In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com

Joseph's Backpacking Page

On this site I will tell you some things about backpacking.

Below are some important items when you go backpacking in the backcountry.

FLASH LIGHT
Always carry two separate light sources with you. If one lamp goes bad you've still got a good one. You need to see stuff around your camp site at night, and sometimes you need a light to see your way home in the dark.

LIGHTWEIGHT STOVE
Don't get a propane stove whatever you do. If you smell the top of a campstove propane tank you will smell propane leaking out guaranteed, we have never come across a propane tank that doesn't smell. That smell is a poisonous and explosive gas leaking out slowly, and you're gonna put that in your backpack??? Of course not!Alcohol stoves are easy to use and the fuel is quite safe and not stored under pressure like propane. Normal alcohol stoves are very hard to find, stores only seem to carry ridiculous high tech contraptions with all kinds of knobs and nozzles, absolutely ridiculous! You can make one yourself pretty easily with some cans. A big disadvantage of alcohol stoves is that they need a lot of alcohol to run, if you get stuck you will run out of fuel rather fast.Wood stoves seem to be making a comeback after a century of fossil fuel dominance. Wood stoves have the great advantage of never running out of fuel. The Trailstove is my personal favorite, it weighs a little bit below a pound which is more than a lot of fossil fuel stoves but since you don't bring any fuel, the pack weight actually comes out lower than fossil fuel stoves. It cooks a bit slower than a propane stove but that's a quite acceptable compromise when you consider all the advantages.

RUBBING ALCOHOL
Rubbing alcohol is great for everything. Get it at your local supermarket or drugstore. Disinfect an open wound. Start a fire real quick. Make sure you get 97% or higher concentration. You can usually get 70% concentration at a bargain price but it's not worth the savings.

CAMP SAW
A camp saw is very good to have if you are going to a really wild area. If you are camping in a developed camp area by a trail you probably won't need one but it could still be useful.

SLEEPING BAG
Sleeping bag? Of course you need a sleeping bag, no doubt about it.

TARP
A lot of hikers will tell you that there's no need for a tarp, but a small one is really good to have around for all kinds of things such as making a quick rain shelter.

MULTI PURPOSE TOOL
I got my first Swiss army knife when I was 8, I've had one in my pocket ever since. When I go hiking I also bring a Leatherman tool for the more heavy duty tasks.

DEADFALL TRAP

This type of trap is very effective but it will kill the animal that gets caught in the trap, so if you decide not to eat it you killed an animal for nothing. Only make a deadfall trap in an emergency.

You need the following things: A heavy log, a round rock, a sturdy stick about 1 to 2 feet long, a thinner stiff stick about a foot long.

Lift one end of the log up and support it with the sturdy stick. The sturdy stick in turn should be standing on top of the round rock. One end of the smaller stiff stick is placed between the rock and the sturdy stick, the other end should be suspended in the air right under the log, the stiff stick should be roughly horizontal.

Carefully place the bait on the stiff stick.

To make the trap more stable and more difficult to trigger you can cut the part of the stiff bait stick flat where it rests between the rock and the sturdy stick. You can also cut the bottom of the sturdy stick flat, it all depends on what size animal you are trying to kill.

Denali National Park & Preserve

Denali Park, AK

It's more than a mountain. Denali National Park & Preserve features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. Denali's more than 6 million acres also encompass a complete sub-arctic eco-system with large mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and moose.

The park was established as Mt. McKinley National Park on Feb. 26, 1917. The original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980. The Park was designated an international biosphere reserve in 1976.

Today the park accommodates a wide variety of visitor use including wildlife viewing, mountaineering, and backpacking. It continues to provide a laboratory for research in the natural sciences.

CONTACTS

Email - denali_info@nps.gov

Fax- 907-683-9617

Write to
Superintendent's Office
P.O. Box 9
Denali Park, AK 99755

- or -
Talkeetna Ranger Station
Box 588
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Phone
Headquarters - 907-683-2294

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
The primary visitation season runs from May 1 to September 15.

Visitation is lowest in winter months. Daily, summer (late May to mid-September): Visitor Center hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Daily, winter (mid-September to early May): Headquarters Building, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Getting There
PLANE - Air travel to either Anchorage or Fairbanks and then car/shuttle/train to Denali. Anchorage is 240 miles to the south and Fairbanks is 125 miles to the north of the park.

