Denali National Park

Click for Denali NP Forecast

From May 1 through September 30, Alaska/Yukon Trails, offers scheduled DAILY service between Denali National Park, Denali State Park, Fairbanks & Anchorage, or ANY point along the Parks Highway including all campgrounds, trailheads and communities.  Alaska/Yukon Trails transport backpacks, bikes and in some cases kayaks, canoes and other large equipment/gear for individuals and groups.

Alaska/Yukon Trails is the ONLY shuttle company that operates daily between Fairbanks & Anchorage via Talkeetna & Denali National Park.  (See Parks Highway Summer or Winter Schedules). 

Departing Fairbanks at 8:30am and Anchorage at 7:00am Alaska/Yukon Trails arrives in Denali National Park Visitor Center/Railroad bus stop by 12:15p, long before the train, which parallels the Parks Highway. This allows plenty of time at the park to get settled in, and take one of the 6 hr park shuttles through the park.  Alaska/Yukon Trails also stops near hotels just outside the park at the Lynx Creek Mini-mart or will drop passengers at any hotel along the highway and at the Elderhostel, located 9 miles south of the park at McKinley Village.  For more information, or reservations call us toll free at 800 770-7275.

Daily service begins on May 1 both from Anchorage & Fairbanks, primarily to accommodate park area employees.  As a visitor to the park, be aware that most facilities in the Denali, including tours and shuttle buses into the park, do not open until later in the month. Opening dates are announced by the Park Service.

Denali National Park information & links

Established in 1917, Denali National Park & Preserve today encompasses more than 6 million acres of some of the most remote & scenic wilderness you will ever experience. Denali offers unbelievable wildlife viewing, unmatched scenery, white water rafting, or flight seeing some of the highest mountains on earth including 20,320' Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. Most visitor activity opportunities are located just a few miles outside the park entrance along the Parks Highway. 

If you are planning on hiking, overnight camping, riding a shuttle/camper bus into the park, or just want to learn more about visiting this incredible area then the park visitor center is a the place to start your journey. The Visitor  Center is located at mile 237, approximately 2 ½ hours South of Fairbanks or 5 hours North of Anchorage.

Hostels, campgrounds lodging near Denali National Park entrance.
There are  several private campgrounds just outside the park entrance along the Parks Highway. Better yet there is a hostel -  Mountain Morning Hostel is about 10 miles South of the park entrance - toward Anchorage at mile 224 of the Parks Highway. 

Denali Foundation Offers a variety of educational programs  including Elderhostel. They strive to offer programs which are thematically based, seamlessly blending scholastic content with outdoor activities.  See their website for full details on learning programs.

Other accommodations include several hotels, lodges and Bed & Breakfasts. Be advised however that lodging is extremely limited in the high season  (June-August)  and advanced reservations are strongly advised. Contact Alaska Central Reservations www.akreservations.com for assistance.

The town of Healy offers an excellent lodging only 9 miles North of the park entrance. For more information on lodges, B&B's, places to stay, or other general information contact www.akreservations.com.

For complete information on all the options that are available, including reservations, campgrounds, backcountry permits & shuttles into the park, contact the National Park Service's concessionaire at 1-800-622-7275 or visit the official Denali National Park Website.

Things to do in Denali National Park
For more information on the park see Park Service. 
Slide Show  The Park Visitor Center has a slide show and Ranger talks. Slide shows are approximately 15-minutes and take place in the visitor center auditorium.
Park ranger lead hikes are educational and very popular. These are offered several days a week & include hikes of varying degrees of difficulty and length. Some are strenuous, some are leisurely and each covers different parts of the national park. Contact the Denali Park Visitor Center for current schedules.
Sled Dog demonstrations are held three times a day at 10am, 2pm & 4pm. A 1/2-hr. presentation by parks rangers who work with sled dogs includes a tour of the kennels. Ride the free shuttle from the Visitor Center, Park Hotel or Riley Creek Campground to the Ranger Headquarters in the park.

If you are really missing your dog at home and need a dog fix, visit Mary Shields, www.maryshields.com,Tails of the Trails; 2-hours North of the Park in Fairbanks. She offers an evening program in her log cabin home in the hills above Fairbanks.  Meet the dog team, learn how they are trained, hear of Mary's adventures as the first women to complete the 1,049 mile Iditarod sled dog race, of experiences on the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest, and racing in Siberia.

Weather Information
Summers are usually  hot, dry and windy in Denali. You should be aware that the road is paved only for the first 15 miles.  The rest is made by mining the rivers in the park for gravel.  The road can become bumpy, & very dusty, causing complications for people with certain medical conditions. You should contact you doctor if you have any questions regarding your ability to travel within the Park.

Summers  may also be cold, wet & windy, so please be prepared for any type of weather since Denali Park's weather is very unpredictable & facilities, in the park are virtually non-existent.

Reservations
You may make reservations for buses and campgrounds by phone, fax, mail or directly at the Visitor Access Center at the park entrance.

• Remember, reservations are required for west bound (i.e., going into the park).

• You may get on and off the shuttle busses along the park road and re-board returning busses.  Keep your ticket!  They must be used the same day.

• If you have a backcountry permit, you may re-board any returning bus on any day.

• In all cases expect a one hour wait before re-boarding a returning bus.

Informative park shuttle tickets and campsites
Denali Park and Preserve -  1-800-622-7275 or (907) 272-7275.
Box 9, Denali Park, Ak.  99755
Fax: 907-264-4684 (fax and mail-in your reservations from Dec. 1 - Aug 31)
International: 907-272-7275
www.nps.gov/dena (download a fax form)
E-mail: denali_info@nps.gov

Narrated tours of the park offered by the park concessionaire
Denali Park Resorts -  USA 1-800-622-7275/International  907-272-7275
241 West Ship Creek Ave.
Anchorage, AK.  99501
 Fax - 907-264-4684
If  faxing a reservations, be sure to include names and ages of each passenger, credit information, or a check if you are mailing your request.