Polychrome Pass

The first night we were in Denali, after setting up camp at the Sanctuary River and having our evening meal, we caught one of the buses and rode to Toklat and back with a number of stops along the way for scenery and wildlife. Toklat is at the end of Polychrome Pass, well named for its beautiful views and amazing colors. If I'm not mistaken the mountain in the background is Polychrome Mountain, visible in spite of the hazy conditions.

I should explain to those who've never visited Denali, that the only way to reach the inner areas of the park is by bus. All other vehicle traffic is banned beyond the first twelve miles. In my opinion this is a good thing, preventing a great deal of unnecessary overuse, traffic jams on the narrow roads, and pollution. The bus drivers are knowledgeable and the buses stop often for wildlife and views of the different areas of the park.

There is only one road into Denali and it is ninety-two miles from the entrance to Wonder Lake near the end of the road, so taking the buses to the end of the road is an all-day affair. Toklat is around sixty miles in and our ride there and back took well over five hours. We did not arrive back at our camp until 10:30 in the evening, though that made little difference on account of the nearly endless daylight at this time of the year so far north.