My first strategy for dealing with crowds in our National Parks is to visit during the shoulder or off seasons. I don’t have that choice in Denali National Park, I am passing through now and by the shoulder season I will be snug in my RV, back in New Mexico! So, I needed to develop a strategy for coping with crowds. The pattern for most people is to stop by the visitor center and drive into the park during the day. Makes sense for families and others I guess. They seem to clear out after that, yet is it light out pretty much around the clock. So, Tango and I do our personal wildlife safaris at night, starting around 8 PM or later, when animals are normally out anyway. We have been rewarded for our strategy with sightings of Dall sheep, caribou, and grizzlies. It is all so exciting. I have my spots where I stop and pull out the binoculars while Tango tries to sleep during all the slowing and accelerating. A few other drive around late and I try to share with them the location of my sightings. Meanwhile, during the day we have the campground and nearby trails to ourselves.
My days have been relaxing and productive, although I have had a few down moments. I already wrote about the moose charge, which was terrifying. Yesterday, I drove off to the nearby town (I found an inexpensive food truck) and left a jar of instant coffee and a couple of dirty dishes on my campground table. The ranger confiscated them and left me a note about where I could pick them up. How embarrassing. I know better than that. He came by later with the Campground Host to look at some nearby trees that had been axed by another camper and to collect some corn husks someone just dumped in the forest near me. The ranger was nice about everything but the Camp Host first asked me if I left the corn husks (!) and then asked me in accusatory tones if I was the one who took down the small trees! Then she started lecturing me about the rules regarding wood. I was already feeling foolish about leaving my dishes out and then started to feel a bit outraged about the other stuff. I bit my tongue but I felt badly about the whole thing. This morning the Camp Host was ultra nice again and I ran into the ranger at the grocery store in town. He was awfully nice and even asked how Tango was! No residual bad feelings.
I changed my mind about the how to handle the moose charge. First of all, I reported it and they seemed happy that I did. Second, I decided to not take all the responsibility. I now think that the Park Service should remove the several moose hanging around the campground OR close the campground. Moose are so dangerous. One staff person told me that moose encounters are frequent, and 2 years ago one nearly killed a woman. She was too close according to the staff here that I talked to. I don’t like the attitude towards the moose incidents, which seem to be:
- If she was hurt or killed, too bad, she was breaking the rule about distance.
- This is the moose’s home, we are visitors.
I disagree. Most people break the rules regarding keeping a safe distance. It is the NPSs responsibility to protect us and our children from our stupidity and either remove the campground moose or close the campground while they hang out there (supposedly the moose move on later in the season). I asked about closing the campground and they said if the moose had injured me or anyone else, they would have closed it. After the fact? That does not make sense. If a bear were munching on the shrubbery along the pathways in the campground, it would definitely be closed. Of course, moose are not AS dangerous to humans because they are not predators, they simply charge to protect their space.
As for us being just visitors, well that is not entirely true. The Forest Service has encouraged us to “live” here for a short time by building a beautiful campground with wonderful bathroom facilities. They invite us into the animal’s space and I think most people assume that the NPS is watching out for our safety during our stay. I have learned elsewhere that is rarely the case. If they are not willing to ensure our safety when we respond to their offer to stay in the campground then they need to shut it down. The moose situation in Riley Campground at Denali is a ticking time bomb. Children run and play in the area and others, like myself, walk the trails. We are not intentionally getting too close to the moose. We come around the corner and there it is, charging us.
So, that is my new perspective on the moose charge. Once again, the NPS is not taking enough responsibility for public safety.
Moving on, I love the campground layout. It is roomy with lots of forested space between sites. Because of the space, the campground is generally quiet, even when kids are around. The facilities, like the flush toilets are newer and in great condition. My only complaint: showers cost $4.50. Campers check-in at a main building/store near the entrance and there you can buy a token that operates the shower. Crazy expensive but after the hair got gross, I gladly paid it, today, in fact, after a week of sponge baths. By the way, the campground reservation system, the camp store, and the shower/laundry facility are all run by a vendor, Aramark. Everything else here is run by the NPS.
Main center with check-in desk, showers, laundry
Roomy tent pad
Riley Creek, along the southern edge of the campground.
I am in the middle loop, near the top
Roomy campsite
Roomy loop roads
One of my favorite things is attending Ranger talks. I used to take my son when he was little, but I continued long after he grew up and went off on his own. This trip I have learned about wolves and mountaineering on Denali, and I should have time for 3 more talks!
As for the weather, I am happy to report that the sun shines every day. A few times rain fell briefly but the sun returned. Wind is almost non-existent. And those glorious evenings under the midnight sun are balmy. Most people seem to have no trouble falling asleep at their normal hour, but I am up past midnight most nights and then sleep in the next morning.
