The Road More Traveled

The Road More Traveled. Denali National Park and Preserve. , As the number of ways to get to the park grew, so did the number of visitors. , If you wanted to visit the park prior to 1957, rail travel was not only a good option, it was about your only option. A few visitors arrived by chartered aircraft. Others, eager to drive their own cars in the park, shipped their cars by train., In 1957, completion of the Denali Highway connected the park to the Richardson Highway, which at that time was the only road into Alaska's Interior. Surfaced in gravel, the 150-mile Denali Highway was (and is) a rough ride. That deterred some, but park visitation rose from 5,200 in 1956 to 25,900 in 1958., In 1972, the George Parks Highway linked Anchorage, the park, and Fairbanks via a route that largely followed the rial line. Park visitation immediately doubled and continued to climb., Rail travel, on the other hand, plummeted, as the vast majority of park-goers opted for the highway. It wasn't until the 1980s, when the railroad began transported tour operators' private railcars, that rail travel reclaimed its former popularity, and then far surpassed it., Birth of the Bus System , With increased visitation came increased pressures on the park. In 1972, anticipating the number of visitors would skyrocket after the George Parks Highway opened, the park closed most of the Park Road to private vehicles and instituted a system of shuttle buses. In this way, the park reduced traffic congestion along the Park Road and preserved the opportunity to see wildlife at close range.