Located halfway between Anchorage and Denali National Park, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge offers stunning vistas of the Denali Mountain Range (only open from March through September). I briefly mentioned Talkeetna in one of my earlier posts describing my failed attempts to view Northern Lights (review).
What brought on this memory?
We were remembering how cool the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge outdoor deck was and how long we were staying outside in warm clothes waiting for the Northern Lights.
Why did we choose Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for Northern Lights viewing?
- We visited Anchorage during the post-COVID 19 period when it was still not possible to travel to the rest of the world. We wanted a location within a short driving distance from Anchorage.
- Talkeetna is located at latitude 62 (not in the Aurora Oval compared to Fairbanks), but still a good place to look for auroras (review).
- Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge offers a Northern Lights wake-up call service.
- Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge has a large viewing deck facing north towards Denali with a nearby fireplace.
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge Booking
We used Booking.com for our stay at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge in late March and the prices were reasonable (see images below). However, prices can be steep during peak summer months, so I recommend going in September for hiking.
Capital One Travel can be used to book the lodge and earn 10x points, but there is a mismatch in availability between Booking.com and Capital One Travel Portal (see image below).
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge Scenery
Conclusion
I encourage readers to visit Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for a few nights during a trip to Anchorage simply to enjoy the location and the view of the Denali mountain range from the massive deck. Pictures don’t do the lodge any justice and it has to be seen to be believed.