Any vantage point to see Denali is always a special one. The second vantage point marked by the Alaska State Parks was here at the Denali Viewpoint North site. Any views prior to entering the National Park is always an exciting time, regardless of direction you're going.
Majority of y'all will most likely be driving through here northbound on Alaska Highway 3 from Wasila / Anchorage. A handful would be driving south from Fairbanks while others will be coming from other remote parts of the state. Regardless of how you get here, do get here before venturing into the Denali National Park itself. Also check out the Denali Viewpoint South as well. The Denali North View point is basically a stretch of Real estate that is off the main highway, which is best to look at the mountain from a far. It's always nice to have this kind of look out space along the road because tourists like me like to look at that kind of stuff. I'm sure locals also like to pull off to the side of the road here and look at it while driving to and from Anchorage or Fairbanks from here. Luckily for me and everyone else who visits here, there is restroom facilities near the parking lot, so you can make a pitstop call sightseeing here at the Denali North viewpoint location while enjoying the scenery. For the most part though, I would probably commit no more than 2 hours here just staring and admiring the Alaskan range and Denali herself. I probably spent about an hour looking through those large, bulky binoculars and walked on that small little trail to see where the path lead to. The lookout point was nice, but nowhere near the spectacular views once you are inside the National park. Just saying.
The overall experience here at the Denali North Viewpoint was as breathtaking as you can get, while not getting too worked up on viewing the Alaskan mountain range and Denali herself. You will see Denali in the distance, since she is usually covered in snow year round and the rest of the mountain range isn't. You can tell when you are in the area in the spring and summer months. With that said, it was a very nice rest spot for anyone and everyone who comes through the area on their way to Denali National Park. If you come this far, you might as well go and see Denali National park anyway. It's in your destiny to do so for sure! The Denali North Viewpoint is located at 29161 N Parks Highway in the rural areas outside borders of Denali National Park., but you're still in Talkeetna, Alaska. This little Inlet doesn't not charge admission fee at all, although Alaska State Parks owns the surrounding area around the Denali National park and is probably subjected to user fees. However, I did not see anyone collecting fees upon entering or exiting the Viewpoint. So, technically my visit here is free. Yay! The parking here is pretty good, having spaces for maybe 15-20 cars at a time. Come any time, I'm sure there's more than enough parking at any given time.
For the most part though, having this view point to see Denali in all her majesty was very cool. It was nice to learn about the other mountains in the Alaskan range via informational signage that was distributed throughout the area. It was interesting to identify which peaks are part of the Alaska range and which one is Denali, although i didn't get it right till some random somebody told me where she is. It was definitely a place to stop by in and a place where the sign had piqued my curiosity while driving up Alaska Highway 3. While it may not seem like much as just a scenic point along a highway, it's always a good place just to stop and admire nature. It's a great thing to be able to get out of the urban jungle and see Denali from afar here. Bathe in nature's grandeur and you will be blessed immensely. I would like to think that I was blessed that day too. I would like to recommend making the time to come here while making the trek to the Denali National Park. It's all part of the experience that you may find exhilarating and very much spiritual in nature. I would definitely recommend coming here and I hope you will have a fun time here exploring / discovering what Denali can offer you. Check it out! It's free to the public!
5.0 stars for the overall experience. While it's just a scenic lookout, it's always a mirror into mother nature's soul.
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