Page 19 - RV Alaska

Devil’s Canyon
Chulitna Gorge Journey
River, Rail & Trail
Natural History Tours
www.mahaysjetboat.com
[email protected]
Talkeetna, Alaska • 907-733-2223
Don’t Miss the
Fun & Excitement!
The tiny town of Talkeetna is the
gateway to Denali National Park,
the six million-acre wilderness
that’s home to North America’s
tallest peak (Denali, formerly Mt.
McKinley). Like many of the towns
populating Alaska’s interior, it
was founded on dreams of gold.
In 1905, the precious metal was
found at Cache Creek, just west of
Talkeetna, and the discovery led to
hordes of prospectors descending
on this remote location. Ten years
later the area was selected as
the headquarters for the Alaska
Railroad’s engineering commission,
which brought a very different
crowd, surveyors and laborers
working to connect Fairbanks to
the Port of Seward on the Gulf of
Alaska.
Nowadays, Talkeetna is a hotbed
of outdoor recreation, serving as
a basecamp for hikers and for the
intrepid climbers summiting the
park’s namesake peak. However,
climbing Denali is a serious
endeavor that requires years of
experience and training, so most
tourists satisfy themselves with
views of the mountain from below.
For those wanting a closer look,
the famed peak can be seen from
the comfort of an airplane on the
several flight-seeing tours that leave
from Talkeetna.
Various outfitters also offer tours
through the park, and having a
guide is particularly useful since
Denali doesn’t have the well-worn
trails you’d find at parks in the
Lower 48. Actually, once you get
beyond the visitors center, there are
no maintained trails at all.
For visitors who want to enjoy
spectacular scenery without
the cost of flight-seeing (or the
effort of a hike), the Hurricane
Turn train offers one of the only
true flag stop experiences in the
U.S. Passengers can hop on and
off whenever they like between
Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch a
couple hours away, just by notifying
the conductor. Riders can access
remote hiking trails and fishing
holes, as well as backcountry cabins
that would be otherwise impossible
to reach without a bush plane.
As Talkeetna lies on the eastern
banks of the Susnita River, there’s
no shortage of water sports
available. Jet boat tours, white-
water rafting excursions, and
guided fishing trips all leave from
Talkeetna and provide fun-filled
days on this wild, scenic river and its
tributaries.
The town’s proximity to Denali and
resulting level of tourism means it
has a more interesting dining scene
than would normally be expected
for a town of less than a thousand
residents. The cuisine ranges from
home-style American to Thai and
Indian, and a couple food trucks
even operate during the summer.
For families visiting Talkeetna,
children will love the playground
at Wild Woods Park. It features a
variety of swings, mazes, cabins,
and slides, all constructed from
rough-hewn timbers from the
nearby forest.
To get to Talkeetna from
Anchorage or Fairbanks, turn at the
bear statute in front of the Talkeetna
Visitors’ Center (milepost 98). The
town is located along the Susitna
River at the end of the Talkeetna
Spur Road, 14 miles from the
George Parks Highway.
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA
MAYOR STUBBS
Photo: NPS/Kent Miller
Talkeetna’s most famous resident
is almost certainly its former
mayor, Stubbs the cat. Some locals
will tell you that Stubbs overcame
his electoral challengers through a
very successful write-in campaign,
but in reality, Talkeetna doesn’t
have a mayoral election since it’s
not legally a town, but rather a
historic district.
Stubbs lived an adventurous life
in Talkeetna. Residents cite a
crosstown tour on the back of a
garbage truck and an accident
with a non-operational deep
fryer as some of his most colorful
stories, though nothing tops his
2009 altercation with a dog, after
which he underwent medical
treatment in Wasilla, 70 miles
away. After a harrowing nine-day
hospital stay, the mayor returned
to his city for a short period of rest
and recuperation before carrying
on with his mayoral duties. Sadly,
Mayor Stubbs passed away July
21, 2017 at the age of 20 and three
months.
Photo: Jenni Conrad
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The Walter Harper Talkeetna
Ranger Station is the beginning
point for all mountaineering
expeditions. The center also
offers general park information,
climbing information for
the Alaska Range, summer
interpretive programs, and a
bookstore. It is named in honor
of Walter Harper, the first person
to summit the Mountain.
Talkeetna
Gateway to Denali
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