CAR - Denali Park's headquarters is located along Alaska Route 3, the George Parks Highway, approximately 240 miles north of Anchorage, AK, 125 miles south of Fairbanks, AK, and 12 miles south of Healy, AK. Denali Park's mountaineering headquarters is located in Talkeetna, AK, approximately 100 miles north of Anchorage, AK.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Denali is accessible by car or via the Alaska Railroad from either Anchorage or Fairbanks. In summer a variety of private bus and van services and the railroad operate daily from Anchorage and Fairbanks. If you are flying your own airplane to Denali visit our "Flight Site" at www.nps.gov/dena/aviation

Weather & Climate
Summers are generally cool and damp with average high temperatures in the mid-60s. Winters are extremely cold with temperatures falling to -40F and below. Layers of clothing, including good rain gear and hiking boots are recommended for summer. Specialized cold-weather gear is necessary for mountaineering and winter visits.

Accessibility
Most restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Savage Cabin Trail is wheelchair accessible. Some tour and shuttle buses are accessible please advise staff of needs when making your advance reservations. The Visitor Center orientation program is open captioned.

Getting Around
The Denali Park Road is accessible by private vehicle for 14.8 miles to the Savage River bridge. To travel to destinations farther into the park, including Eielson Visitor Center, shuttle and tour bus services are available. Bicycles are permitted along the Park Road.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY
$5.00/$10.00 for 7 Days

Activity Fee
SHUTTLE AND TOUR BUS FEES

Special Use Permits
DENALI CLIMBING PERMIT AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION
$150.00/climber for One Time
To climb Denali you must first obtain a permit and register.

CAMPING

Igloo Creek Campground
Located near mile 34 of the Park Road with 7 tent sites only; no vehicles; shuttle bus access only. Open mid-May through mid-September. No water available but there are chemical toilets. $6.00 per night fee. Igloo Ranger Station nearby. You can reserve at the Visitor Center; store food in food lockers; no open fires - stoves only.

Morino Backpaker
Mile 1.9 of the Park Road for backpackers only and 2 people per site allowed for $6.00 per site. No vehicles. Chemical toilets near sites, pay phone at Railroad Depot. Self-register at Morino; store food in lockers; no open fires - stoves only. OPENING/CLOSING DATES WEATHER DEPENDENT.

Riley Creek Campground
Open All Year
Riley Creek Campground is situated near the park entrance. There are 100 sites for RVs & tents. There is water from mid-May through early September only. Flush toilets and pay phone available. You may make book a site in person at the Visitor Center or via advance reservations by phone starting in late February. Please call 1-800-622-7275 (PARK) nationwide or 1-907-272-7275 for International and Anchorage callers. There is a one-reservation fee of $4.00.
For More Information on this campground please call 1-800-622-7275

Sanctuary River Campground
Located at mile 23 with 7 sites for tents only; accessible by shuttle bus only. Open mid-May through mid-September; weather dependent. No water available. Chemical toilets. Located near Sanctuary Ranger Station. Reserve at Visitor Center; store food in food lockers; no open fires - stoves only. $6.00 per nigh cost.

Savage River Campground
Located at mile 13 of the Park Road with 33 sites for RVs and tents. Open mid-May through mid-September - weather dependent. Water available, flush toilets, $12.00 per night plus $4.00 reservation fee. Advance Reservations made by calling 1-800-622-7275 or 1-907-272-7275 for International and Anchorage callers. Campground hosts on site. Store food in food lockers.
For More Information on this campground please call 1-800-622-7275

Teklanika River Campground
Located at mile 29 with 53 sites for RVs and tents. Open mid-May through mid-September; weather dependent. Flush toilets and water available. Cost is $12.00 per night and an additional $4.00 for the one-time reservation fee. You can also reserve in person at the Visitor Center and there is a three night mimimum stay for vehicle campers. Reserve by calling 1-800-622-7275 or International and Anchorage callers may call 1-907-272-7275.
For More Information on this campground please call 1-800-622-7275

Wonder Lake Campground
Located near mile 85 on the Park Road with 28 tents sites only and access by shuttle bus only. Open June - mid-September; weather dependent. Water is available and flush toilets. Cost is $12.00 per night with an additional one-time $4.00 reservation fee. You can reserve in advance by calling 1-800-622-7275 or International and Anchorage callers may phone 1-907-272-7275. Store food in lockers; no open fires - stoves only.
For More Information on this campground please call 1-800-622-7275

