Snowmachine the Old Denali Highway, Cantwell

What: The old denali highway from Paxson to Cantwell is closed in the winter, but luckily the lodges groom the road to enable snowmachines to ride the full road! Drive up to Paxson or Cantwell and ride in to one of the lodges to enjoy an amazing weekend adventure.

When to go: Ideally worth going in the winter months with good snow cover between January and late March.

How to get there: https://goo.gl/maps/aZzR85SBPgF7f5CZ9

Tips:

• Of the 3 main lodges on the Denali Highway, Alpine Creek Lodge and McLaren River Lodge are the two that are typically open through the winter. We personally love ACL and recommend riding in to them from othe Cantwell side.
• Whether you have your own sled or are renting, you can drive up a few miles to the start of the road on the Cantwell side, and then ride in approximately 60 miles to the lodge. It took us approximately 2 to 3 hours to ride in each way.
• You’ll need to make a reservation at the lodge a few months in advance since it can get booked up pretty quickly for the winter season. The lodge has some great rooms and will provide a fully cooked breakfast & dinner every night. They also have a great bar to enjoy drinks after a fun day of riding.
• During the day, you can book tours with the lodge or go off on your own adventuress. one of the best adventures is to ride further east towards McLaren river lodge and then ride north to the face of the McLaren glacier.
• One of the best months to go is March since there is plenty of daylight, the road is in good shape, and it’s not too cold. If there’s a clear night, you can sometimes even get lucky and catch the northern lights.