During the early part of September I went to Denali National Park in Alaska. This American flagship park has been high on my list for a very long time but this year I really made an effort to go. I am glad I did as Denali is a wonderful location and the wildlife that can be found here is so abundant. Denali was made a national Park in 1917 with the sole aim to protect this huge expanse of wilderness that incorporates Mountains, forests, high meadows and open tundra. Mount McKinley or as we should now call it Denali towers over the range. My main target for this trip was to photograph the elusive Moose and Denali is without a doubt one of the best places to see this iconic species.
Denali is not only famous for its wildlife, the autumnal colours are spectacular and is really one of the highlights of Denali. My timing had to be right for the colours and when I first arrived they were just coming on strong, by the end of my stay they were really at their height. The moose can be found throughout the park but during the early stage of their annual rut they can be found at certain locations. The female moose head to the open forests to feed on the last of the willow and not far behind them are the big bulls and boy they are big. These Bull Moose are some of the largest in the world and it is a great experience being so close to this impressive animal.
I have tried to photograph Moose on many occasions over the years and usually it is just a single sighting every couple of days. Not in Denali every time I went in search of them I came back with something in the bag. Speaking to the locals that have been photographing them over the years it is really critical with your timing as the moose kind of gather in certain spots along the park just prior to the full on rut. The females make the most of the last of the willow before it dies back and then they head deep into the forests with the males in tow. I didn’t want to just get images of the males though and the females can be equally as impressive.
Denali is also good for so many other species and during my visit I got lucky with some great bear encounters. My only experience of bears in Alaska is along the coast and these bears are huge compared to ones you get in Denali.
Along some of the high points in the park you can also see and photograph Arctic Ground Squirrels and Willow Grouse.
The other species I was really hoping to get was the Caribou. Again Denali is excellent for this species and whilst I was there I got a couple of opportunities to photograph them. They were a lot harder than the moose and usually along the higher ridges but it were worth the effort. They looked great in the fall colours. I would really like to go back and have another try with these.
Denali really is a great place and I loved every minute exploring this wonderful park. The wildlife is remarkably tame as there is no hunting inside the park and the people I met there were really helpful and friendly. Thanks to Mike and Cathy for the great tip on the moose, next time I go hope you can join me. Naturally I will finish off with some more Moose images. After Denali I went on to Lake Clark National Park to do our annual Grizzly Bear trip. I will post a blog soon.
