Outdoor Activities
Adventure Denali. This outfit offers year-round, combat-free, catch-and-release fishing on its private lakes and nearby rivers. Stay for a while at the company's lodge or just fish for an afternoon—choices include lake fishing, river fishing, ice fishing, and fly-fishing. The experts here will even teach you how to fish. Adventure Denali is one of the few angler outfitters that actively encourages women to participate. Mile 214½ George Parks Hwy., Alaska, 99755. 907/768–2620; 907/354--0016; www.adventuredenali.com. From $175.
Curry-Kesugi Ridge. Denali State Park's chief attraction, other than views of Denali, is the 35-mile-long Curry-Kesugi Ridge, which forms a rugged spine through the heart of the park that is ideal backpacking terrain. The initial climb to get to the ridge is strenuous, but once you get up high, it's mostly gentle up-and-down terrain. The trail runs from the Troublesome Creek trailhead at Mile 137.3 to the Little Coal Creek trailhead at Mile 163.9. The Byers Lake campground at Mile 147 has a trailhead for a spur trail that intersects the Kesugi Ridge trail, offering an alternative to hiking the entire trail. Views of Denali and the Alaska Range from the ridge trail are stunning. This is a bear-intensive area, especially around Troublesome Creek in late summer when the salmon runs are in full force. Alaska.
Denali Backcountry Lodge. In Kantishna, 92 miles into Denali National Park, this all-inclusive lodge is operated by Pursuit, an international travel company that offers naturalist hikes, rafting, and flightseeing packages. Alaska. 800/808–8068; www.alaskacollection.com/denali-national-park-interior. From $545 nightly.
Peters Hills. Another destination favored by backcountry travelers is Peters Hills, accessible from Petersville Road in Trapper Creek. Denali State Park borders the hills, and primitive trails and campgrounds are used year-round. It's especially popular with snowmachiners in winter and mountain bikers in summer. Alaska. www.trails.com/us/ak/petersville/peters-hills.
