Alaska Railroad
“Denali Star”
Anchorage → Fairbanks
- 572 km along the track
- 5 stops
- 13 commentary points
Alaska's summer flagship, from Anchorage up the Susitna valley past Talkeetna, over Hurricane Gulch and Broad Pass to Denali National Park, then down the Nenana River to Fairbanks.
Stop Overnight stop Commentary point
Legs
| From | To | Distance | On the train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | Talkeetna | 178 km | about 2 h 50 min |
| Talkeetna | Denali National Park | 195 km | about 4 h 30 min |
| Denali National Park | Fairbanks | 199 km | about 4 h |
Approximate scheduled times. Check the timetable with the operator before you travel.
Things to know
- Summer only - the Denali Star runs daily from mid-May to mid-September. In winter the Aurora Winter Train runs on the same line less often; this pack follows the summer train.
- A day train - northbound and southbound trains both leave in the morning and arrive in the evening, so there are no sleeping cars. Many passengers break the trip at Talkeetna or Denali.
- Seeing the mountain - Denali is often hidden by cloud. On a clear day it shows on the left going north, from around Talkeetna onward.
- Denali station - the station is in the park entrance area. The park road and its buses start nearby; private cars can drive only the first part of the road.
- Patchy signal - there is little or no mobile coverage for long stretches between Talkeetna and Healy, so download what you need before you leave.
- Wildlife - watch for moose along the line, especially in the Susitna and Nenana valleys.
Ride it with Rail Passages
All 13 commentary points on this route, triggered by GPS and readable offline.
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GPS may not be available everywhere. Tunnels, deep canyons and some rail cars can block the signal. The app estimates where the train is for a few minutes from its last speed, but cards may come late until the signal returns.