Getting There
There are several ways to reach Talkeetna. The most common is driving or riding a tour bus out of Anchorage, north up the Parks Highway, or south if driving from Fairbanks to Talkeetna. Another way is to take the train from either Anchorage or Fairbanks.
The third most expensive option is to charter a flight. There no scheduled flights to Talkeetna, but for the right price there are air taxi's willing to fly from Anchorage to Talkeetna.
About
population 76, mi. 226.7 on the Alaska RR., at junction of Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers, 80 mi. N of Anchorage, Cook Inlet Low.
Talkeetna is a small Alaskan town on a little spur several miles off the Parks Highway. It's composed of a little town center, an airport, and train station, separated a fair distance from much of the residential housing. In winter it is a quite town of Alaskan's settled in for the cold short days. But in summer the town fills with tourist and seasonal employment. There is one large lodge (hotel) and many other smaller lodges and bnb's, but no chain hotels and no fast food, except for the Subway back at the highway junction.
What Talkeetna is truly know for is being the gateway to the Alaska Range, and in particular Mount McKinley">Denali (Mt. McKinley). Climbers from all over the globe travel to Talkeetna to hop on one of the three air taxis permitted to land within Denali National Park and Preserve. They fly from Talkeetna to basecamp on the Kahiltna Glacier.
History
This is reported to be the site of a Tanaina Indian village. Its present name was derived from that of the river. It developed as a major camp when the railroad was built; the village obtained a post office in 1916. A railroad station was opened to traffic here in 1920. Its population was 70 in 1920; 89 in 1930; 136 in 1939; and 106 in 1950.