Introduction / Description
Offering mountain views, this laid-back, seasonal lodge on the Nenana River is a 12-minute walk from Triple Lakes and 8 miles from the Denali Visitor Center inside Denali National Park and Preserve.
Straightforward rooms with basic decor offer flat-screen TVs. Upgraded rooms have river or wilderness views, and some add coffeemakers. Rustic riverfront cabins with decks are also available.
Amenities include a casual restaurant, a dinner theater and a coffee shop, plus a rustic-chic saloon with a patio. There are also hiking trails, a park shuttle (fee), and a terrace with a fire pit.
The Lodge, located seven miles south of Denali National Park & Preserve entrance, is nestled along the banks of the Nenana River. Spread over 20 acres, The Lodge offers light hiking and interpretive trails throughout the facility. For the adventurous, there are more rugged trails located near the property entrance. Ideal for families and convenient for travelers with their own vehicle, this Denali Lodge brings you close to the action – yet enjoy the evening solitude as you relax to the sound of the river sweeping by.
Denali Park Village offers some equally comfortable and accessible accommodations; and since this property boasts a prime location just six miles six miles south of the park, it also makes an excellent home base for a Denali visit.
Arrival & Car Parking
Accessible parking is available near the main lodge, with barrier-free access over to the entrance.
Accessible Rooms & Bathrooms / Accessibility
At The Lodge, you’ll find wonderful accommodations that are bound to fit your personal taste and preferences on your Alaska adventure travel.
Inside, there’s good pathway access to the front desk, the Lucky Miss Saloon, the Gold Rush Dining Room and the gift shop. This 338-room property features spacious accessible rooms housed in buildings throughout the wooded campus. And although some of the offerings are a good hike from the main lodge, an accessible on-site shuttle bus is also available.
The 700 building, which is located near the main lodge, offers a number of wheelchair-accessible rooms. It should be noted that this is the only building with elevator access, so if you need a ground floor room, it’s important to make that need known when you make your reservation.
Room 706 features wide doorways and good pathway access. It’s furnished with a 25-inch high queen-sized bed with wheelchair access on both sides. Additionally there’s a small roll-under sink in the main guest room area. The room also has a small deck area that overlooks the river, and although there is a one-inch lip out to it, it’s doable for most people. There’s also a table with two chairs on the deck, but they can be easily moved to accommodate a wheelchair.
The bathroom features a full five-foot turning radius and is outfitted with a roll-in shower with a fold-down shower bench, grab bars and a hand-held showerhead. There’s also a larger roll-under sink in the bathroom, and the toilet grab bars are located on the left and back walls (as seated). And if you need toilet grab bars on the other side (right and back walls as seated), room 712 is a mirror image of room 706.
A portable shower chair is available for any room upon request, and refrigerated medicine can be stored at the front desk. Wheelchair-accessible shuttle service to and from Denali National Park is also available upon request
Miners Plaza, which is located at the other end of property, offers a variety of small businesses connected by paved level pathways. There’s barrier-free access to all buildings, including Quigley’s General Store, where you can get ice cream; The Shack, which serves up some mean burgers; and the outdoor stage, where a variety of interpretive programs are presented.
Miners Plaza is also home to Cabin Nite Dinner Theater — a must-do while in the area. There are steps up to the front entrance of this authentic roadhouse, but barrier-free access on the side. Inside, there’s plenty of room to navigate a wheelchair or scooter around the long picnic tables; and if you can’t transfer to a bench seat you can just roll up to the end of a table. And the friendly staff is very accommodating, as far as seating and dietary restrictions are concerned. Again, advance notice is essential in getting the accommodations you need.
The hearty meal is served family style and begins with salad and biscuits, followed by pork ribs, salmon, beans, corn, and mashed potatoes. And it’s topped off with some luscious mixed berry cobbler served with fresh whipped cream. The food is excellent and it’s served at the perfect temperature — something that’s not easy to accomplish at a group dining experience.
After dinner, guests are treated to a show that’s filled with singing and dancing, lots of Alaska characters and a good dose of audience participation. The servers are also the entertainers, and although a show like this could get a big yawn, this one manages not only entertain but also involve the audience. It makes for a great evening — one that you can enjoy even if you aren’t a lodge guest.
