As of 2021, the bus no longer goes all the way to Eielson Visitor Center like it did in the video. The road washed out and it has not been fixed yet so it only goes about 45 miles in. You can see current road conditions here - www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
I took this bus out to Polychrome overlook, then my group spent the rest of the day hiking to the summit of polychrome mountain. It was an amazing day that I clearly remember 30 years later. I would go back tomorrow if I could.
We just returned from our trip to AK. Best trip ever! We spent 4 days at Camp Denali and were treated to three spectacular days of Denali viewing. So blessed 😊 Love your relationship with your dad.
hands down my favorite national park! Other national parks are really awesome too, but once i laid my eyes on Denali, i was instantly taken captive. We went on a September day, by then Alaska interior was already in full autumn mode, and you can just see the entire tundra turning red and orange and yellow. We were the lucky few to have gotten a cloudless view of Denali the entire day, which is atypical of autumn in Alaska. Except maybe Yellowstone, i've never seen so many wildlife elsewhere. And the kennel gave me a new found appreciation of the hard-working rangers and dogs.
Wow! What a great trip! I’m so glad that when Denali was designed that they kept it wild and purposely has only one limited access road in the whole park. Like the Northern Cascades national park, limited access is a virtue
Agree 100%, after seeing all the animals and just the beautiful and remote park, it made be thankful that access is the way that it is. Such a special place.
Stunning footage, and to experience that with your Dad (pops) is magical, I really hope you can keep making these videos and memories. Utterly smitten with the landscape. Russ from the UK
2019 We did the train ride from anchorage to Denali National park. The next morning did the 8 hour bus tour into the park. Loved it!!! We also stayed with a pilot friend who took us flying while we were in Alaska. Best trip ever!
The magic of Denali. There's so many thoughtful comments from folks who have seen Danali in person but who come back to watch videos to experience it again. Loving your videos 🇨🇦 👋
In 1983, before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, you could drive your vehicle all the way to Wonder Lake. My wife and I went all the way in and camped overnight in our camper shell. It was an amazing time. I don’t know if you can still do that or not. Bet no.
Woe, what an amazing view you got! I live in Alaska. and every time I go up to Denali, I never get it to see it! It is always cloudy and rainy! lol. But I can see it 300 miles away on a clear day! Being able to see the mountain like that up close is incredibly rare! It's so cool you got that footage!
Thank you for the video. I took the bus tour in 1988. I had no info about it and ended up have no food or water for the entire drive but it was still one of my lifes highlights. And it doesn't look too much different. The clouds broke just as we got to the turn around point so I did get to see the summit. Thanks again, it brought back some great memories.
On the day we took our ride on the green bus at Denali, it was nothing but clouds. Fortunately, on the following day we did a helicopter flight, with a cloudless sky, and Denali was out in all her glory. One of the best excursions I’ve ever been on and one I’ll never forget. Happy/safe travels to you and your dad!
Have done this and it was amazing! A trip I won’t ever forget! Saw moose, grizzly, Dahl sheep (far away up on the mountainside), some birds., caribou. The guides are very watchful …. Listen to the rules and follow them people! Keep this final frontier pristine! Amazing views.
great share, I took this tour in 2018 , glad to see even with the pandemic that the bus is full. We took the bus and rode the entire road 92.5 miles with a lunch and tour guild, was the best time and saw so much beauty along the way. Making lots of stops for photos, bathroom breaks and when ever with saw wildlife. Met so many people from around the world. But the main focus was the beautiful and breathtaking Denali Mountain. It was a clear day so we saw all three mountains. This was a once in a life time adventure. Took the train from Anchorage to Denali, everyone do this at least once. Great share and incredible father and son bond...stay safe in 2021 thanks👍👍👍👊👊👊
Wow, sounds like an incredible experience. I hope to go back one day and take the bus all the way to the end and then stay at the hotel there. Seems like it would be pretty spectacular. How was the ride from mile 66 to 92?
@@ThroughMyLens it’s was a lifetime experience. 12 hour Follow the trail of pioneer Fannie Quigley to the old gold town of Kantishna on an all-day adventure to the end of the Park Road. Our driver was Certified Interpretive Guide and a National Park Service interpretive ranger joins us roughly halfway through your journey on our immersive experience. We spend time in Kantishna learning about its interesting history and role in Interior Alaska . Got to walk around and see lots up close area and have time to take photos . So it the best . The bus was full of fun and interesting people wish had the 12 hours more enjoyable. It at the time wasn’t cheap about $200.00 but if you’re looking to really experience all of the park it’s worth it with a guild who from start to end takes you on a journey of knowledge. After watching your video and writing my comments I reliving it all over again and remembering the memories of this trip in Denali
We loved our stay in Denali. Would highly recommend taking the longer 12 or so hour tour (Kantishna Experience). The scenery and animal sightings beyond the visitor center is epic. Ticked off just about all the animal sightings and the tour guide was fantastic. We did ours at the end of their season.
