Talkeetna, Alaska

So, my husband did a thing:

Yup, that’s the summit of Denali! Towering at 20,310 feet, Denali is the third most prominent peak in the world, and the highest in North America.

This blog post wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to the awesome guide team that got Andy up the mountain safely and with success – RMI Expeditions. Established in 1969, Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. leads guiding climbing groups up some of the world’s most spectacular peaks, including Denali, Vinson Massif, and Everest.

Andy returned raving about his climbing guides – Joe, Nick, and Robby – and all the adventure and fun his team had. Guides were safe and knowledgeable, cooked a good meal, and fostered a perfect team atmosphere.

The Bichons and I were able to drive down to Talkeetna to surprise Andy upon his return (just in time for Pawther’s Day!), which gave us some time to explore Talkeetna. Adventurers looking to scale Denali usually start their journey in Talkeetna, a small town of about 900 people at the confluence of the Susitna, Chulitina, and Talkeetna rives, about 2 hours north of Anchorage. Just when you thought charm and class couldn’t exist alongside Alaskan ruggedness, I bring you Talkeetna.

There are plenty of hotels and lodgings in Talkeetna – don’t expect the Ritz Carlton, but you’ll be pleased with the Alaskan ambiance and hometown feel. As you can see from this list, you won’t be without a place to stay. If you want a true Talkeetna feel, consider staying at the Fairview Inn (which, reportedly, is haunted), or the Talkeetna Roadhouse. Whether or not you stay at the Fairview Inn, be sure to check out its hoppin bar scene, beer garden, and live music.

Because it was hard to predict when Andy was coming in, I opted for an Airbnb. I was very impressed with the little cabin I rented. The Airbnb host is Lyn – she owns a few very well-maintained cabins in Talkeetna and is a life-long Alaskan. The cabin I rented was very cute and clean and dog-friendly! It had one bedroom with a bathroom, a big living room and kitchen area, and plenty of parking. It was a quick drive (or a nice 20-minute walk) to downtown. See more about Lyn and her properties here. She was a very attentive host and was really easy to communicate with (and received an A+ rating from the Bichons!). Here is our cute little cabin:

The best way to start out your Talkeetna adventure is by doing a walking tour – you can learn all the haunts and history of the tiny town, and get a good lay of the land. Head over to the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum located one block from Main Street, across from the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar. For $5 (or $4 for Seniors/Military; free for kids 10 and under), you get access to the three main museum buildings and a map that outlines over fifteen historical and important stops and sites in Talkeetna. They also offer guided tours.

The Museum is the original Talkeetna one-room schoolhouse known as the “Territorial Schoolhouse.” It was built in 1936 for about $6,000 by the US Government.

Inside the schoolhouse are a variety of Talkeetna artifacts, a small replica of what the schoolroom looked like when class was conducted, and a bookstore. Be sure to check out the billboards around the schoolhouse for some neat facts about Talkeetna.

Check out the Railroad Depot and the Section House towards the back – you can watch a short video on Talkeetna’s aviation and railroad history.

The Section House is particularly cool – it’s a mini museum on Denali’s mountaineering history, including a very impressive model of “the great one.”

The middle part of the tour takes you to different historical cabins owned by legendary Talkeetna residents including Dave St. Lawrence, Henry Robb, Belle MacDonald, and Frank Lee. The coolest of the cabins are the Ole Dahl Cabin #1, the first cabin on your stop – this cabin is the oldest existing home in Talkeetna, built by trapper and miner Old Dahl in 1916.

Take a jaunt along the Susitna river – if you have time, consider taking one of Mayhay’s Riverboat Tours; you can choose from four options – Wilderness Excusion, Chulitna Gorge Journey, Devil’s Canyon Adventure, or River Rail and Trail – or customize your own. Tours run May – September (individual dates vary), and are offered at different times throughout the day. See more here.

The tour winds you through Talkeetna where you can see Red John’s Cabin, the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar, and the Talkeetna Village Airstrip, to name a few. Be sure to check out the Artisan Open Air Market and any of the numerous plays and shows featured in the hangar, put on by Denali Arts Council.

Along with your tour, consider a rafting or float trip,  ATV excursion, or flightseeing tour. You can also pan for gold with Alaska Edge Tour, take a fish tour, or even zipline with Denali Zipline Tours!

If none of that strikes your fancy, hop on a float plane or enjoy one of the many hiking trails around Talkeetna.

If you have limited time in Talkeetna or aren’t on the more adventurous side, simply touring the downtown area and browsing the fun and unique shops and restaurants is a great way to spend the day. Be sure to poke your head in to Nagley’s Store, built by H.W. Nagley in 1916 – it has all the supplies and groceries you might need with a liquor store and a cute upstairs gift shop.

Regardless of what activities you decide to do in Talkeetna, you’ll eventually find yourself needing a great meal and a cold beer. Talkeetna will not disappoint in this regard. By far, the most popular and well known place is Denali Brewing Company. If you can, snag a seat outside – you’ll be treated to great views of downtown, plenty of people watching, and a really nice seating area. While the restaurant is located downtown, consider driving up to Mile 2 of the Spur Road for a stop and tour at their taproom.

The other two places we would highly recommend are Mountain High Pizza Pie and West Rib Cafe & Pub. Both have outdoor seating, big menus, and great beer lists. The Bichons were a big hit at both places!

Fuss around downtown and check out all the fun shops and stores around town. There’s tons of gift shops with a lot of fun Alaskan jewelry, gifts, and trinkets. Keep an eye out for Alaskan-made items – these are truly unique gifts you won’t find anywhere else. You can usually tell if it’s Alaskan-made because you’ll see a small polar bear symbol sticker on the item.

As you’re strolling around Talkeetna, keep an eye out for Denali, the new Mayor of Talkeetna. Oh, and he’s a cat. Srsly. As Talkeetna is a historical district and not an actual town with a required elected official, they were successful in “electing” a cat, Stubbs, as an honorary Mayor in April 1997. Stubbs’s Mayoral Office was in Nagley’s General Store. Stubbs’s election and his subsequent ennoblement was commonly regarded as Alaskans’ way of subtly snubbing elite American politicians. Stubbs warmed the hearts of everyone in the state of Alaska, and sadly passed away in July of 2017.

Stubbs has since been replaced by Denali, who was “elected” in 2018. Allegedly trained by Stubbs himself, Talkeetna has high hopes for Denali. No pun intended. Check out his Instagram page here.

If you’re interested in Denali, check out the Talkeetna Ranger Station on B Street. This is a good hub to just check out the action – climbers come here for their required mountain orientation and to get their permit. There’s another interesting task they take on at this Ranger Station – turning in their poop bins Clean Mountain Cans (CMCs). According to a National Park Service article from April 2019, between 1951 and 2012, Denali climbers have deposited at least 152,000 pounds of human waste in the Kahiltna Glacier. I won’t get into what happens to it when things melt. Anywhooooo, since 2007, climbers are now required to remove their own waste via CMCs…and the lucky rangers get to collect them from the climbers when they get off the mountain. It was not Andy’s favorite part of the trip, but he certainly returned with some great stories of these “restroom facilities.”

Happy Talkeetna travels, and Happy Pawther’s Day to this mountain man!