| How many days should we plan to stay
in Denali? |
A lot of people ask us how long they should stay in the Denali
area. This depends a lot on the individual, BUT, if you are interested
in hiking in a beautiful tundra/alpine expanse, venturing out into
a six million acre wilderness preserve by bus, foot or bike and
searching for the numerous bears, moose, Dall sheep, caribou, fox,
marmots, wolves, etc. that it harbors, rafting, golfing,
flight-seeing, learning about dog mushing and just plain relaxing
in a magnificent mountain landscape, then we can safely say that
you will want a lifetime. If this isn't possible, you will probably
want a minimum of three nights here. This is the average, with many
happy travelers staying for a week or more. Keep in mind that it
can rain a lot here in the summer, in addition to the grand 20,320ft
Denali, or Mt. McKinley, being enshrouded by clouds on many a day.
The possibility of overcast weather makes having three or more days
here a nice option. Many people come up for a day, however, and
are usually not disappointed.
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| Do I need to make reservations,
and how do I do so? |
We STRONGLY recommend that you make reservations, as summer months
are very busy in the Denali area. June, July and August are especially
busy months. It is possible to show up without a reservation and
get a bed, but we can't guarantee that we will have space for you
as we do fill up. You can secure your reservation with a credit
card via phone or via our secure reservation form, linked below.
YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF YOUR STAY INCLUDING TAX AT THE TIME OF YOUR RESERVATION! IF YOUR PLANS CHANGE ANY REFUND OWED WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS OF OUR CANCELLATION POLICY. (Special note for groups of 9+ persons: a deposit of 25%
of total accommodations is due at time of making reservation.
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| What is your cancellation/changes
policy? |
Our Cancellation/Changes/No-show Policy is applied to everyone equally. No exceptions are made under any circumstances and no part is negotiable. Making our policy firm helps make sure that all of our guests are treated equally and fairly. We strongly recommend travel insurance. Scroll down as necessary to find the policy that is relevant to your reservation.
PRIVATE ROOMS, CABINS, AND GROUPS OF 5 TO 8 PEOPLE
CANCELLATIONS:
If you cancel all or a portion of your reserved accommodations, you will be charged $10.00 or 10% (whichever is greater) of the full cost of what you are canceling.
To be eligible for any refund you must cancel no less than TWO WEEKS in advance of the date or dates you are canceling. Any cancellations that occur with less than TWO WEEK'S notice, will NOT be eligible for a refund. If you cancel a reservation which was made within TWO WEEKS of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund.
CHANGES:
If you make any changes to your reservation you will be charged $10 or 10% (whichever is greater) of the amount the change lowers your cost. Changes that increase your cost will not be charged a Change Fee. For changes which result in no change in cost, you will be charged $10.
In addition, any changes to your reservation must be made no less than TWO WEEKS in advance of the date or dates you are changing. Any changes that occur with less than TWO WEEK'S notice, will NOT be eligible for any refund for dates reserved. If you change a reservation which was made within TWO WEEKS of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund for a date or dates reserved.
NO-SHOWS:
If you have not arrived by 10:00 PM on the first night of your reservation, we will leave you a Late Arrival Notice on the Office Front Door explaining how to find your accommodations.
If you have still not arrived by 7:30 AM the next morning and we have not been contacted by you, we will consider you a No-Show. If this occurs ANY REMAINING PORTION OF YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED AND YOUR RESERVED ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR RE-RENTAL. You will NOT receive a refund regardless of whether the accommodations are re-rented or not.
If you wish to stay on a date you originally reserved, but which was cancelled because of a no-show, you may, if the accommodations are still available – at no additional cost.
CANCELLATION NUMBERS:
If you cancel a reservation in person, by telephone or by internet, you will be given a cancellation number. KEEP THIS NUMBER. It is the ONLY acceptable proof that you cancelled.
HOSTEL BEDS AND TENTS
CANCELLATIONS:
If you cancel all or any portion of your reserved accommodations, you will be charged $10.00 or 10% (whichever is greater) of the full cost of what you are canceling.
To be eligible for any refund you must cancel no less than THREE DAYS in advance of the date or dates you are canceling. Any cancellations that occur with less than THREE DAY'S notice, will NOT be eligible for a refund. If you cancel a reservation which was made within THREE DAYS of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund.
CHANGES:
If you make any changes to your reservation you will be charged $10 or 10% (whichever is greater) of the amount the change lowers your cost. Changes that increase your cost will not be charged a Change Fee. For changes which result in no change in cost, you will be charged $10.
In addition, any changes to your reservation must be made no less than THREE DAYS in advance of the date or dates you are changing. Any changes that occur with less than THREE DAY'S notice, will NOT be eligible for any refund for dates reserved. If you change a reservation which was made within THREE DAYS of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund for a date or dates reserved.
