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Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583
The National Park Service (NPS) is partnering with transportation concessioner Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture (JV) to offer the new Kantishna Experience bus trip for Denali National Park and Preserve’s summer visitors beginning in June. The Kantishna Experience is a journey to “the end of the road” with interpretive narration provided jointly by the driver-guide and a JV sponsored NPS ranger that joins the trip at Wonder Lake. The 12 hour round- trip into the heart of the park includes lunch and a stop at the historic cabin of Fannie Quigley, an infamous Kantishna resident who settled in the area during its Gold Rush heyday in the early 1900’s and remained there until her death in 1944. The cost is $129.00, plus the park entrance fee. This new offering is a significant addition to the opportunities visitors can chose from to experience Denali National Park and Preserve. It is the first time that a driver/ranger interpretive team will share indepth information about the park’s natural and cultural history, including the Kantishna Mining District and its inhabitants, with park visitors on a bus trip that travels the entire length of the 92 mile park road. Wonder Lake campers will also benefit from this new program, as two additional NPS staff will allow the park to increase the number of ranger-led evening campground programs from three to six nights per week. The trip will be offered once per day from June 8 through August 31. Buses will pick up passengers at area hotels, as well as the Wilderness Access Center in the park. The buses will be the same style as the Visitor Transportation System (VTS) shuttle buses traveling to Wonder Lake and Kantishna. The Kantishna Experience was developed to better utilize the bus system capacity and to enhance the experience of park visitors who currently select the popular shuttle bus runs to Kantishna. Most of these visitors chose to remain on the bus for the entire journey, instead of taking advantage of the shuttle’s feature that allows the visitor to disembark along the route for a hike or short stay. The VTS shuttle buses for all destinations along the park road, including Kantishna, will continue to be available to park visitors. The buses provide transportation for visitors wishing to view remote areas of the park, campers, and hikers. The drivers assist visitors in wildlife spotting and answer questions. The park bus system was initiated in 1972 in order to protect the park’s resources and reduce traffic congestion. Information for all Denali National Park and Preserve bus options and reservations is available at www.reservedenali.com. Trip planning and other park information is available at www.nps.gov/dena or by calling park headquarters at (907) 683-2294 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. -NPS- |
Last updated: April 14, 2015