The Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge offers exceptional views of Mt. McKinley (Mt. Denali) …….when she decides to show herself. They say only 30% of visitors see the mountain due to frequent cloud cover. I am now a member of the 30% club!
One View from the Porch at the Lodge’s Main Building
There is a placard on the porch labeling the mountains surrounding Denali. This proved to be very helpful as it matched perfectly with what we were seeing from that spot.
The lodge is comprised of multiple buildings, and a shuttle runs around the property for the convenience of the visitors.
As the name implies, “lodge” means lots of wood and wildlife decor. Building 9, where I stayed, had individual entrances to each room from the exterior of the building.
There are trails around the property, a nice gift shop, several restaurants, and even a s’mores making area. We opted not to book an excursion. Instead, we just relaxed and enjoyed the property.
We ate dinner at 20,320 Alaskan Grill. The meal was delicious, and the service was good. I wasn’t very hungry, so I had the salmon cakes appetizer, but a friend of mine ordered the blueberry salmon and said it was wonderful.
After dinner, we thought about enjoying the serene views from the hot tub but decided to play cards with our friends in the main room of the lodge. We always pack our own decks, but if we had forgotten, cards and other games were available from guest services.
The next morning we decided to skip a large breakfast and order something quick from the Starbucks inside the lodge. As you can see, a host of other guests had the same idea.
The line moved quickly, and I enjoyed my pastry and coffee on the back porch while enjoying a morning view of Denali.
Next stop: The Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska