Hitchhiking to Denali from Anchorage

I am headed up to Denali on 9/1/03 for a week of backcountry

hiking/camping/photography. By the time my flight gets in to

Anchorage at 10am in the morning, I think the scheduled buses up to

the park will have already left (although I would probaby prefer

hitchhiking anyway). Has anyone had good experience/luck hitchhiking

up to the park entrance? Any thoughts on how booked the more popular

units within the park will be around that time would be appreciated.

I would also like to congratulate the people who participate in these

discussion threads. I have received some great help in planning my

trips through this site, including a trip to Corcovado National Park

in Costa Rica last March.

You might consider checking the train schedule, too.

A 'Alaska Railroad' run goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks, stopping along the way at or near the entrance to Denali National Park.

I tried hitchhiking just out of Anchorage a couple of weeks ago. First time I needed to do this in many years. I was doing a emergency shuttle to my car due to a hole in my cataraft. Anyway, times have changed. Used to get rides right away, but not now. After too long a while, a couple visiting from New Zealand finally gave me a ride. My point being that hitchhiking is possible, but few people around here are as trusting as they were in the past.

In any case, you will need to get to the other side of town and on the road north before anyone is likely to pick you up. There is a cheap but miserable excuse for a bus service available or you can pay the $25 for a cab to get you to the Glenn Highway. After that, patience will probably reward you. I'm guessing you will need at least three separate rides to get you to the park.

There is a bus service that is (or at least was) active year round from Anchorage to Fairbanks & they would gladly drop you at the park entrance. But I agree with the above post. The train is the nicest ride available. Very scenic.

Park visitors are thick from June through August, but generally thin out fast before September hits. It cools down early there. You shouldn't have any difficulty finding a room at least until after the middle of the month when various services close up and follow the tourists south.

If you are planning on camping look at the Park Service's web site to find out when the campgrounds close. I think that happens in September sometime. The bus ride into the park shuts down before the 12th this year. After that internal park travel gets difficult if not impossible.

Take the train. Forget hitchhiking unless you are "packing". This is America. Park is full of people until about mid-Sept. Here are some helpful web sites.

www.nps.gov National Park Service

www.akrr.com Alaska Railroad

Parks Highway Express has a shuttle that leaves from the downtown hostel at 3 p.m.

Here's their site: http://alaska-online.com/phe/index.htm. The train leaves really

early in the morning, so that's out if you really want to head up to Denali once your

flight gets in.

If you're asking about the backpacking units, they aren't too bad. You'll probably have

to wait a day or two since you're hitting the end of labor day weekend. Depends on

whether you're solo. It's harder to get a popular unit if you have a larger party.

i have never hitchhiked in alaska, but i have in many of the lower 48, new zealand, australia, thailand, and laos. the basic rule is the faster you want to get somewhere the longer the wait for a ride becomes. if you have all the time in the world, you will get a ride. murphy's law i guess.

have fun.

hitchhiking is the best way to meet great locals (usually tourists will not pick you up) and see some places off the tourist routes.

eddie

If you ever do hitchhike, create a decent sign which people can read. Makes a lot of difference. Drivers then know exactly where you're going (even if that may seem obvious) and that you're 'together' enough to show this courtesy (as opposed to the standard thumb only).

It's been a long time since I hitched, but I used to move much faster via use of a clear, readable sign. You may want to bring along materials to make a sign with even if you're unsure you'll need it. Weighs just about nothing and can come in handy.