Denali National Park - 2018

We spent a few days camped at Denali Rainbow Village RV Park which is just outside the entrance to Denali National Park in a commercial area that the locals call "Glitter Gulch".  We had hoped to get into the Teklanika Campground which is 30 miles inside the park, but no sites were available on short notice.  The weather was very overcast and rainy, but the forecast showed a one day break of clear weather, so we booked seats on a park transit bus out to the Eielson Vistor's Center.  The day turned out to be mostly clear skies with some distant haze.  We also got a bus driver who was knowledgeable, engaging, and funny.

Soon after starting the drive into the park, we began to get tantalizing glimpses of Denali.

We did not see as much wildlife and none of it was as close as we had in previous visits, but we were still able to see a few animals.

Our first grizzly

Our only Dall Sheep sighting

Polychrome Pass was spectacular as usual

Detail of a braided river below Polychrome

Views of Denali kept getting better

A grizzly sow with two cubs

Views from the Toklat River Vistor's Center

One of the most photographed views of Denali is from Stony Pass at the 62 mile point on the park road.  We've been extremely fortunate to have clear views of the mountain during each of our visits.

Views from the Eielson Vistor's Center

Bull moose seen during return trip

A Golden Eagle a long ways off

One of only two Caribou seen in the park

Salmon Glacier

A mostly gravel road winds back to the site of the Granduc Copper Mine in British Columbia.  After about 20 miles, there is an overlook of the Salmon Glacier.  We had read and been told we should take the drive to visit the glacier, but had no idea of the scale of the Salmon Glacier and the surrounding scenery with many smaller glaciers in the nearby mountains.

Since the road travels between steep mountains capped with glaciers and snow, summertime produces lots of runoff resulting in many waterfalls of various shapes and sizes.

As you approach Salmon Glacier, the first view is of the south flowing arm.

The current toe or terminus of this branch

The central part of Salmon Glacier

A stitched panorama of the glacier and surrounding mountains

The north flowing arm of the glacier flows into a depression which holds Summit Lake.  Summit Lake drains dramatically under the glacier every summer in a jökulhlaup.  The lake had drained about a week before we visited.

The north flowing arm

Where Summit Lake had been

A few miles past Salmon Glacier is the site of the Granduc Copper Mine which is located next to Berendon Glacier.

A closer view of Berendon Glacier

Because of the heavy winter snowfalls, a tunnel was blasted through this mountain to get men and equipment to the mine and ore out during winter.

A few of the many other small mountaintop glaciers in the area.

We came across a few grouse along a side road.

A grizzly up above the glacier overlook

Fish Creek Viewing Area

Probably the most famous thing to visit near Hyder is the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site.  At the observation site, there is a raised viewing boardwalk along the edge of Fish Creek.  When the salmon return during summer to spawn in Fish Creek, black bears, grizzly bears and sometimes wolves can also be seen catching salmon below the boardwalk.  We knew we were gambling with our timing as the salmon run had not yet started when we arrived.  Though a few salmon started to arrive during our visit, not enough were in the stream to attract the bears.

Some photographers stake out spots at the end of the platform.

While waiting for the salmon run which would attract the bears, we spotted other wildlife.

Common Mergansers

Female Goldeneye

Belted Kingfisher

Beaver

Mink

This old fireplace is the only remnant of a roadhouse that once stood next to the observation site.

We saw lots of these plants with small bright red berries along the roads.

These Fireweed plants were almost six feet tall!

Yellow Monkeyflower

Unknown flower

Finally the salmon started to arrive.

We finally did see a couple of black bears feeding on berries across the road next to the observation platform.