NO-SHOWS:
If you have not arrived by 10:00 PM on the first night of your reservation, we will leave you a Late Arrival Notice on the Office Front Door explaining how to find your accommodations.
If you have still not arrived by 7:30 AM the next morning and we have not been contacted by you, we will consider you a No-Show. If this occurs ANY REMAINING PORTION OF YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED AND YOUR RESERVED ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR RE-RENTAL. You will NOT receive a refund regardless of whether the accommodations are re-rented or not.
If you wish to stay on a date you originally reserved, but which was cancelled because of a no-show, you may, if the accommodations are still available – at no additional cost.
CANCELLATION NUMBERS:
If you cancel a reservation in person, by telephone or by internet, you will be given a cancellation number. KEEP THIS NUMBER. It is the ONLY acceptable proof that you cancelled.
GROUPS OF 9 OR MORE
PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS:
Groups of this size are required to pay a minimum of 20% down at the time of the reservation with the remainder due no later than 45 days prior to your arrival. If you fail to pay in full at least 45 days in advance, the reservation will be cancelled and you will forfeit your down payment.
CANCELLATIONS:
If you cancel all or any portion of your reserved accommodations, you will be charged $25.00 or 20% (whichever is greater) of the full cost of what you are canceling.
To be eligible for any refund you must cancel no less than ONE MONTH in advance of the date or dates you are canceling. Any cancellations that occur with less than ONE MONTH'S notice, will NOT be eligible for a refund. If you cancel a reservation which was made within ONE MONTH of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund.
CHANGES:
If you make any changes to your reservation you will be charged $25 or 20% (whichever is greater) of the amount the change lowers your cost. Changes that increase your cost will not be charged a Change Fee. For changes which result in no change in cost, you will be charged $25.
In addition, any changes to your reservation must be made no less than ONE MONTH in advance of the date or dates you are changing. Any changes that occur with less than ONE MONTH'S notice, will NOT be eligible for any refund for dates reserved. If you change a reservation which was made within ONE MONTH of your reserved date or dates, you will NOT receive a refund for a date or dates reserved.
NO-SHOWS:
If you have not arrived by 10:00 PM on the first night of your reservation, we will leave you a Late Arrival Notice on the Office Front Door explaining how to find your accommodations.
If you have still not arrived by 7:30 AM the next morning and we have not been contacted by you, we will consider you a No-Show. If this occurs ANY REMAINING PORTION OF YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED AND YOUR RESERVED ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR RE-RENTAL. You will NOT receive a refund regardless of whether the accommodations are re-rented or not.
If you wish to stay on a date you originally reserved, but which was cancelled because of a no-show, you may, if the accommodations are still available – at no additional cost.
CANCELLATION NUMBERS:
If you cancel a reservation in person, by telephone or by internet, you will be given a cancellation number. KEEP THIS NUMBER. It is the ONLY acceptable proof that you cancelled.
TOURS AND TRAVEL TICKETS
CANCELLATIONS:
Each tour and transportation provider has their own specific cancellation policies. These policies are detailed on each tour’s or travel description page on this web site. You must affirm that you have read the specific cancellation policy of the tour(s) and/or transportation you are requesting and agree to be bound by them.
In addition to what the providers may charge, Denali Mountain Morning Hostel also charge $10 or 10% (whichever is greater) on all customer-initiated tour and travel reservation cancellations.
CHANGES:
If you make any changes to your reserved tours or travel, you will be charged for whatever amount may be called for based on the providers written policy. In addition to what the providers may charge, we charge $10 on all customer-initiated tour and travel reservation changes.
Our Tours and Travel Tickets Cancellation/Changes Policy is applied to everyone equally. No exceptions are made under any circumstances and no part is negotiable. Making our policy firm and equally applied in all cases helps make sure that all of our guests are treated fairly. We strongly recommend travel insurance.
Updated 11-9-2011 for the 2012 season
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| Should I get Travel Insurance? |
Alaska is an expensive place to visit and you have a lot of money invested in your trip. We strongly advise Travel Insurance for the peace of mind. You don't want to combine bad luck with huge financial loss. We can help. Click HERE for more information.
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| When is check-in and check-out? |
Check-in time is from 4:00pm - 10:00pm. Later arrivals are permitted too, just let us know. Check-out is at 10:00am.
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| Should I fly into Fairbanks or Anchorage
if I want to go to Denali? |
The hostel and the entrance to the park are located about 2.5 hours (130 miles) from Fairbanks and about 4.5 hours (224.1 miles) from Anchorage. Although Fairbanks is closer, most flights coming to this part of Alaska arrive in Anchorage first and then may continue to Fairbanks. It usually (but not always) costs more to fly on to Fairbanks. If you plan to visit the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, Anchorage a better choice. Most people fly into Anchorage. There is bus service and train service to both Fairbanks and Anchorage.
