A Guide to Denali National Park, Alaska

**Updated : September 2022**
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Check out our Ultimate Alaska Packing List here!

Getting There

You have several different options on how to get to Denali National Park. If you're in Fairbanks or Anchorage you have the option to drive - it's about a 2 hour drive from Fairbanks and a 4 hour drive from Anchorage. You also have the option to fly in or take an all inclusive tour!

If your main reason to visit this area is to see the tip of Mount Denali then we actually don't recommend that you visit the National Park, instead head to Denali State Park which has the best views of Mount Denali. If you are inside the park, the first spot you can see Mount Denali is at mile 9! 

If you are taking a tour bus, then your entrance fee is already covered. However, if you are planning to enter the park on your own Denali National Park charges a per person fee rather than a per car fee - it is $15 per person or $45 for an annual pass that covers 4 adults, both are valid for 7 days. If you have an "America the Beautiful" National Parks Annual Pass then you are good to go!

Last year there was a landslide that has impacted the main park road. Normally buses go to mile 92 but they are currently only going to mile 43 inside the park.

Places to Stay & Camping in the Park

There are SO many lodges and cabins to stay at right outside the the Park. We've heard the best reviews about :

• ​Denali Cabins
• Denali Backcountry Lodge
• Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

There are also multiple campgrounds in the area - both outside and inside the park. These are the easiest campgrounds to stay at :

• Denali Grizzly Bear Resort (camping & lodges - outside the NP)
• Riley Creek (inside the NP - before mile 15 cut-off)
• Savage River (inside the NP - before mile 15 cut-off)

There are also some additional campgrounds located further in the park past the mile 15 cut-off. We don't necessarily recommend camping at these unless you have a longer trip, and are able to stay the 3 night minimum. It's also important to note that at Teklanika, once you make it to the campground you won't be able to leave again via car until your check out date - if you do you won't be allowed to drive back in past mile 15 to your spot.

• Sanctuary River Campground (backpacking only)
• ​Teklanika Campground (backpacking/drive-in)
• Igloo Creek Campground (backpacking only)
• Wonderlake Campground (tent only - currently not accessible due to road closure)

Places to Eat

We're going to be honest - this area of Alaska does not have the best food. We've visited the park and surrounding area 5+ times so far and have yet to find a place we truly loved to eat at. (If you find one let us know!) However, we will share the places we've stopped at previously, just know that the food is mediocre at best.

• Prospectors Pizzeria & Alehouse - not bad and probably your best option!
• Black Bear Coffee House - not great but the only breakfast place we've been able to find, I think it's also fair to mention it seems like other people like it, so maybe we were there on an off day?

Things to Do

There is SO MUCH adventure waiting for you in the Denali area. Seriously, sometimes it seems like the options there are endless.

• Denali National Park Bus System - they use 2 bus systems, a white one and a green one. The white one is considered their "narrated tour" and follows a strict schedule for $130 per adult. The green one is considered "non-narrated" (although our driver talked almost the entire way) and is a transit bus, meaning you can get on and off where you'd like - and is only $30 per adult. We took the green one and had a great time! Just make sure it goes all the way to the mile 43 turnaround point (East Fork) since the green bus has different routes!
• Hiking - before the mile 15 cut-off there are some trails in the park, some of our favorites are Savage River Loop Trail and Savage Alpine Trail. After the mile 15 cut-off the park has no trails, and you're able to explore where you'd like in the "trail-less" wilderness - just make sure to be prepared for bears!
• Denali Sled Dogs - make sure to stop and visit with these cuties during your trip! The sled dog kennel is located before the mile 15 cut-off and after the Visitor Center.
• Wildlife - keep your eyes open during your tours and drives! We've previously seen moose, caribou, lynx, a wolf, and lots of grizzlies on our adventures! Please remember to keep your distance, never feed them, and remember that they are wild animals. 
• ​Denali Highway - we did this tour through Denali Backcountry Adventures and saw a wolf! plus it included gold mining and a visit to Rock on Racing where we met 5 week old sled dogs! (You can read our full review of this experience here.)
• White Water Rafting
• Helicopter Rides
• Air Taxis

Fun Facts

• Only 30% of people see the tip top of Mount Denali during their trips - so make sure to keep an eye out for it if you have some sunny weather!
• Mount Denali is the tallest peak in North America!
• Denali National Park is 6 million+ acres.
• Denali National Park is the only National Park with a kennel of sled dogs!
• The first person to summit Mount Denali was in 1913 - and now an average of 1,000 people summit the top per year!

Watch our adventures in Denali here!

(Coming Soon!)

Check out our other Alaska blogs :

Check out our Printable National Parks Checklist!

• ​Ultimate Alaska Packing List
• 25 Bucketlist Stays in Alaska
• The Alaska Highway
• The Alaska Railroad
• Top 7 Tours in Alaska
• Anchorage
• Barrow
• Bucketlist Stays in Alaska
• Denali National Park
• Denali Backcountry Adventures
• Flow AK Rafting
• Girdwood
• Homer
• Hope
• Juneau

• Kodiak
• Major Marine Wildlife Tour
• Matanuska Glacier Tour
• Palmer
• Seldovia
• Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife 
• Seward
• Talkeetna
• Utqiagvik
• Valdez
• Wasilla
• Where to Rent Bear Spray
• Where to See Wildlife in Alaska
• Whittier​

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