LOL. You mentioned the spot where you stopped and saw Denali and mentioned you weren't supposed to stop there. It looked familiar, so I scrolled through my Alaska pictures on my phone (from June 2019). I have pictures from the same spot. Our driver also told us, "We really aren't supposed to stop here, but I'm gonna cuz y'all are cool and we can really see the mountain. Make it quick so I don't get in trouble."
Youseriously have one of the BEST channels on YT!!! It should be millions of subcribers! Thank you for the awesome and endearing content! Take Dad to Siberia or Everest!!! :)
I worked at Denali National Park back in 1982. I went camping every weekend and you don't need a flashlight because it's sunny all day in summer. Alaska is truly the last frontier. Epic!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. My dad was stationed in Alaska in the mid '50's in the Army before it was a state. He always talked about how beautiful it was but we haven't made it up there.
Thanks for this video. We took it in '21 and stayed inside for 3 or 4 days of hiking. We were lucky to see Denali for a few minutes, while going for a hike. I highly recommend Alaska as a once in a lifetime experience. We did all 8 National Parks in Alaska on that wild trip. Katmai was fulll of Grizzly Bears. There is something special about each park. Do it.
I’m so glad I saw this video. I just came back from Alaska and the closed the road in Denali at mile 42 bec of a landslide. So We missed all the views after mile 42. But we were lucky enough to see Denali from Anchorage in a clear day.
Brings back memories. We lucked out back in 2006 and got a cloud-free view of Denali for a couple of days. Took a small plane over the mountain, stayed at the lodge overnight, hiked around the next morning, then took the bus back to the train station. Saw so much wildlife! Also saw a lot of sea life around Juneau that same vacation. All was well worth it!
Excellent video! I took the Green Bus tour in 2015, and we were fortunate enough to be a part of the 30% club that got to see the whole mountain. This brings back wonderful memories of that tour. Thanks for a great video!
I loved this video. 10 years ago in 2001 my daughter and I along with my one year old grandson did this same bus ride. We saw many animals, made some wonderful memories. Thank you for bringing back those memories.
Beautiful! We just came back from Alaska. The road only goes to polychrome now. The road is shifting so much they are repainting the road. It’s scheduled to be open in 2026 or 27..
You have a wonderfully positive perspective and tone that you communicate through your videos. I love your videos! The videography is professional, the audio is fabulous, the words you share are informative, and you pair it all together in a fashion that makes it easy to both watch and enjoy. I also like that you take moments to not talk so we can just enjoy the scenery.🏞🗻🏕🌐 Thank you for putting professional and clean content on this media platform. The first video I watched of yours was your tour of Route 66. I stumbled across that video and that's how I found your channel. I am happily subscribed.
Was on a cruise-land tour of Denali. We got to the gravel road area and turned around but we did get to see Denali in the distance. Would loved to have been on the green bus that day. It was an awesome experience.
Took the same ride in 1973 and it is much the same today. On our trip a huge grizzly crossed the road in front of the bus. It was at the visitor's center that I saw a bald eagle for the first time. Thanks for bringing it all back.
The colors of this landscape wonderful and the wildlife is epic. I keep going back and rewatching this Alaska footage again and again. I also enjoy the good humored teasing that you and Pops engage in as well as the enjoyment you seem to get out these experiences and each other.
I have watched many many of your wonderful videos but all on my AppleTV which does not allow commenting. I purposely sought this ability on my iPhone because I want you to know my thoughts. Every video is superbe. Your gentle approach and commentary are so enjoyable to watch. I love how you and your Dad explore your venues and I enjoy how you each comment on the foods you enjoy. But without a doubt the most enjoyable moments, and there are so many, are when you call your Dad “Pops”. Your bond is so refreshing!
You are so lucky to see Denali on the day! I worked in Denali for a summer years ago, and as I remember, it was raining a lot. Since then I visited Denali several times. I was obsessed to capture Denali at sunset, so I camped at Wonder Lake for 5 night in order to increase the odds. Surprisingly, Denali was out for entire 5 days!! I was successfully photographed Denali from many different locations. Thanks for sharing your video!
I did that ride on my 4 month Alaska trip a few years ago. It was one of the best trips I've done in my RV. We saw so many Grizzlies on the bus ride! OMG and I boondocked in Healy. Loved it. Great video Thanks for taking me back!
Just got back myself from backpacking up to the polychrome glacier. Backpacking it gives it’s such a different felling. You have to be 1/2 mile from the road and not able to see it. I totally suggest it to anyone.
