A Family Legacy: Denali Grizzly Bear Resort And Campground
A Family Operated Businesses And The Oldest Family Owned And Operated Tourism Property In Denali
Located on the Nenana River (the southern boundary of Denali National Park), and 6 miles from the park's visitor's center, not only is Denali Grizzly Bear Resort and Campground one of only a small handful of family operated businesses in Denali, it is also the oldest family owned and operated tourism property.
It all began in 1958, when still a territory, (Alaska would become a state January 3, 1959). Finding it difficult to find work after college in their home state of Ohio, newly married Jack and Ede Reisland decided to head to Alaska when Ede found an ad in the newspaper stating that the Territory was looking for schoolteachers. Ede, with her teaching degree, became the one and only teacher in the small coal mining town of Suntrana (which is no longer in existence), while Jack, having a masters in Geology, worked as a part time geologist for the mining company as well as helping to keep the little school operational. Summers would also see Jack working at Denali National Park as a seasonal park ranger/naturalist.
It was during this time that, through the homestead act, Jack and Ede filed on property which sat on the boundary of Denali National Park. “The property was remote, rugged wilderness.” states son Scott, who is now General Manager of the resort. Having 40 acres to work with, Jack and Ede built a small cabin in the 1960's, and built a road back into their land using and ax and chainsaw, and slowly, summer by summer, began to develop the property, beginning with small cabins that were rented to Denali Park Rangers on seasonal basis.
According to Scott, “Tourism was pretty nominal back then, but Jack and Ede saw an opportunity to accommodate visitors who traveled to Alaska in small campers and RV's. In 1966 Jack purchased a 5.4 KW Whittey Electric generator and we had power! We opened a small campground in 1968 and went into the tourism business,” with the kids: Scott, Krissi and Amy, helping out as they grew older. The family operated the campground in the summer, then would move to Tanana, a native village on the Yukon River, where Jack and Ede would teach school.
Over the many summers, the Reisland family would clear more land and add more campsites and cabins. “Money was never borrowed from a bank to grow the business” recalled Scott. And as tourism grew, so did Denali Grizzly Bear Campground. With the growth of tourism,the family removed some of the campsites to build hotel units on the river bank, allowing them to expand a bit more profitably while still maintaining their camping business, turning it into a resort and campground.
When asked about what it takes to operate their business, Scott gives his take.“Campgrounds are a lot of work and sacrifice. Often people think they will retire from their career job and purchase a small RV park to augment their retirement income. I have known many who have done this and then they are extremely surprised at how much work they actually are. Dealing with Joe Public in the accommodation sector has its rewards but also its challenges. As with any small business , a measure of its success is based on the amount of time, sacrifice and hard work put into the operation.” That commitment to the business shows, as today the Denali Grizzly Bear Resort not only continue to offer their electric and water RV sites as well as tent sites, but also cabins and a 92 room hotel, something to fit every traveler and their budget. And, with the majority of the properties in Denali owned and operated by big corporations, this resort can boast four generations of family members helping to keep the business thriving for 48 (summer) tourist seasons.
Kim Pezza
A graduate of State University Of New York At Fredonia with a BA in Creative Writing, Kim is an author for Hatherleigh Press [Random House] and Seaside Publishing. She enjoys camping, cheese making and historic crafts.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Denali Grizzly Bear Resort and Campground, a pioneer family owned and operated campground since 1968. The highlight of any trip to Alaska is Denali National Park—and Denali Grizzly Bear Resort has it all!