Denali National Park Guide to Hiking, Photography & Camping [Paperback]

Ike Waits (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2005

A complete guide to dayhiking, backpacking, camping and photography in Denali National Park plus 3 hikes in Denali State Park. Dayhikes and backpacks for all abilities are described, including walks to picnic or enjoy wildflowers. You will find: • 46 dayhikes ranging from a half-hour to 8 hours in length, 23 rated as easy; • 7 dayhikes to do from Wonder Lake or Teklanika campgrounds; • 12 backpacking trips plus 30 of the dayhikes can be extended to backpacks; • 6 hikes near the park entrance; • 3 popular backpacking trips in Denali State Park; • Highlights and detailed descriptions for each hike; • Ideas for variations on many of the hikes; • Hike maps based on topographic maps; and • Name of USGS maps useful for each hike. This book also covers: • Techniques for hiking in tundra and trailless conditions; • Tips for photographing Mt. McKinley and wildlife; • Annotated bibliography for maps and books to enhance your visit; • Information about park campgrounds and bus system; • Addresses of companies providing transportation to the park from Anchorage and Fairbanks; and • Contacts for information, lodging reservations, maps and books. The handy hike and backpack comparison table helps to quickly identify routes that match your ability and available time. Specifications: 256 pages, 181 B&W photos, 39 Maps.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ike Waits first hiked in Denali National Park while working summer jobs there in 1967 and 1968. This experience prompted a permanent move from Arizona to Alaska in 1974. During a community development career he worked throughout Alaska. He now pursues photography and writing fulltime. Waits has hiked and floated rivers in Gates of the Arctic National Park and continued hiking in Denali. In 1995 he decided to produce this book to encourage more people to get off the Denali bus and hike. Each summer since 1995 he spent at least two weeks in the park researching these hikes and photographing. He is a member of the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photography Association and the Alaska Photographic Center.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wild Rose Guidebooks (May 2005)
• ISBN-10: 0967732719
• ISBN-13: 978-0967732718
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great guide to getting off the bus in Denali NP, November 10, 2005

By 

Bryan Newman "alaskanoutfitting.com" (St Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Denali National Park Guide to Hiking, Photography & Camping (Paperback)

This book is worth the entire price of the book if you just take in one piece of advice from the author - Get off the bus! The author gives over 40 options for getting off the bus and truly experiencing the park. There is a suggestion for every situation from a leisurely stroll to a back-breaking, multi-day, circuit around glaciers and passes. But don't forget that there are thousands of other options in the park that are beyond the scope of this book.

Also, the author shares a lot of photography advice that is often as specific as which bus to catch and which side to sit on to improve your chances of getting the shots you want. In general, the photography advice is not overly technical, but his intimate knowledge gained over the years comes through well. All in all, a very good book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Starting Point for Denali Adventures, April 10, 2008

By 

Joshua J. Kellogg (Champaign, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Denali National Park Guide to Hiking, Photography & Camping (Paperback)

Denali National Park is different from the majority of US parks, as most of the area has no developed trail system (as opposed to Yosemite or Olympic which have very well-established trails). You are encouraged to hike around and explore on your own, which can be a bit daunting. Hence, a lot of visitors stay on the shuttle buses, content to just watch the scenery flash by.

Ike Waits brings your attention to how beautiful this park can be with just a bit of exploration off the bus stop. With the low-lying vegetation (most of the park is tundra, not forest), it is hard to get lost, and the rewards in terms of natural splendor and wildlife viewing grow exponentially.

This book brings dozens of easy-to-understand trail areas and maps to the Denali visitor. Informative, well-researched, these descriptions come with a background of decades of hiking and exploring Denali. You couldn't be in better hands, so step off the bus and go explore the park!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful book, August 2, 2009

By 

MegAtNight - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Denali National Park Guide to Hiking, Photography & Camping (Paperback)

We took our family (2 adults, 5 kids aged 5-16) to Denali and found this book very helpful. It supplements the information found at the park and helps you plan your days. We wanted to day hike and it helped us choose where to go. As other reviewers noted, there are not a lot of established trails in Denali; There is only one road in the park and it is closed to private vehicles after the first 14 miles; the National Park provides relatively inexpensive shuttlebus service along the next 65 miles; you can get off the bus, hike around and catch another bus home. The other (more expensive) option is to pay for a bus "tour" which travels into the park and out without giving you the option of getting off and doing anything- if you prefer the latter experience, this book has nothing to offer you, however, if you are looking to plan your day yourself and explore the park on your own, rather than go on guided "tours" all day, this is the book for you. It assumes a fair amount of experience with trail finding and hiking. All the hikes are rated easy moderate and difficult both for the level of exertion and for the level of trail finding- while the level of exertion were quite accurate, anything marked "moderate" or greater in trail finding was daunting with instructions like "follow the ridge line". Having limited experience we stuck with easy trails and had no problems. The book gives very limited advice about places to stay or eat near or in the park so you will need another source for that kind of information- we found the Denali chamber of commerce website helpful.