Talkeetna is a place many visitors envision what an Alaska town must be like. Or any visitor who was a fan of the award-winning television show, “Northern Exposure.” The community of 857 residents is located at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers, 115 miles north of Anchorage.
A turn-of-the-20th-century gold-mining center, Talkeetna has retained much of its early Alaskan flavor. Log cabins, a roadhouse and clapboard storefronts line the dirt streets, colorful locals and bush pilots stroll the wooden sidewalks, Mount McKinley looms overhead. Main Street, the only paved road in town, begins with a "Welcome to Beautiful Downtown Talkeetna” sign at the town park and ends at the banks of the Susitna River, a nice place to view the big mountain when it’s out.
Gold brought miners to the Susitna River in 1896, and by 1910, Talkeetna was a riverboat steamer station, supplying miners and trappers in the Cache Creek, Iron Creek, and Broad Creek districts. The town’s population peaked at more than 1,000 during World War I, declined after the railroad was completed but has bounced back as the staging area for ascents of Mount McKinley, Mount Foraker, the Moose’s Tooth and scores of other high peaks. In late spring and early summer, an international coterie of climbers fills the town mingling with bush pilots and airplane mechanics who are responsible for shuttling the alpinists to and from the glacier base camps.
Visitors can get a feeling for the high adventure that is climbing Mount McKinley at the Mountaineering Ranger Station. The National Park Service office processes the numerous expeditions to Mount McKinley during the summer and features a small display and video program for those thinking of scaling the peak. The history of Mount McKinley and the climbers who made the first ascents is well preserved at the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum, a small complex that consists of four restored buildings. The most fascinating building by far is the Section House that contains a 12-foot by 12-foot relief model of Mount McKinley and its climbing routes surrounded by Bradford Washburn's famous mural-like photos of the mountain.
Visitors can watch climbers come and go at the airport, loading small aircraft equipped with wheel-skis that are used to land on glaciers at the 7,000-foot level. Even better is hopping into one those planes for a scenic flightseeing tour. Scenic flights of the mountain and the Alaska Range are awe-inspiring and many offer glacier landings as well. At times, passengers even catch a glimpse of climbing parties en route to the summit.
Talkeetna abounds with outdoor adventure other than viewing Mount McKinley. Riverboat and jet boat tours up Talkeetna Canyon, Devils Canyon, Chulitna River and Tokositna River are popular and the boats are often used for charter fishing trips. Horseback excursions are also available and range from 2 to 8 hour treks on trails with majestic views of Mount McKinley.
Talkeetna also boasts the last regular flag-stop run in the nation. The Alaska Railroad's flag-stop train between Talkeetna and Hurricane makes an interesting trip. Used by people who live in the Bush, as well as hikers and anglers, the train starts and stops for anyone wanting a ride into town or to be dropped off in middle of the wilderness along the way.