ABOVE: An outbound Alaska State Fair train meets the inbound Denali Star at Eklutna on a warm (by Alaska standards, anyway) sum- mer night. RIGHT: In the small yard at Healy we see a southbound loaded export train and an empty Fairbanks coal train that will soon be loaded a few miles north at Usibelli.
via the 12-mile Talkeetna Spur Road which dead ends in Talkeetna. Just be- fore you cross the tracks to arrive in Talkeetna there is a pull off that offers an outstanding view of the tracks and Denali. There is good access in Talkeet- na and the passenger trains stop here. There is also a nice bridge across the Talkeetna River that you can line up with Denali as a backdrop. Talkeetna is also home to the Hurri-
cane Turn, a train that runs four times a week in the summer providing access to the remote cabin country in the area. This train is a great way to spend an af- ternoon and see an area that can’t be seen any other way except by rail. An- other unique aspect of this train is dur- ing the summer months the train will go as far north as Hurricane Bridge and stop on the bridge for a truly spec- tacular look at the railroad.
Doubling back from Talkeetna to the
Parks Highway and continuing north you will cross the tracks at Sunshine; this is the last you will see of the tracks
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until Hurricane. Relax and enjoy the drive as it is truly beautiful and in this section there will be numerous oppor- tunities for seeing Denali as well as the local wildlife. You will not be disap- pointed.
You will know you’re close to Hurri- cane when you again cross the tracks. After crossing the tracks look for the standard green road sign and you can access the section house at Hurricane. This is the northern terminus of the Hurricane Turn. A couple miles north of here is the famous Hurricane Bridge
that stands 300 feet above Hurricane Creek. While accessible, this bridge is a bit of a hike and deep in bear country. From here access is limited with the next view being at Honolulu. This is a down on view as the tracks make an S- curve in the valley below and again move away from the highway. Access is limited between here and Colorado where the tracks are again near enough for photos. The highway will cross the tracks at grade near Broad Pass and again via an overpass at Summit, with good
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