If you don't rent a car, you will be coming by bus or train. We are an authorized ticket vendor for the Alaska Railroad and The Park Connection Bus. WE DISCOUNT THESE TICKETS, and we would be happy to arrange travel for you with these providers. If you stay in Anchorage, we recommend you stay at Spenard Hostel International. The Alaska/Yukon Trails bus to Denali picks up and drops off at Spenard's door if you ask. Plus we really do think it is the best hostel in Anchorage. Lastly, the trip from Anchorage is quite scenic with great views of 'the mountain' on both the bus and the train weather permitting.
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| How should we get to Denali? |
Your three best options for transport between Anchorage, Denali
and Fairbanks are taking a bus, taking the train or renting
a car, or hitch-hiking. (I guess that's four.) Hitch-hiking is technically illegal in Alaska, however it is very common and I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. If you are on the Parks Highway and have a backpack and a sign saying where you are going, you usually are given a ride in a short time. Most hostels have a 'rider board' where you can often find rides as well. The train costs more than the bus, but the trip is very scenic; the buses are faster and cheaper
than the train. Finally we do have plenty of parking space for rental cars.
Let us know how you are arriving so we can make arrangements to get you to the hostel. Click HERE for more transportation information. And for more information on our FREE shuttle you can click HERE
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| How will I get from the
Park to the hostel and from the hostel to the Park? |
We provide a shuttle to and from the national park FOUR TIMES DAILY. Our shuttle service leaves the hostel daily at 6:35 AM, getting you to the Park WILDERNESS ACCESS CENTER (WAC), where all park tour and shuttle buses depart, before 7:00 AM. We also provide a shuttle to the WAC at 8:20 AM, arriving at the WAC by 8:40 AM. Our shuttle service picks up at 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM daily from the WAC. Click HERE for more information. And remember, YOU are responsible to be at the right place at the right time to get picked up. We cannot wait for you or look for you. We have a responsibility to everyone to leave on time as they have scheduled their events with that in mind. If we have to come back, you will be charged. Special shuttle trips cost $50 and must be scheduled around our normal trips. If you have a car there is ample free parking at the WAC.
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What do you recommend we do while we are there?
ARE THERE TOURS YOU CAN BOOK FOR US? |
Yes we have lots of things we recommend and are happy to book for you. Things such as Rafting (whitewater or gentle); Flight-seeing; Fly-fishing; Tour Iditarod Champ Jeff King's kennel and watch a dog team demonstration and much more! Remember to book your tours with us, we discount them so you pay less than anywhere else - EVEN LESS THAN YOU PAY BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH THE PROVIDERS! Click HERE for a complete list.
We don't book buses into the park. You have to do that on your own, but you can do it on-line.
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Am I able to rent a car in Denali? |
There is a very small rental car company in Denali. But, it is usually much cheaper to rent a car in Anchorage or Fairbanks, because you'd save the price of getting to Denali on the bus or train. Another option is you can reserve a private shuttle trip to the Park (or wherever). Private shuttles ONLY run during times it is not needed for our normal runs. If you want more information about renting a car in Denali, you can Click HERE.
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| Do you have kitchen facilities for your
guests? |
We have a fully-equipped kitchen facility for our guests so
that you can cook your own food. This is a great way to save some
money, eat what you like to eat, and have a conversation with someone
from Japan, Spain, Michigan or even Hobson, Montana (where?).
Our kitchen is located in the Octagon and is available to all of our guests. Amenities include coffee urn, microwave, stoves, ovens, utensils, plates, cups, pots, pans, etc. - just about everything you might need to make a great meal happen!
An outside barbeque grill is also available for use by our guests at no charge. And don't forget our
Free Organic, Conscientiously-purchased, locally roasted coffee, tea, sugar and creamer is available too. Groceries can be purchased in Anchorage or Fairbanks or at the Riley Creek Mercantile in the park.
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| Do you serve free morning coffee for
your guests, and is it fair-trade, shade-grown, organic goodness? |
Why, YES, thanks for asking!! We are psyched (very happy) to be
serving a Locally Roasted, Conscientiously-purchased, Certified Organic Coffee from Raven's Brew. We have served Folgers in
the past, a coffee more in-line with our budget, but not in-line
with our social consciousness. We feel that is important to support
sustainable practices in an industry that represents the second
largest US import after oil. Americans are the largest consumers
of coffee in the world, yet many Americans don't realize that agricultural
workers in coffee producing countries are often receiving far less
than living wages for their toil, that rainforests are being cleared
for coffee production and that pesticides banned in the US are still
being used by coffee producers in third world countries on the coffee
beans that we consume. While the coffee we serve may not always be certified fair-trade, it is always purchased very conscientiously in that regard by Raven's Brew.
