The Park Hotel -- Denali Main Visitor Center, Denali NP, AK USA
N 63° 43.875 W 148° 55.050
6V E 405321 N 7068488
A small national Park information sign tells the history of the Park Hotel, which was near this location from 1937 to 2002.
Waymark Code: WM173E3
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2022
Views: 2
The marker reads as follows:
"THE PARK HOTEL
Near this site, in July 1937, Alaska Railroad crews broke ground for the McKinley Park Hotel.
A Modern Wilderness Outpost
Despite financial setbacks and a contentious design (it was modern, not rustic), the hotel opened on June 1, 1939, with beds to accommodate 200 guests -- a full trainload of visitors. The hotel also boasted a cocktail lounge, snack bar, assembly room, meeting rooms, and facilities for ranger-conducted interpretive programs.
The hotel was cited conveniently close to the McKinley Station Depot - almost all visitors arrived by train for the parks first forty years.
Recreation in Wartime [photo]
World War II restricted tourist travel. The hotel closed to civilians from April 10, 1943 to June 10, 1945, but was made available to the United States Army. During these years, the Alaska Defense Command operated the hotel as an Army recreation camp. The year-round camp offered ice-skating, downhill skiing on Mount Healy, and hiking to Horseshoe Lake. Park rangers presented slideshows. By the time the hotel reopened to the public, over 11,000 military personnel had spent a week in the park.
New Life for Old Buildings [photo]
the McKinley Park Hotel burned in 1972. Over the winter, the structure was replaced with a “temporary” hotel that endured two 2002. Many of the 1972 hotel building slated for removal reused or their materials recycled to keep them from going into a landfill."
Marker Name: The Park Hotel
Marker Type: Roadside
Addtional Information:
This historical marker is located along the trail to the main visitor center at Denali National Park from the nearest visitor parking lot to the center. It is near a display of old metal handcarts.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2015
Marker Number: N/A
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Visit Instructions:
Preferred would be to post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alaska history please include that in your log.