Denali National Park and Preserve

Overview

About

Denali National Park lies in the Alaska Range, about 200 miles north of Anchorage. It is the most visited national park in Alaska.
The Alaska Range runs 600 miles from east to west. Its highest peak, Mount McKinley, is inside the park.
At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America.
Because the land around it is low, locals claim it has the greatest base-to-summit rise of any mountain in the world.

The park's main sights are snow mountains, tundra and wildlife. There are also glaciers, rivers, conifer forests and ponds.
Wildlife is plentiful. The main large mammals are grizzly bears, Dall sheep, caribou, moose and wolves.

An entry ticket is valid for one week.
With a national parks pass, entry is free.

Park road and buses

A single road runs into the heart of the park from the entrance in the east, along the north side of the Alaska Range. It is 89 miles long, and private cars may use only the first 15 miles from the entrance.
To see the interior of the park you must ride a park bus.
In peak season, book bus tickets in advance.
Past Mile 15 the road is gravel, and some mountain stretches are rather hair-raising.

Bus stops and mileage:

Entrance: Mile 0

Savage River: Mile 15

Teklanika River: Mile 29

Polychrome Overlook: Mile 47

Toklat River: Mile 53

Wonder Lake: Mile 85

Kantishna: Mile 89

The road from the entrance to Savage River at Mile 15 is paved and needs no ticket. Private cars may drive it, and the park also runs a free shuttle on this stretch.
On clear days you can see Mount McKinley from about Mile 9 to Mile 11.

Suggested itinerary

Day one: ride the park bus to Wonder Lake at Mile 85 and back. Allowing time for wildlife watching and breaks, the trip takes about 11 hours.

Day two: take a small sightseeing plane over Mount McKinley.

With more time, visit the park's Visitor Center and Wilderness Access Center and watch the excellent short film about Denali. You can also hike the trails near the park entrance.

With still more time, watch a sled dog demonstration.

Half-day trip: ride the bus to Polychrome Overlook or Toklat River.

Getting there

By car: the park entrance is at Mile 236 of Highway 3 (the George Parks Highway). The small towns of Healy and Cantwell are nearby.

Highway 8 (the Denali Highway): you can reach the park from the east on Highway 8. Most of it is gravel, and speeds are usually limited to 30 mph.

By train: the Alaska Railroad has a station at the park entrance.

By air: there are small airstrips at Healy, Cantwell and Kantishna, deep in the park.

Where to stay

Denali Backcountry Lodge

There are many hotels near the park entrance.

Map

Flightseeing

Small-plane tours of the park and Mount McKinley leave from near the park entrance or from the Talkeetna airport south of the park.
Flights last about 1 to 2 hours.
Some planes land on glaciers inside the park.

The main flightseeing companies at Denali are:

K2 Aviation

Talkeetna Air Taxi

Talkeetna Aero Services

Stamps

Tips

In peak season, book hotels and bus tickets in advance.

Mountain weather changes fast. The chance of seeing Mount McKinley is only about 25%.

Do not approach or feed wildlife in the park.

No food is sold inside the park. Bring your own food and drink on the bus.

Besides the park buses there are also tour buses. They provide food and commentary, but cost more.

Bus drivers have no duty to give commentary, but most do. Riders usually tip.

Going into the park, sit on the left side of the bus.

Since most of the road is gravel, the back of the bus is bumpy.

Alaska's mosquitoes are fierce, and worst of all at Wonder Lake. Bring insect repellent.

Alaska summer days have up to 21 hours of daylight, so you can start early and stay out late.