I absolutely love your videos, please keep them coming!! Would love to see a Rocky Mountain National Park video, not sure if you've been there but you'd love it if not! Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!!!
We just got back from Alaska, and already miss it all and especially Denali. We did this same trek on August 11 and it was amazing to see Denali from the bus, as every other day we were there, no matter the location, we did not get to see Denali. Such a great place. Cheers!
I have enjoyed every one of your videos that I've watched. Have driven some of the same roads with my son. You'll have to enter the Denali Road Lottery and return. What a hoot!!!
Been wanting to go back to Alaska since 2007. This would be a great trip for sure. Glad you were able to experience this with your dad. Cherish these moments bud.
This video was wonderful as I am currently planning a trip to Denali with my brother and his wife. My nephew is a chef and will be working at one of the results near the park. We are going to roadtrip from Arizona and so your videos have been very helpful so far. I must admit that I got emotional when you showed the initial view of Denali as Alaska has been on my list to explore for my entire life and I know that Denali will be my highlight. Thanks again.
Lucky! Between forest fire smoke and clouds we never saw Denali in 2019. But we did see the Northern Lights each night for a week at the beginning of September
Wow! You lucked out!! Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing! We were also there the end of August and it was too cloudy unfortunately. We did see the base from the visitor center and luckily did a flight over it on a crystal clear day a few days later! Gorgeous! Unfortunately we did see construction on polychrome pass and the guide explained that the permafrost is melting and the road sank 10 inches the week before. 4 days after we drove over the pass they closed the road for the rest of the season. They aren’t sure how they are going to maintain the road in the future as it has been sinking more over the last 5 years with the permafrost melting. I hope they figure something out for next year. Road will be closed up to mile 43 I think they said. So sad. Everything after polychrome pass was so gorgeous! I am so glad that we decided to get off at polychrome on the way back and explore for 40 minutes before another bus came by. Thankful it had seats! What a feeling being alone out there! So gorgeous! Thanks again for sharing!
A great video and brings back lots of memories on my trip into Denali with my son in 1992. We also had a grizzly on the road, but it was chasing a moose straight towards our bus. The driver said she had never seen anything like it. The moose got away and then the bear came back and walked beside our bus. I got great photos with my zoom lens. I actually zoomed in close enough to get a photo of his open moth and incisors. We also got to see Denali.
Through My Lens, this is quite a memory jogger of my ride on the bus back in '84. I still remember the drop-off at Polychrome Pass. Although I did quite well with the animal viewing while in the state, a Dall sheep was one I didn't see. For the record, the Dalls' cousins are Stone sheep in the Canadian Rockies, desert bighorns in western CO on down into the SW, and Rocky Mtn. bighorns in---the American Rockies. I've seen the desert and stone varieties. Just so you know, Toklat rest stop is TOE-clat. Eielson is as far as we got, since we blew a tire, and were stranded for several hours, but still an amazing day. Ohhh, you weren't able to get out to Wonder Lake. In closing, I camped at Savage R. Campground, where I saw Denali while waiting for the bus. At the next stop, there was an Australian couple who got on, and in that short time, the mtn. had become socked in, and stayed that way until we got back.
Just got back. We were only able to see Denali from Anchorage. We did go in 92.5 miles and spent a couple of nights there. While we were there it was decided to close that end of the road because it couldn’t be repaired. They are working on a solution. We left on a Thursday and the lodges were being closed Friday, 3 weeks before the end of the season. Snow was expected. The trip out was very harrowing. It could be 1 to 3 years before it is reopened. There is a charter flight service back there. Maintenance crews winterizing the lodges will come out that way. Our bus was brown and probably one of the last two out. I enjoyed your video and will look forward to watching more of them.
We were on the 12 hour bus ride a couple weeks ago. We were the last bus of the entire season due to the landslides at Polychrome. It was a magnificent day.
We went to Denali in July but we didn't go that far in. Next time we will go further for sure though because we loved the national park! We never got to Denali because of the weather but hopefully we will next time. The park itself was just amazing though! Really enjoyed this video!
First off, yay Dad for wearing his Illini hat! (Got my masters there in '95.) I drove from Chicago to Denali in 1993 and spent about 4 days in the park in August. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a lottery ticket that the National Park Service offers at the end of the year. For four days, they allow 300 private cars per day to drive all the way to Wonder Lake (another hour and a half past the Eilson Vistor Center), and I got to drive my personal vehicle there and back on the last day the park was open that year--September 13th. Polychrome Pass was a real white-knuckle driving experience, that's for sure. Sadly, the day I was there was overcast and misty, so I never saw Denali, but it was worth every second to be able to do that. There was plenty of wildlife along the way, and the plants of the tundra had turned red and brown with the onset of autumn. It was a magical experience that I'd do again in a heartbeat.
