Overview
About Clearwater Mountain Lodge
Why stop
- A distinctive roadside property with a well-documented Denali Highway history.
Heads up
- The operator says it is for sale and not taking reservations; casual access is unclear.
Map
Where it is
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Highway Tour Guide
Your drive to Clearwater Mountain Lodge, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Denali Highway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Denali Highway audio tourRecorded for this area
Valdez Creek Mine Viewpoint: The Settlement Called Denali“You're approaching Valdez Creek Mine Viewpoint, a short stop I'd choose if Alaska's gold-rush history interests you. Look east across the Susitna River to the reclaimed ground of the old gold mine.”
Plays on the road 0.7 mi from Clearwater Mountain Lodge in the Parkwolf Denali Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Songbird Under the Rapids
- A Basket Made from Bark
- Susitna River Bridge: Watch the Current
- Alaska Range Viewpoint: A Short Hill Walk
- 96 audio storiesacross Denali Highway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Caribou, Bald Eagle, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 18 trails, 27 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Clearwater Mountain Lodge
What it isClearwater Mountain Lodge is a roadside lodge property at milepost 82.
Clearwater Mountain Lodge is a roadside lodge property at milepost 82.2 on the Denali Highway, formerly Gracious House Lodge. It has served as an overnight and service stop on a remote route, but it is a lodge property rather than a public wayside. Check with the operator before counting on a casual visit.
Plan around the remote driveThe Denali Highway runs about 135 miles between Paxson and Cantwell; most of it is gravel, and…
The Denali Highway runs about 135 miles between Paxson and Cantwell; most of it is gravel, and cellular service is absent along much of the route. Treat the lodge as a waypoint only after confirming access and current offerings, and keep another plan for food, fuel, or a place to stay.
From Gracious House to Clearwater MountainThe Gratias family began the lodge in 1957, the same year the highway opened.
The Gratias family began the lodge in 1957, the same year the highway opened. Bob and Colleen Kelley took over in 2016 and renamed it Clearwater Mountain Lodge in 2017, after the Clearwater mountain area.
The older buildingsThe property is associated with a historic Denali Highway cabin, a trapper cabin, and an old…
The property is associated with a historic Denali Highway cabin, a trapper cabin, and an old meat house or cache. The main lodge has a broad bank of windows facing the mountain and a front deck. These buildings give the stop a story beyond its former role as a place to sleep or refuel, though access to the property and its outbuildings is not confirmed.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Denali Highway
56 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
37 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
33 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
25 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
17 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 10 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Denali Highway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
