Kantishna Roadhouse

A beautiful location deep inside Denali National Park. Indigenous owned and operated with Alaskan native staff that share their culture and traditions with guests. The road is closed shifting operations to a fly in/out operation with less guests on the property. Chef Melissa made the most amazing meals. The baked Alaska was a delight and it looked just like Mt Denali! The experience is very intimate and personalized. Highly recommend.

One of my BEST memories of my trip to Alaska in August 2010! Loved the bus ride, the driver, the narrated scenery along the way, the dinner at the end of the road, the cabin accommodations... well, everything!

Visited late season (early Sept) 2023. |The road closure is both a blessing and a curse. |My husband and I were 2 of 4 guests at the time. It made for a very intimate experience, but also limited in options and social opportunities. ||We’re super flexible travelers so all of this was a-ok and taken in stride. Folks with different expectations might not be so amenable to all that. ||We had great hiking, but be advised that trail ratings are more ambitious than what is seen at other parks. What the interior of Denali calls a “moderate” hike, I would classify as “strenuous” anywhere else. And we aren’t entry-level hikers. ||Reading past reviews, I think Kantishna has really upped their food game. Our chef Melissa, was a big and enjoyable personality with a resume a mile long (hello Beat Bobby Flay season 11 episode 2) and I was delighted that lodge management allowed us (4) guests to pivot and spend an afternoon in the kitchen with her. She was delightful and I learned so much. I hope Kantishna continues to bring chefs like her in the future. ||The road closure presents some challenges - but enhances the remoteness of the experience. ||I really wish Kantishna would give us …say 15 minutes of internet a day…after breakfast and before hikes. (which they have, just won’t let you have any) so I could update my WSJ and local paper downloads. Total “off the grid” is anxiety provoking when you know the Wi-Fi is Right. There, and you have small kids/aging parents. ||Overall a great stay, expensive, but a wonderful rare experience to have the “end of the road” in Denali all to yourself.

My son and I booked the Roadhouse to be as remote as possible. The Roadhouse is operating at ~15% capacity with the Denali Park road closed and everything being flown in and out. My advice is to go before the road reopens. We had an awesome time with the staff in Denali.

Alaska has been on my bucket list for years. This year, all of our international trips were canceled due to the pandemic, but we were able to get to Alaska. On the train ride from Anchorage to Denali we got to see the mountain from bottom to top, something they say only can be seen only about 30% of the time, so we were very lucky. The drive from the town of Denali into the center of the park to the Roadhouse was about 7 hours on a gravel road (well maintained by the Park Service) and the scenery is magnificent! We saw a number of brown bears - Grizzlies - a moose about 10 feet from the bus, a fox, caribou, Dahl sheep, eagles. What more can you ask for? The Roadhouse is very comfortable, and there are lots of guided activities. You don't want to go out on your own in Denali because of the bears, but the guides are all naturalists, know how to deal with the wildlife, and they all carry bear spray. The staff is wonderful, very kind and enthusiastic, and they almost all are multi talented. They give presentations every night on interesting topics that are their specialties, they are very interesting. One young lady, Kyleen, talked about climbing Denali and how she is preparing to climb it in 2 years. All in all this was a great experience.

Such an intimate experience we had in the back country of Denali National Park. The hospitality was excellent...from guided tours, and delicious meals, to the attentive staff. Not to mention the wildlife did not disappoint.

My 25 year -old daughter and I spent 3 nights there, giving us 2 full days to hike. There are several hikes to choose from (beginning, medium, challenging) and they are guided . One needs a guide to know how to deal with wildlife. During our hike we were saw a caribou on our path - our guide knew exactly what to do (walk up hill out of its path, allow it to pass, resume hike). Food was delicious. Evening talks were excellent. Place is beautiful with stream nearby. Weather was wonderful and we could see Denali. Only downside - cabins are not soundproof, you can hear your neighbor. Otherwise cabins are comfortable and place is very well organized. Thank you Kantishna Roadhouse! I hope to return.

Kantishna Roadhouse in Denali Park is a once in a lifetime experience! From its unique and beautiful creekside location, to the great amenities, to the attentive staff, to the natural beauty of the park itself, it's a must-do for anyone who has the opportunity!