Denali Backcountry Lodge

If you want something from Denali National Park, beyond "main gate attractions and hikes", to see and experience what Denali is all about: The Denali Backcountry Lodge will not disappoint. The guides were outstanding, knowledgable and engaging personalities. I hate to list names, because you inevitably forget someone, but Quinlan, Brian, Steve Sweet Legs, Ivan, and Paddy were all great in the field and their pre-dinner presentations on animals and plants were very informative - we learned so much. Kudos to the entire food team: Joan (who has cooked for athletes in the Beijing and London Olympics), Annie, MaryAnn, Jory and others. Food and service were excellent. At DBL, you'll likely meet interesting and well-traveled fellow guests, as we did, which greatly added to the total experience. Must say, the helicopter transportation in/out was a treat. DBL is not the cheapest alternative out there, but in this case, you do "get what you paid for". A great total experience.

My wife and I visited the Denali Backcountry Lodge for two nights! It was an incredible stay and next time we will stay for longer! There are lots of options for outdoor activities throughout your entire stay! We would recommend the Camp Ridge trail! The sauna and cold dip in the creek is a daily must for good health and rejuvenation! The food is exceptionally good as well. But above all else, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful! They go above and beyond to make your stay memorable! This was a 10 out of 10 5 star experience and will do it again when we can!

The Denali Backcountry Lodge experience, while the Park Road is closed, can't be beat! The accommodations are comfortable, with all the necessary amenities, plus Wifi. The rooms are large enough to comfortably accommodate up to 4 people. After the 35-minute helicopter ride over the park, with incredible mountain views, you are greeted by a staff member who immediately shows you to your room, which has a large hiking pack and 32-oz water bottle for each member of your party to use during your stay. As your luggage is taken to your room for you by staff, your staff greeter shows you where the main lodge is for lunch and you can meet them there after you freshen up for a couple of minutes in your room. Lunch is a fixed menu of about 7 selections. There is also a different soup and side each day. After lunch on arrival day, your staff greeter takes you on a short tour of the property to share the amenities and how your days will be structured. Then you're led to the desk where you sign up for which hikes/activities you'd like to do that afternoon. All hikes/activities are optional. Only on arrival day, you pick your dinner from a menu of three items so that it can be prepared before you sit down for dinner. After arrival day, you choose your dinner during your breakfast each day. There's a meat option, a seafood option, and a vegetarian option for dinner, with a new kind of roll, flavored butter, and dessert each day. There's also a plentiful snack bar, coffee carafe, and espresso machine for in between meals. Breakfast is a fixed menu of about 5 items, with a fruit cup. At dinner, you look over the hiking options for the following day. Each day there is a casual hike, a moderate hike, and a challenging hike to choose from. When the moderate hike we wanted to do was filled to capacity (due to NPS rules), we asked about arranging another time of the day that we could do the hike and the BCL readily accommodated us and made sure that we'd get to do the hike we wanted. Each day there are also multiple shuttle rides to Wonder Lake to see what wildlife may be out and about. At Wonder Lake, on a clear day, you have a beautiful view of Denali and the north side of the Alaska Range. We booked 3 nights at the lodge, so on our 2nd full day, I booked a massage for after our Tundra Trek. The spa is an adorable little building with a wood burning stove in the massage area. On a 45-degree day in July, the heat was heavenly! The massage was just what I needed after 2 weeks in Alaska. I had the deep-tissue massage and left feeling relaxed and like I had actually been worked on. While the star of our time back here should have been the park, the food gave the park a run for its money! The lodge has a chef, a baker, a sous chef, and other kitchen staff to make the most delicious meals. We cleaned our plates AND our dessert plates every night. Then, when you get back to your room for the evening, there's an extra dessert treat to tide you over until breakfast!

Our family of 5 had an amazing time at the Backcountry Lodge. We arrived to stunning views of Denali via helicopter. We were fortunate to see unobstructed views of Denali for each day of our stay. The cabins and amenities were first class. Having hot water and in cabin bathrooms in the backcountry of a National Park made the adventures comfortable for all. We loved the food - and the staff. All of the staff both those we met and those we didn't made the trip excellent. You will not regret spending your time and money with the team of the Denali Backcountry Lodge. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience my family will not forget.!

What an experience! From the helicopter to the sauna and everything in between, this place was great. I loved having activity options through my stay. You could be as active or relaxed as you wanted. The Naturalists were top-tier: knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. The food was amazing and I loved the Happy Hour talks each evening. Couldn’t have asked for better views or a more enjoyable experience.

We can't say enough great things about this experience. The staff is amazing, the chef and baker were superb, the masseuse was incredible, the nature and area was so beautiful and the ride into the resort was a trip in itself. The guided hikes were so much fun and so informative, the staff went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect. We highly recommend this unique experience!