McGrath is a remote town in Alaska situated on the Iditarod Trail. It is about 220 miles northwest of Anchorage and has a population of 375. The Kuskokwim and Takotna rivers run alongside it. McGrath is reachable by all-terrain vehicle and truck during the summer as well as snowmobile in the winter. A state-run landing strip allows planes to deliver cargo, as does a seaplane base on the Kuskokwim River. Residents rely on salmon, moose, caribou, bear and rabbits mainly for food, and some families enter dog teams into the Iditarod and other races. Despite its remote status, McGrath does have a radio station, internet service and plenty of guests who come to photograph and explore nature there.
Visitors traveling to McGrath may find the Takusko House, as well as the next property, to be their most convenient options. The House is a 15-room, 7,000-square-foot lodge built in 1983. The lodge, as well as McGrath, is reachable within 45 minutes, if flying by plane from Anchorage. Guests enjoy using the lodge as a base for hunting, fishing, dog sledding and snowmobiling. Five of the 15 rooms have private bathrooms, and the lodge itself offers high-speed internet access and satellite TV in two public rooms. Guests may enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Set up more like a bed-and-breakfast than a hotel, Hotel McGrath offers quaint lodging in the heart of downtown McGrath and is close to McGrath's grocery store and museum. The hotel offers an on-site coffee shop and lounge that doubles as the waiting area for Peninsula Airways (McGrath's only scheduled flight). A business center is open 24/7 for guests to use the internet as well as print and fax. Complimentary breakfast is included with each stay as well as free local calls. King and full bed rooms are available as well as cable TV and private bathrooms.
With no other lodging options in McGrath and it being in such a remote location, additional hotel options outside of the ones already mentioned involve staying in the Denali National Preserve and chartering a flight into McGrath for the day. Multiple hotel options exist at Denali including among many others the Denali Bluffs Hotel, Denali Cedars Lodge, Denali Grizzly Bear Cedar Hotel, Grand Denali Lodge and McKinley Chalet Resort.
