Things To Do

Suggestions for what to do if you find yourself in Denali for half a day. Please keep in mind that just getting to Denali can take several hours (at least 4.5 from Anchorage, 2 from Fairbanks), and this itinerary does not account for however long it'll take you to get to the park.

The eponymous home to North America's tallest mountain, Denali is a remote and beautiful park. We recommend a minimum trip of 3 days, 2 nights to the area, because of how long it takes to reach the park from Anchorage or Fairbanks. More time is great, but this trip lets you see the highlights of the park while on a tight schedule.

Closed in winter? Not so! Denali is open year-round. Intrepid travelers visit in every month, and the snowy season can still be a fantastic time to see the park. The activities suggested here can easily take up a full day, or could be stretched out over multiple days.

Summer sight-seeing in Denali is mainly done by bus, and there are several trips to choose from. Narrated tour bus trips are more expensive than non-narrated transit buses. From high up in a bus, it becomes possible to look over roadside brush, allowing you to enjoy the incredible scenery (and wildlife sightings, too!).

While most of Denali’s sole road is restricted just to bus traffic, anybody can drive out to Mountain Vista and Savage River. Located about 15 miles inside the park, the area is scenic, featuring several trails (some short, one long) and a picnic area.

At 6 million acres in size, Denali is incredibly vast, and hiking is possible almost anywhere in the park. However, there are only a handful of established trails in the park, and here you'll find a few suggestions for one or more short hikes from the Denali Visitor Center.

Whether on foot, skis or snowshoes, winter is a great time for you to explore Denali! Snow starts falling as early as September, although in some years the conditions aren't good for skiing until December, and it sticks around until April or May.

Biking the Denali Park Road is a rewarding way to explore the park at a slower speed than vehicles allow. Experience a variety of terrain over the course of just a few hours as you pedal from forested areas up to expansive views of the tundra, then coast back downhill towards a river.

Denali is home to a beautiful variety of plant species, from tall Aspen trees to short Moss campion. With a diversity of habitat types that support water-loving to drought-tolerant plants, Denali is an excellent place to immerse yourself in the subarctic flora. The DenaliFlora App is the perfect companion for your botanical explorations.

Alaska is well known for it’s amazing and abundant berries in August and September—just ask any of the grizzly bears in Denali! A family friendly activity would be to strike off into the tundra and search for berries. Bring your bucket (or empty water bottle) to fill, or simply snack on the go.

Summer sight-seeing in Denali is mainly done by bus, and there are several trips to choose from. Transit bus trips are the cheapest and most flexible option, although they aren't narrated. From high up in a bus, it becomes possible to look over roadside brush, allowing you to enjoy the incredible scenery (and wildlife sightings, too!).

Denali provides habitat for 39 species of mammals, 169 species of birds, 14 species of fish, and one species of amphibian The large animals that are often the most sought after can be surprisingly elusive. The so called “Big Five”—moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, and wolves, receive the most attention, but the is a great place to see a wide variety of wildlife. The longer you spend in the area, the better your chances to see wild animals!

Denali National Park and Preserve has very few formal trails for a park of its size, but hiking off trail offers limitless opportunities for recreation and exploration. The terrain and bus system in Denali make hiking off trail less intimidating and more approachable than it may seem at first.