Not-So-Famous Denali State Park

July 26, 2011


Alaska maintains a Denali State Park south of the national park, with beautiful Byers Lake. Our tour package included a half-day kayak tour on the lake. I went along with it mostly to have another day in the area and thus a better chance of seeing the famous mountain. We were unsuccessful in seeing the mountain, but we did have a lovely day in the Talkeetna area. It turned out to be more fun than riding the bus through the National Park in the rain all day.

We left the precarious Denali Crow's Nest Cabins with plenty of time to do some caching along the road to the lodge where we were supposed to meet the paddle tour, so we stopped to find a couple of caches at overlooks that were supposed to give us views of the mountain.

No such luck, but the view was still nice.


Here's a picture of the sign showing where the mountain would be if it were visible.


We were particularly excited about a cache at the lodge where we were supposed to meet the tour, because it was brand new and no one had logged it yet. I got my very first first-to-find! I had been there for a first-to-find in Hawai'i, but Eric actually found the exceedingly well-hidden cache. But I found this one! Apparently I have to go to Alaska or Hawai'i to be first to find anything.

Eric took my picture with the pristine log sheet.


The view from the cache site wasn't bad.


Back at the lodge, a man noticed that Eric was wearing a Lawrence Berkeley Lab T-shirt. He told us that he was in Alaska to celebrate his retirement from an ophthalmology practice near Alta Bates.

When we met our driver, Craig, at the lodge, he told us we were the only ones on the tour. Score! Craig drove us a few miles out to Byers Lake. We asked Craig what wildlife we might see, and he said, "Oh, me. Your guide, Simon." With no wildlife and no view of the mountain, would a paddle trip on Byers Lake be worth it?

It was indeed. Even without being able to see Denali, the lake was beautiful. It was wonderful to be out there on the water, much more fun than being on a bus.

What a beautiful lake! Photo by Eric.


The clouds were pretty, too. Photo by Eric.


Me paddling the kayak. Photo by Eric.


Simon showed us a beaver lodge. Beavers build several other types of structures in addition to dams. This structure is for raising baby beavers. The beavers can enter and exit the shelter underwater. Almost all of their predators are land rather than marine animals, so this shelter allows them to exit quickly into the safety of the water. Simon told us that, while most people from the Lower 48 think of them as nuisance animals, beavers are actually very clever.


Simon took us into the outlet where the lake drains. Photo by Eric.


And Eric took my picture there.


Eric asked me to stop paddling so he could photograph the scenery.


Simon admiring the lake.


Simon took our picture in the sit-on-top boat.


Simon was a really interesting guy from Eugene, Oregon, who had worked as a tour guide in the winter and then spent his summers SCUBA diving in Laos, Thailand and Honduras. What a life these people have! Simon was a real liberal, but not the urban sort of liberal that we see in Berkeley, but a "live simple" kind of guy. We enjoyed his company.

Simon, Craig, and some other Alaskans we had talked to all recommended taking the 22-km (14-mi) spur road out to the small town of Talkeetna. Simon described it as "the Austin, Texas of Alaska." Everyone said that Talkeetna had fantastic food, so we decided to go there for dinner.

Talkeetna was indeed kind of a hippy place.



We had a nice dinner at a place called The Wildflower Cafe. We had been warned that it was a bit on the pricey side, but it was very good. We had good salmon soup and crab salads.

Eric took a picture of a unicyclist. There was also a stiltwalker.


While looking for a cache that we didn't find, Eric found these caterpillars.


After our fun visit to Talkeetna, it was time to head back down the road to the lackluster Ramada Anchorage Downtown for the night.

On to the Kenai Peninsula and Kenai Fjords National Park.


Last updated: 08/03/2011 by Eric and Beth Zuckerman