That is why we serve only the best to our guests. We will have
a donation can next to the coffee so that anyone who supports our
efforts can help us out with the costs, which are much more than serving Folgers. In the long-run, we think it's worth it!!
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| Is Denali Mountain Morning Hostel 'green' minded? |
We try to be. We told you about the coffee and why we buy the coffee we do (just above). In addition we use only 7th Generation toilet paper and paper towels which use only recycled paper. We use only earth-friendly laundry soap and cleaning products as well. We did recycle, but there is no place for us to do that any longer, which is very sad and frankly for a place as special as Denali, unconscionable.
Additionally, we have some other plans in the works. We will soon be offering our guests a way to pay for the power they use while staying with us. They will get some kind of acknowledgment, a patch or sticker or something. Then 100% of the money we collect this way will be given to the local electric company for them to use exclusively to purchase electricity from the local people who are producing it with windmills and other methods. Isn't that great? You can travel impact free and make a difference while you are having fun. Currently our power is generated by Natural Gas and Coal.
We also hope to put a water wheel in the creek to generate some power.
So yes, we try to be green.
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| Can we buy our groceries there or should
we bring them with us? |
If you have a car, there are a couple of small grocery stores we can lead you to, but for a better selection and price, you should consider buying in Anchorage or Fairbanks on your way. If you are using our shuttle system, there is a way to get to one of the small markets, but again you probably should try to buy in Anchorage or Fairbanks on your way through. We are considering stocking some items at the hostel. We would love to hear your comments on that and what you would hope we would have. We still will carry other non-food, items we think you will like. You can get sack lunches for your trip into the park at the Creekside Cafe' just across the highway from the hostel.
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| If we don't plan to cook, where can
we eat? |
We are lucky in that we have a great cafe' right across the street. The Creekside Cafe' is good home-baked cafe grubbin! Good food and better prices than most around. And, you can get sack lunches for your trip into the park there. You will find reasonable priced fine dining just 5 miles down the road. How fine? Well, only "The best food in Alaska" (according to the New York Times) can be found at the 229 Parks. It is worth finding a way there. There is a pizza pub nearby as well.
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| Are you a "youth only" hostel?
|
Far from it! Our guests fall in all age groups. The former 'American
Youth Hostels' association changed their name several years back
to 'Hostelling International,' reflecting the adult interest in
this popular type of budget accommodation. Many hostels, such as
ourselves, are not affiliated with HI, but nonetheless share the
interest in accommodating all forms of travelers! More and more,
hostels are being discovered by all travelers who enjoy unique,
comfortable and friendly accommodations in spectacular places without
the spectacular prices. Those who are staying in our private accommodations should keep in mind we are a hostel, not the Hilton. It's a wonderful place, but you need to do your part. If you want waited on, your in the wrong place. For a couple hundred dollars more, you can get a corporate hotel just down the road.
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| Do you provide storage space
for luggage and gear? |
Yes, we provide a secure space for you to store your gear while
you are out camping in the Park, etc!
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| Do you have camping gear for rent? |
No, sorry. It got to be just too big of a job for us. You can rent gear at Denali Mountain Works located in the canyon. Their link goes to Too-loo'-uk River Guides. That's not a mistake, they are one and the same! There Telephone number is (907) 683-1542, or in Anchorage at Alaska Mountaineering & Hiking and REI.
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| What's the deal is it Denali or Mt. McKinley? |
You might be surprised how long one could talk about this, but I'll keep it short. Most Alaskan's will tell you it's Denali Mountain in Denali National Park. If you are from Outside (elsewhere), especially Ohio, it is Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park which used to be called Mt. McKinley National Park.
Why you ask? The park and mountain were named for presidential candidate William McKinley of Ohio who supported the gold standard and a summertime gold miner from Seattle named Dickey wrote 'a story' in the New York Sun claiming that "We" named the great peak McKinley after the politician. And just like that, the deed was done and remains so today.
The official name of the mountain according to the state government here is Denali, a Native word meaning "The Great One". But to the federal government it's McKinley. They allowed the park to be renamed Denali, but politicians from Ohio fight the change in name of the mountain even today, even though McKinley never stepped foot in Alaska and never saw the Park or the Mountain.
With all due respect to the people from the great state of Ohio, give us a break. How would you like it if we had the desire and authority and made you rename the Ohio River something like Alaska's Sewer Outlet?
You will be considered more knowledgeable and show greater respect to many of us, especially Alaska Natives if you call it Denali Mountain. You can read more at Wikipedia by clicking HERE.
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