Denali National Park

Year Established: 1917
Annual Visitors: 229,521
Size: 4.7 Million Acres
State: Alaska

Best Time to Visit Denali National Park

June to August

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks here.

Best Experiences in Denali National Park

  • Mount Denali
  • Mount Healy Overlook

A Brief History

The Athabaskan people called the peak that towers over this land Denali, which means “the high one” or “the great one.” At 20,310 feet, it is the tallest mountain on the continent.

Since 1896, people in the U.S. called it Mount McKinley. In 2015, the federal government changed it back to its original name. Alaska did the same thing 40 years ago.

giphy

People climb, dogsled, snowshoe, and ski on Denali’s slopes and glaciers. The park also has a boreal forest, an alpine tundra with cotton grass covering it, and 430 different kinds of flowering plants. There are moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and snowshoe hares there. The area is wild and far away.

Temperatures drop to -40°F or lower at night during the winter, which is so cold that the wood frog is the only amphibian that has learned to live there. In the winter, the frog’s body freezes solid and its heart stops, but chemicals inside its cells keep it alive. This lets the frog hibernate and wake up in the spring.

About Denali National Park

Denali National Park is a vast semi-Arctic preserve about the size of Massachusetts. Grizzly bears, caribou, and moose can all be spotted by visitors with the right equipment and a keen eye. Wolves, black bears, and wolverines may all be spotted by the lucky.

Denali covers about 7,700 square miles, but despite its immensity, there is only a single route across it, leading to a small number of places indicated by mileposts.

Denali Bus Tours

denali road the chambers rv image 1

Most visitors stop at the Wilderness Access Center at the beginning of the road to purchase a ticket for the buses that travel its whole 91-mile length. Private automobiles can drive as far as mile 15 before being turned around. While tour buses have reserved seating and a predetermined route, shuttles only stop when asked to drop off or pick up passengers. There are many shuttle-bus drivers who are just as enthusiastic about sharing their love for the national park with potential passengers as their tour-bus counterparts, however riders may have to wait for available seats.

The Eielson Visitor Center, located at Mile 66, should be the goal of everyone participating. Although the eight-hour round-trip on the dirt route may be hard on the posterior, it does offer some of the best views of Denali. The mountain is still a magnificent sight even when covered in cloud, as often happens in the summer. Take advantage of the opportunity to photograph the mountain in its entirety if you find yourself in such a location.

Wonder Lake in Denali National Park

wonder lake the chambers rv image 1

Those photographers who are feeling particularly robust may like to continue on to Wonder Lake, located at mile 86. When the mountain emerges from the clouds, head to Reflection Pond, which is conveniently located nearby. Polychrome Pass is located at mile 46, making it a more convenient alternative route. At sunset, this bluff’s array of colors really pops. every day at 5 o’clock, a shuttle bus leaves the Visitor Center.

Hiking in Denali National Park

If the idea of spending the day sitting on a bus doesn’t appeal, why not get off and go hiking instead? Keep in mind, most hikers have to fend for themselves because there are so few established pathways.

It’s hard to get lost on the flat tundra and taiga forest because of the lack of plants, but explorers who venture deeper into the park could not run into another visitor for hours or even days.

Camping and lodging facilities are available, however visitors are advised to make reservations in advance through the Wilderness Access Center. Take plenty of supplies with you, as the park itself has limited amenities.

The breathtaking landscapes and fascinating wildlife of Denali National Park will leave you with lasting memories and a wealth of images, regardless of whether you opt for off-road adventure in the backcountry or the relatively comfortable on-road driving.

Denali Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Denali National Park or Alaska in general, consider checking out our other post:

Visitor Information

Fees

All visitors over the age of 16 have to pay a fee to get into Denali all year long. Kids under 15 can visit for free. If the weather is bad, there are no refunds.

Weekly Pass

$15.00 per person

Denali is not like some national parks where you have to pay per car to get in. It is only per person.

Annual Pass

Denali Annual Park Pass – $45.00 per person

The annual pass can be used by the cardholder and up to three other people. The pass can have up to two names written on it, which means that either cardholder can use it.

America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass

You can also get an annual park pass to ALL National Parks in the United States for $80.
Keep in mind they have Senior, Military, and other discounts available!

Other Fee Exceptions

The park entrance fee is waived for people who have the valid Denali National Park Annual Pass, an America the Beautiful National Parks or Federal Recreational Lands pass.

Contacting Denali National Park

Most Denali visitor centers are only open in the summer.
The only consistently open visitor center in winter is the Murie Science & Learning Center, which is open almost every day of the year.

Visitor Centers

Denali Visitor Center

Visitors can talk to park rangers, watch the park film “Heartbeats of Denali,” and look around an exhibit area to learn more about Denali. The Denali Visitor Center is where many activities led by park rangers start. Most of Denali’s trails can be reached from the center of the park. On the northwest side of the visitor center, there is a small car lot and a separate RV lot. Both can be used for day use.

Address

Mile 1.5 Denali Park Road
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

(907) 683-9532

Hours of Operation

  • Sunday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Monday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Tuesday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Wednesday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Thursday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Friday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
  • Saturday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
Murie Science & Learning Center

The Denali National Park and Preserve Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) is a part of a national effort to get more people interested in science by showing research from places like Denali.

The main building of the MSLC is a science center all year, and from October to April each year, it is also the Winter Visitor Center for Denali.

Address

237 Parks Hwy,
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

(907) 683-9532

Hours of Operation

  • Sunday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Monday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Tuesday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Wednesday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Thursday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Friday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Saturday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Indoor Picnic Area

Address

Mile 0.25, Denali Park Road
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

None

Hours of Operation

  • Sunday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Monday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Tuesday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Wednesday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Thursday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Friday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM
  • Saturday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station

Address

22241 S. B Street
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Phone Number

(907) 733-2231

Hours of Operation

  • Sunday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Monday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Tuesday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Wednesday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Thursday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Friday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
  • Saturday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Eielson Visitor Center

Address

Mile 66, Denali Park Road
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

(907) 683-9532

Hours of Operation

  • Temporarily Closed.

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.