Roughly 600,000 intrepid travelers journey to Denali National Park and Preserve each year, primarily during the main summer season—late May to early September. While the summer trip planning information below will apply to most visitors, fall, winter, and spring travelers should refer to the information at the bottom of this page.
The Highlights of a Visit
Most come in search of wildlife or glimpses of 20,310' tall Denali, the roof of North America. All are encouraged to take one of the many bus rides along the Denali Park Road, the sole vehicle access into the heart of the park, and to join a ranger-led program or two.
Whether you seek wildlife, scenery, or solitude and communion with this wild land, these webpages should be your guides to planning your trip.
3 Steps to Summer Trip Planning
Step 1: Decide Where to Stay and How Long
The first step to planning your trip is to determine where you're staying, and for how long. Denali has several campgrounds. Other accommodations are either outside the park or are on inholdings of private land inside the park. Because we are legally unable to recommend private businesses, we suggest you use the local Chamber of Commerce or a third-party trip planning website to find a hotel, cabin, etc.
Step 2: Start Planning Your Activities
Planning a trip to Denali can be a big undertaking! Just getting to the park can take half a day or more, and it is distinctly different from many national parks, so even seasoned park travelers can be unsure how to plan their trip.
Use the simplistic table below to start thinking about what might work well for you, given the amount of time you'll be here. There are plenty of other things to do than what is listed below - this is just a starting point.
Hike some of the short trails around the visitor center
More time is highly recommended. A visit this short isn't likely to see a ton of wildlife, but you'll have a chance to experience a sampling of the park.
One full day or part of two days (i.e., one night in the area)
Attend a ranger program at the visitor center or sled dog kennels
Walk some of the short trails around the visitor center
This is the real minimum for a visit. If you can stay another night, it is recommended.
One full day and part of two others (i.e., two nights)
Ride a transit or tour bus on the full day
Stop in the Denali Visitor Center
Ride a free shuttle to Savage River
Hike, especially on the half-days, or hike off-trail while taking a transit bus trip
Join a ranger-led discovery hike on the full day (in lieu of a transit or tour bus ride)
Attend a ranger program at the visitor center or sled dog kennels
Walk some of the short trails around the visitor center
Consider a short tour or transit ride on one of the partial days
This is a common length of visit. More time is recommended, but this gives you a full day for one of the bus rides, and partial days for other activities, like hiking or joining ranger talks or hikes.
Two full days (i.e., three nights)
At least one tour or transit bus trip
Ride a free shuttle to Savage River
Hike, especially Triple Lakes Trail and the trails around Savage River, or hike off-trail
Attend a ranger program at the visitor center or sled dog kennels
Walk some of the short trails around the visitor center
This is a nice amount of time in the area. You have at least one full day for a bus trip. Consider a second bus trip if you want to maximize your chances to see wildlife.
Three or more full days (i.e., you're practically moving here)
At least one tour or transit bus trip
Ride a free shuttle to Savage River
Hike, especially Triple Lakes Trail and the trails around Savage River, or hike off-trail
Join one or more ranger-led discovery hikes
Go backpacking
Attend a ranger program at the visitor center or sled dog kennels
Walk some of the short trails around the visitor center
You have chosen wisely! Denali is a big place with unpredictable weather. Having three or more days lets you make the most of your good-weather days (bus rides, hiking) and bad-weather days (ranger talks, time at the visitor centers, etc)
Step 3: Dig into the Details of Your Visit
This involves figuring out how you're getting here, orienting yourself to the layout of the park, deciding what to reserve in advance and considering some of the more specific activities that are possible, like flight-seeing, cycling, etc.
907 683-9532
A ranger is available 9 am to 4 pm daily (except on major holidays). If you reach the voicemail, please leave a message and we'll call you back as soon as we finish with the previous caller.
