Q: I want to visit Denali and stay a few days in the area, but I’ve heard that the hotel zone just outside the Park is pretty crowded, and expensive, too. Where do you recommend I stay if I want to steer clear of the tourist throngs?

A: The area in the immediate vicinity of the Denali National Park entrance—nicknamed “Glitter Gulch”—has plenty going for it, mainly in terms of convenience. You have many lodging and dining options, and you’re in the heart of the action for activities in and around the Park. But not everyone wants to be surrounded by action, as it were. If you think the main areas around Yosemite and the Grand Canyon have too many people milling around, you probably won’t like Glitter Gulch.

So where to stay? Here are a few spots to consider:

• McKinley Village Lodge. The 188 room McKinley Village Lodge is one of the main hotels in the Park, but it’s blessed with a more removed location along the riverbanks of the Nenana.

• Carlo Creek Lodging. This forested area near a creek—about 12 miles south of the Park entrance—has a number of reasonably priced lodges and cabins.

• Kantishna Lodging. This area inside Denali National Park is truly far from the madding crowds—you’re more than 90 miles form the Park entrance. Most of the lodges here offer multi-day packages that include your transportation, all meals and most activities. They’re great, but they’re not cheap.

• Kantishna Lodging. Ten miles north of the Park entrance, these cabins and campsites are part of the Denali Outdoor Center outfitters.

To read about more lodging options in Carlo Creek and Kantishna, check out our page Denali Hotels, Less Crowds on Alaska.org. We also have a special page on Staying in Kantishna.