An unamused moose gives tourists an eyeful

Alaska's defining feature is the sheer magnitude of the wild areas, and by their very nature they are difficult to visit. Denali National Park comes into its own with a 90-mile road running right through the heart of its six million acres.

Everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of North America's loftiest peak, Mount McKinley. Known to locals simply as Denali, its 20,320-foot summit lords it over the low-lying tundra presenting a stunningly impressive 18,000-foot face.

The dream view is from the campsite at Wonder Lake at dusk (around midnight in midsummer) when alpenglow shrouding the snowy peak is reflected in the lake's still waters. Riding the park bus out to Wonder Lake everyone is eager to catch sight of the "Big Five".

Moose are often seen chest deep in ponds browsing on lake weed; caribou may be glimpsed in small groups crossing one of the broad braided rivers which wind out of the mountains; Dall sheep stand out white on the craggy hilltops; grizzly bears amble slowly through the brush grazing on whatever berries are in season; and if you're lucky a wolf might trot along the roadside using it for quick access to new hunting grounds. With 40 pairs of eager eyes trained on the tundra there's every chance of bagging the full set.