Guide to an Alaskan Rail Adventure

Getting to Denali by train: Princess Tours and Westours/Gray Line offer a number of packages for travel between Anchorage and Fairbanks, with a stop at Denali. Packages can include train travel, accommodations and various tours of the park. Prices range from $299 to $689, depending on type of lodging, activities and length of stay.

Travelers can also ride the train straight through, without stopping at Denali, for $149 on Princess or $140 on Westours. Contact Princess Tours, P.O. Box 19575, Seattle, Wash. 98121, (800) 835-8907, and Westours, 300 Elliott Ave. W., Seattle, Wash. 98119, (800) 544-2206.

The state-owned Alaska Railroad runs daily train service from mid-May to mid-September for the 11-hour, 356-mile trip between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

The northbound train arrives at Denali at 4:10 p.m. Southbound, the train from Fairbanks reaches Denali at 12:45 p.m. For brochures on train travel linking Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks, contact Alaska Railroad, Pouch 7-211-TD, Anchorage, Alaska 99510, (907) 265-2623.

Where to stay: There are seven hotel-type accommodations within the park boundaries. Contact Denali National Park Central Reservations and Travel Inc. for brochures and price information: P.O. Box 200984, Anchorage 99520, (907) 274-5366. Among the most popular are Harper Lodge ($130 and up per night, single and double); McKinley Chalets ($127-$147, one to four people), and Denali Park Hotel ($98-$128, one to four people).

When to go: The weather can still be cold during summer months. High temperatures don’t usually get much over 70 degrees. Drizzles are common. So are mosquitoes. Bring insect repellent.

For more information: Write to the Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, Alaska 99755. For recorded information, call (907) 683-2686.

For general information on travel to Alaska, contact the Alaska Division of Tourism, Pouch E-853, Juneau, Alaska 99811, (907) 465-2010, and ask for the “Official Vacation Planner.”