To Do in Fairbanks 5: Go Ride A Train

I was skeptical at first. I initially had three main concerns about the leg between Fairbanks and Denali. The first, since I have made the drive a few times, I'm not really sure I'm going to see anything new by taking the train. Second, there is the obvious drawback that riding the Alaska Railroad costs an arm and a leg. Finally, it's all structured and presented with tourists in mind. My camera may be glued to my face in such a fashion that I look like a tourist, but I assure you I am not.



My first concern was crushed on the way down. The RR doesn't really follow the Park's Highway at all. I can count on one hand the number of times we actually see the road on this 4 hour train ride. Leaving Fairbanks the train goes around the 'back' (western) side of Ester Dome. I've never seen this side before. There is almost nothing out there. You are immediately immersed in the vastness of the Alaska landscape, even before you're out of the Fairbanks metro area.


Any way you look there is nothing but hills, trees and an occasional small body of water. This spot can't be much more than 10 miles from our home, just on the backside of Ester Dome.
Being away from the road means that you are almost always away from homes and businesses. You really only see them when you go through towns, and there are only a handful of them between Fairbanks and Denali. Also, on the way to the park the elevation increases subtly and you go through a variety of different worlds.


This was quite possibly the largest beaver construction I have ever seen. I do not have either end of it in the frame because it was too big. They sure know how to pick a home!

The last few miles before entering Morhdorh, I mean Denali, the world turns to rock. We just happened to have some magnificent skyscapes on our ride too.

When the world turns to rock you'll simultaneously be paralleling the Nenana River which has carved out quite a nice looking little valley for itself.

So the train arrives at the DNP train station at about 12:15ish, depending on how often you stop for other trains or wildlife. They will slow or stop for bear, moose, and (no joke) to let off a stowaway iridescent butterfly. The train is not to be taken for speed, driving down is much faster.

Once you arrive in the park you have about three hours before needing to check in for the trip back, or you can stay in one of the many hotels or campsites in the area. There are a few day packages offered where you can go rafting or flightseeing before heading back. Just walking some of the trails near to the visitor center can be a great activity while there. There is a pretty good chance to see some wildlife, even close to the park entrance. The views aren't too bad either (picture left from the junction of the Rock Creek and Meadow View trails).

I've come up with a fail-safe formula for getting over the price of tickets. The money you fork over is well worth it if you like at least two of these things: people-watching, nature, animals, big animals, forests, rivers, mountains, hiking, doing something you don't do every day, and/or relaxing. Actually the price is pretty comparable with that of a theme park; except here it's easy to pack your own lunch which can quickly make the train ride cheaper than a theme park. Some prices are shown below.

The seats on the train have lots of legroom, big windows, and an observation deck with panorama views (they ask you limit yourself to 20 minutes on the deck to give others a turn). There's a dining car that has snacks, lunches, breafasts, etc., and alcohol. You can also stand in between cars and hang out the window; just watch your head when approaching things like bridges/bears.

Getting into the Alaska Range from Fairbanks -- people pile into the outside section of the observation deck once we get into the mountains. The fancy shmancy gold star members get the fancy car with glass ceiling. Low level people like me have to hang out the window in between cars.
As far as my tourism concern goes, all I can say is, "eh, whatever". You are kept separate from those that came up from the cruise ships. They all have their own cars. I was more of a tourist than anyone else, standing in the window the whole time taking pictures. Half the people on the train were asleep on the way down. Plus, you get to hear people talk about what they think they know about Alaska, photography, or Denali, which I found to be pretty entertaining.

During peak season, which is from June 1st to August 31st a one way ticket from Fairbanks to Denali is $64 ($32 for children). Alaska residents can get a 20% discount on all fares. For a break-down of all the fares and segments visit the Alaska Railroad website here. Or, just go to the Alaska Railroad Corporation site here.

I didn't write much about Denali National Park because I'll be writing about it more extensively this summer. Some previous posts from the park can be found with these links: Springtime in Denali National Park, Beautiful, Beautiful Denali National Park, or Kate's Blog Alaska's Fall Foliage. You can also get more park information from the NPS site here.

You can read more about what there is to do in Fairbanks here. And, of course, more pictures from the day-trip here.