FACILITIES

Ranger Stations
TALKEETNA RANGER STATION
Open All Year 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone - 907-733-2231
Location - To visit the Talkeetna Ranger Station turn at mile 98 on the George Parks Highway at the Talkeetna turnoff. Drive 14 miles to the townsite on the Talkeetna Spur Road (paved). At the end of Main Street turn left onto B street (about 4 blocks. The Talkeetna Ranger Station is the first building on the left.
Special Programs - Join us for interpretive programs on the history of climbing at Denali and other topics of interest.
Exhibits - Bradford Washburn's photos of the Alaska Range are on display at the Ranger Station.
Available Facilities - Mountaineers and visitors may stop by the station to obtain information about climbing in the Alaska Range. Climbers must register 60 days in advanceof their climb an dpay a $150.00 fee for climbing Mt. McKinley or Mt. Foraker. Write to the Talkeetna Ranger Station at P.O. box 588, Talkeetna, Alaska 99676 or phone. Restrooms available on site.

Visitor Centers
DENALI NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTER
Phone - 907-683-1266 or 1267
Location - Located at mile 1 of the Denali Park Road.
Closures - Closed in the winter from September through late April.
Special Programs - Annual Winterfest takes place in early spring; usually during March. Call Park Headquarters for details at (9070-683-2294.
Exhibits - Information about how to travel safetly in the backcountry. A 12-minute slide program is shown throughout the day. Rangers also present programs at the back porch several times throughout the day.
Available Facilities - Theater, rest rooms, shuttle and tour reservations, ticket pick-up,Junior Ranger Program, backcountry permits and sign-up for ranger-led Discovery Hikes all take place here.

EIELSON VISITOR CENTER
Phone - n/a
Location - Mile 66 of the Denali Park Road with access by shuttle bus.
Special Programs - Rangers provide information, assistance, and a daily guided walk at 1:30 p.m..
Exhibits - Geology information and rangers on hand to answer any questions and provide porch talks.
Available Facilities - Bookstore with maps, postcards, and other educational materials. Running water and flush toilets available. No food service.

Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service

FLASH LIGHT		Always carry two separate light sources with you. If one lamp goes bad you've still got a good one. You need to see stuff around your camp site at night, and sometimes you need a light to see your way home in the dark.
LIGHTWEIGHT STOVE		Don't get a propane stove whatever you do. If you smell the top of a campstove propane tank you will smell propane leaking out guaranteed, we have never come across a propane tank that doesn't smell. That smell is a poisonous and explosive gas leaking out slowly, and you're gonna put that in your backpack??? Of course not!Alcohol stoves are easy to use and the fuel is quite safe and not stored under pressure like propane. Normal alcohol stoves are very hard to find, stores only seem to carry ridiculous high tech contraptions with all kinds of knobs and nozzles, absolutely ridiculous! You can make one yourself pretty easily with some cans. A big disadvantage of alcohol stoves is that they need a lot of alcohol to run, if you get stuck you will run out of fuel rather fast.Wood stoves seem to be making a comeback after a century of fossil fuel dominance. Wood stoves have the great advantage of never running out of fuel. The Trailstove is my personal favorite, it weighs a little bit below a pound which is more than a lot of fossil fuel stoves but since you don't bring any fuel, the pack weight actually comes out lower than fossil fuel stoves. It cooks a bit slower than a propane stove but that's a quite acceptable compromise when you consider all the advantages.
RUBBING ALCOHOL		Rubbing alcohol is great for everything. Get it at your local supermarket or drugstore. Disinfect an open wound. Start a fire real quick. Make sure you get 97% or higher concentration. You can usually get 70% concentration at a bargain price but it's not worth the savings.
CAMP SAW		A camp saw is very good to have if you are going to a really wild area. If you are camping in a developed camp area by a trail you probably won't need one but it could still be useful.
SLEEPING BAG		Sleeping bag? Of course you need a sleeping bag, no doubt about it.
TARP		A lot of hikers will tell you that there's no need for a tarp, but a small one is really good to have around for all kinds of things such as making a quick rain shelter.
MULTI PURPOSE TOOL		I got my first Swiss army knife when I was 8, I've had one in my pocket ever since. When I go hiking I also bring a Leatherman tool for the more heavy duty tasks.