Denali National Park and Preserve in Denali Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
A Bed in the Park
Denali National Park and Preserve
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Thomas Smith, August 7, 2025
1. A Bed in the Park Marker
From the outset, park vistors could opt for lodging that was a far cry from camping.
If you arrived at McKinley Station between 1925 and 1939, chance are the Mt. McKinley Tourist and Transportation Company was here to meet you. You and your luggage were bundled into a bus or open touring car and whisked twelve miles to Savage River Tourist Camp. Your room for the night was tent cabin furnished with iron beds and coil spring mattresses, a table and chairs, and a small wood stove to keep the cold at bay.
At Savage Camp, you took yoke meals in the dining hall and attended lectures and dances in the social hall -- when you weren't exploring the park by horse, stagecoach, or car. depending on your length of stay and appetite for adventure, you might also overnight in the backcountry with a guide and a cook.
The End of the Park Hotel
The railroad operated the hotel until 1953, when a park concessioner assumed management. The hotel didn't want for customers, but the short tourist season made it difficult to operated at a profit. When most of the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1972, it ws replaced with a 'temporary"
this page online
The End of the Savage Camp Era
1939 saw the McKinley Park Hotel completed near the railroad station. Guest were promised "the last word in appointment and comfort, and a cozy restful place to pause while enjoying this great mountain- crowed region "To prevent competition with the hotel the National Park Service ordered the Savage River operation moved to Camp Eielson, 54 miles further in to the park.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 63° 43.233′ N, 148° 57.991′ W. Marker is in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, in Denali Borough. It is on Headquarters Road north of Doty Lane, on the right when traveling south. The marker stands near Denali Railroad Station.
Photographed by Thomas Smith, August 7, 2025
2. A Bed in the Park Marker
Regionally, this marker is in the Alaska Railroad Corridor, in the Athabascan Region, and in Interior Alaska. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A Place in the Wilderness (a few steps from this marker); Stephen Tyng Mather (within shouting distance of this marker); The Challenge of Wilderness (approx. 1.6 miles away); Nature's Wonderland (approx. 1.6 miles away); Park and Railroad: A Shared Story (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Park Hotel (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Road More Traveled (approx. 1.7 miles away); Tunnels Lost to Time (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 98 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
