali Park Road, which is 90 miles long and the only road into the 6 million acre Denali National Park and Preserve, the Denali Highway [sic] is 131 miles of gravel road between Cantwell and Paxon.  It is not a highway.   The elevation at our campsite is 2440’.  We are camped at 63.17.40074 N and 148.3.90667 W.

Last PM we stayed in Denali State Park, 50 miles south from here on the south side of Denali National Park and Preserve.  

We had stopped along the way to inquire about DSP and were told, “There are lots of big trees and big ferns”.  Well, there weren’t.  Apparently, the woman has never been to the Pacific Northwest.

DSP was uninspiring, so we backtracked today to be able to explore the Denali Highway.  30 miles or so in, is Brushkana Campground, where we camped on BLM land.  As it is federal land, our Senior Pass entitled us to a 50% discount, so a camping spot was $10.00.  Pit toilets, a well somewhere, picnic table, fire ring and lots of mosquitoes.  

But we both are glad to be here and not still in the Anchorage RV park with the rest of the gang.  We are the rebels of the group and proud that we are both travelers, not tourists.  We are taking a vacation from our vacation.

The gravel road in was OK and I was able to drive 20-25 MPH.  We saw some nice viewpoints and camping spots on the road and may stay tomorrow night.  Or may not.  Travelers never know where they are going next.  There will be no fees for roadside camping. Then back to the group on Saturday.

We both revel in being on our own and away from the group and wish we had just done the trip on our own.  It would have been easy and we could have avoided all the tourist traps.

46 years ago, in 1979, when I came to Denali and went backpacking for two nights in the park, it seemed so different.  It was a year before Jimmy Carter added 4 million acres to the park in the final weeks of his presidency.

We rode the train from Anchorage, slept in a tent, picked blueberries and saw grizzly bears, caribou and Dahl sheep.  Memorable.

Now, the highway outside the entrance is lined with shops, restaurants and tourism offices for plane rides, bicycle rentals, helicopter rides, raft trips, etc.  The cruise lines have their own luxury hotels and there are tourist busses parked everywhere.  Denali has gone commercial.  Glad I saw it long ago when it wasn’t.

We frequently say to each other that we wish we were driving 18 degrees of latitude south of here in Oregon. We are several thousand miles from home.  I hope it is more scenic on the rest of the trip, because so far it hasn’t been all that scenic or interesting – compared to Oregon.

The worst part of the trip, next to the boring landscape is my inflamed achilles tendon.  I am hobbling like a wounded veteran most days and unable to walk as I wish.