Hours: 24 hours Open: Year-round Cost: $15.00 - adult admission (7-day permit) Group Size: Any
Hours: [M-F 8am-5pm] Open: Daily Cost: [$$$] Group Size: [15-20]
About the Denali National Park andPreserve
The Denali National Park and Preserve, once known as Mount McKinley National Park, is located in interior Alaska and covers 6,045,153 acres of land, making it larger than the state of New Hampshire. The snow-capped Denali is the tallest mountain in Northern America with a stunning elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. It is the third-highest of the Seven Summits (the tallest peaks on all seven continents in the world).
Apart from one road and a few services, this massive wilderness has stayed untouched by humans. The park revolves around the Denali and offers breathtaking views of glaciers, embraced by wild rivers, stunning boreal forest, and tundra, offering a variety of recreational activities, from on and off-trail hiking, including backpacking in the trail-less landscape, camping, looking for wildlife, sightseeing bus tours, ziplining or aerial tours of the area, and more!
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When to visit
There are many adventures to be had in this magnificent and vast area. It is, however, important to plan your visit and consider what's in store for you at different times of the year.
Most of the park's services and activities are possible in the summer season, which runs from June 8 through to mid-September. The park's main visitor center is open daily from May 15 between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. All park campgrounds open by June 8. The days offer as much as 20 hours of light in late June and the sun provides so much light that the NorthernLights may not be seen until late August. Summer bus services operate from May 20 until mid-September.
The ‘shoulder seasons' of spring and fall are very brief and much shorter than the summer. Spring comes in early or mid-April and lasts until May 19. Fall arrives mid-September and turns into winter when snow accumulates, which can be between late September and late October. In fall, winter and spring, the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) acts as the park's main visitor center.
Be prepared for a land of extremes. The harsh yet jaw-droppingly beautiful winters begin in late September and run through until early May. The days are short and cold this far north and temperatures can dive as low as -40 Fahrenheit. Sometimes the first snow can fall as early as July or August. The Denali Park Road at Mile 3 closes for a few months, however, there are a variety of outdoor recreation options in the front-country of the park.
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Fauna and flora
The park's diverse and rich vegetation includes species of vascular plants, mosses and lichens. These species are the foundation of the park's diverse ecosystems in a landscape that can be divided into three elevational zones: lowlands, subalpine, and alpine, each with a unique set of species.
The woodland colors change from brown to green in spring within days by end of May or early June and start losing their summer greens to luminous reds and oranges in early August starting from the highest elevations, until September down in the valleys, to fade back to brown within a week in September.
Most wildlife activity can be seen from May to September, as the animals try to get as much life as possible during the warmer months. This is their only time to also get ready for the cold and dark winter months. There are almost 40 different types of mammals living in the park, such as The Big Five: moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears. However, you might sooner spot some of the smaller animals, such a red fox or an arctic ground squirrel. The park is home to over 160 species of birds and 1 species of amphibian, the wood frog.
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Activities
There is plenty to see and experience on your journey through Denali National Park. The best way to spot any wildlife is simply by traveling the park road. The first 15 miles are open to private vehicles but the rest is only accessible by bus, bicycle or foot.
For a more relaxed type of vacation, you may want to choose one of the three narrated bus tours available between May and September and travel to the Teklanika River, Stony Overlook or the old gold town of Kantishna. There are also non-narrated transit buses as well as free buses to get you around the park's facilities, campgrounds or trails.
Backpacking and hiking On or Off-trail is a very popular activity in the park. The shorter trails include the Rock Creek Trail or Roadside Trail, which can also be combined to make a 4.5-mile loop. Savage River trail is one of a few trails along this river at a distance of 2 miles. The longest trail in Denali is the Triple Lakes trail at over 9 miles. Numerous ranger-led talks, discovery hikes, or a visit to the sled dog kennels are on offer. Denali's park road gives a great opportunity for biking in summer and there are numerous campgrounds along the road, most of which are open only in summer with the exception of the Riley Creek Campground, which is open year-round.
Common winter adventures include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or even biking. If you happen to have your own sled dogs, the easiest is to choose the trails already put in by the park's rangers, who continue the tradition of dog team patrols which goes back all the way to the 1920s. See further activities in our selection at the bottom of this page.
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Guest Reviews
Outstanding - everything - the park, Teklanika campground, bus tour, and Rangers
Everything about this park is outstanding. The park itself is obviously beautiful with lots of wildlife. The Park Rangers are amazing - their dedication, knowledge, and excitement. The Teklanika campground is very cool, you get to drive in to mile 29 to access the campground. The campground is close to the river basin and some sites have a view of it. The campground has no utilities but that is well noted in all documents. The Riley Campground (at the park entrance) has a water and dump station which are very nice. The bus tours have a lot of limitations due to Covid but they are noted - they only have an Eielson bus tour, you are warned that if you leave your bus you may have to wait hours for a return but my son had no issues switching at Eielson and may people did. The only negative about Denali is the commissioner - Doyon. This company is like most of these park commission companies - very poor service, an average wait of 40 minutes to talk to them on the phone.
-Lawrence H, TripAdvisor
Guest Reviews
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This place will capture your soul and make you long for it every day after you leave!
This is my favorite place on the entire planet. I love how natural this National Park has been kept. It is still So WILD! I sat and watched a mother Grizzly and her cubs walk right across the road in front of me, never giving me a second look. I observed hundreds of Caribou resting in the meadow and calves nursing. Golden Eagles flying above the ridge, Moose munching on willow on the roadside, and Dall Sheep resting among the rocky slopes. This place is majestic and a must-see if you are visiting Alaska, or if you live in Alaska even. I can't get enough of this place!
-MountainMama, TripAdvisor
Great time to visit during the Covid pandemic
We took a park transit bus for the day and hiked around Horseshoe Lake afterwards. In July, bus capacity was limited to 50%. The driver and passengers were all pretty consistent in wearing masks. It was a joy to be there with little traffic and few people on the bus. Our driver was delightful and stopped for animal viewing when necessary. There were also plenty of bathroom breaks. We were on the 7 am bus and returned to the visitor's center around 3:30 pm. The weather was nice, and we saw lots of wildlife. I hope to return here at some point in the future.
-JanetonLookout, Source
Map and Directions
Directions to Location
Map and Directions
Denali's entrance is at Mile 237, Highway 3 - the only highway running through the park. The Denali's mountaineering headquarters is located about 100 miles north of Anchorage and about 140 miles south of the park's entrance, in Talkeetna.
By Plane: The easiest way to get to Denali is flying to either Anchorage (ANC) or Fairbanks (FAI). You will then need to hire a car, or get on board a bus or train.
By Car: There is one road entrance into Denali. Access the park 12 miles south of Healy, 120 miles south from Fairbanks, or about 240 miles north of Anchorage.
By Train: For more information on the train service connecting the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, please visit the Alaska Railroad website.
By Bus: There are a number of private bus and van services operating in the area during the summer. Contact a travel agent or search for an operator online for further information.
Ready to Visit? Book your Stay with us Today!
Ready to Visit? Book your Stay with us Today!
Visit Denali National Park's website for more information
