I ♥ Fairbanks Part III: Driving the Denali Highway

Stretching 135 miles long, the Denali Highway was built in 1957 as the only road access to Denali National Park. Today the easier and more accessible route is the George Parks Highway, but that wasn’t built until 1971; thus for almost 20 years, the only way into Denali Park was via the Denali Highway.

From Fairbanks, hop on to the Richardson Highway. You’ll go about 95 miles down the Richardson until you reach Delta Junction; at that point the road splits. To the left you can get on the Alaska Highway (also known as the Al-Can Highway, a highway built in 1942 for the purpose of connecting Alaska and Canada during WWII), and to the right, you can continue down the Richardson. Continue down Richardson Highway for about 80 miles; at that point you will reach a town called Paxson. This is where the Denali Highway starts.  

This is the Eastern start of the Denali Highway, and you can drive the length of the road (all 135 miles of it) until it spits you out in a town called Cantwell on the George Parks Highway. From there, go right on the Parks Highway and you will find yourself coming into Denali Park from the South end. The drive across the Denali Highway is beautiful! It’s dotted with turn offs and photo opportunities, complete with gorgeous views and information signs.

Keep your eye out too for some of Alaska’s most breathtaking summits and glaciers within the Alaska Range, including Mount Hayes at 13,700 feet, Mount Hess at 11,940 feet, and Mount Deborah at 12,688 feet.  Also visible are the Wrangell Mountains and the Chugach Mountains.

On the way up into Denali we stopped for pizza and a Kwak beer at the Prospector’s Pizzeria and Alehouse (see the blog here) as well as an ice cream cone at Andy’s favorite ice cream spot, Denali Glacier Scoops.