Healy, AK

Healy is the seat of Denali Borough, a highway-and-railroad town where coal mining and the Alaska Railroad arrived within a few years of each other. The George Parks Highway now carries most visitors, with the Denali National Park entrance about 11 miles south. Usibelli Coal Mine remains the place's big working marker: it is Alaska's only operating coal mine, and many of its employees live in Healy. Lodges, restaurants, RV parks, flightseeing, Tri-Valley School, and borough offices fill out the rest of the map. The Stampede Trail adds a darker piece of local history, but Healy is better understood as Denali's year-round service town, not just a gateway for summer travelers.