It’s not the type of news that'll make grizzly bears roll lazily down grassy slopes, but it’s certainly exciting for fans of Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve.
The National Park Service announced Thursday that a newly completed bridge will once again allow access to the entire length of the park’s only road.
The 475-foot Pretty Rocks Bridge, spanning an active landslide that closed Denali Park Road road at Mile 45 in August 2021, reconnects its eastern and western portions. Full public bus access to the 92-mile road will resume for the 2027 visitor season.
Completion of the $230-million project is a major milestone that marks a resumption of travel beyond the road’s halfway point, where elevation gains provide varied landscapes and spectacular
views.
As for grizzly bears rolling down hills, it happens. The accompanying footage was captured during a Denali bus tour in August 2015, illustrating that you never know what you might see while exploring Denali. (Click here if video player does not appear.)
The top comment: "The bear is thinking, 'As long as they think I am cute they won't notice that I'm getting closer so I can catch one of them.' "
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Grizzly bear rolls merrily down hill in Denali, and in other news...
