It includes portions of Denali National Park and Denali State Park. Vegetation includes species of willow, poplar, birch, cottonwood, aspen, spruce, and vast varieties of wildflowers, from daisies and lupine to the prolific fireweed. Joe Redington Sr., considered the father of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, made his home here until his death in 1999. The valley bustles with adventure that attracts Alaskans and visitors from around the world, including the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in March and Alaska State Fair in August, plus hundreds of climbers hoping to scale Mt. McKinley.
Accommodations range from rustic cabins and campsites to deluxe lakeside resorts.
Visitors can choose from steak houses, Asian, Mexican and health food to gourmet coffee shops. Palmer is a picturesque little town with an agricultural touch, rooted in colonization of the Valley in 1935 by more than 200 families from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, under an executive order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wasilla, a retail supply center and home of the world-famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race, is a hub for lake resorts and activities. Talkeetna, which still celebrates the gold rush with renovated trapper and miner cabins now used for tourism, is just a short distance from Denali State Park. All rights reserved.