The Alaska Parks Highway Igloo

This Igloo is the greatest surprise on the road; when your driving along and then you see it, and its really is an amazing sight. There is no town, and there are no stores or any buildings in this area except this giant igloo. It is a giant unfinished wooden structure that is covered in white foam. It is an Alaskan motel, that never made it. So it sits and rots! It is a road side marker for those driving north on the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Denali State Park. It is a conversational piece, and an odd building. Anyone seeing it for the first time, is sure to stop. Wander across the snow to look inside and you will see, nothing. It was never finished, and originally was to be a motel but never made it.

The other astonishing factor is this is not even the area of Alaska where igloos were ever made. The igloo sits on Athabaskan Tribal lands, and he Athabaskan Nation never made igloos. There is not enough of the proper snow to make igloos anyway and, it's is not cold enough; just to far south.

So what else can we say about the igloo? There are few other buildings in the closest town of Cantwell. The town of Cantwell has 102 households as of the last census, and there is a lodge and a few small bed and breakfasts for summer tourists. It is approximately 20 miles south of The Denali Park entrance. Summer activities include mountaineering, wildlife viewing and bird watching. It is also a good area for hiking, camping and fishing. 

So what of the igloo? It sits and rots!

Mile Post 188.5 Parks Hwy, Cantwell, Alaska 99729, USA

This post is also post over at ExploreTraveler.com at: Igloo At Mile Post 188.5 Parks Highway