The Park Road: Mile 2 to Mile 15

I actually did this hike last Tuesday, but I've been too lazy/busy to write anything until now.

In the interest of full disclosure, I guess I should get this out of the way: I cheated a little on this segment.  I took a route away from the road from the beginning of the hike at the visitor center to park headquarters around mile 3.  Instead of following the road, I took a longer route along a low ridge, the Rock Creek trail.  It added a mile or so to my total distance, but the views I got as a result of climbing some 400 feet up were worth it.

To the south

And to the north

The Park Road

One of my goals this summer is to walk the Denali Park Road, the only road leading into the park.  It's a long-term project, given that the road is 92 miles long, and it's not exactly a well-traveled path for hikers (or cars, which are only allowed for the first 15 miles).  My plan, basically, is to take buses to the point where I leave off, walk for awhile, then head back.  It may involve some overnight camping near the end, simply because it takes a 6 hour bus ride to travel the entire distance one way.  For reference, here is a map of the park:

 

Click to embiggen.