Denali Tourism Successes: The Summer Of 2008 Was A Good One

Rangers provide advice in the Denali Park Visitor Center © L.W.

“Right now we’re busy. We’re almost full every night for the last week,” said Denali Rainbow Village RV Park and Country Mall, which operates the Denali Park Boardwalk. “It seemed to be slow at the beginning. Now it’s right up there.”

On the Parks Highway, at McKinley View Lodge north of Trapper Creek, Jean Richardson, the owner said: “We thought it was going to be disastrous early on. The road traffic is still down but it’s doing better. I think it’s picking up now.”

Farther south, in the railroad town of Talkeetna, Trisha Costello, who owns the Talkeetna Roadhouse, says life is good. “It seems they’re here! It seems like a busy summer and lots of people coming through. We have climbers on their way out at this point. We’re switching gears. A lot more Europeans. We’re selling a lot more beer and wine. It’s just busy. I haven’t seen any decline in people so far.”