Denali National Park, Alaska

With over half a million visitors annually, Denali National Park is the most visited park in Alaska. It is huge, with 6 million acres of wild land and a solitary road , called the Park Road, leading from the entrance to the mining town of Kantishna, a distance of 92 miles. West to East. The initial stretch of the Park road, from entrance to Savage River, is paved. Rest of road is dirt and gravel. When I visited in the first week of September, 2024, the road was open till Mile 43 only. The only option to get to Kantishna was to fly in a small plane.

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Getting around Denali – Choices for tourists

My experience on the Transit bus

Suggestions for day tourists

Is Denali worth visiting

Fairbanks to Denali by road

Denali is about 120 miles from Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway. The drive takes up to 2.5 hours and the road condition is good. The drive goes through hilly region just after Fairbanks and thereafter passes through dense Boreal(Taiga) forests(conifers such as Pine and Spruce), Tundra vegetation and over Nenana river.

The road has one lane in both directions, with double lanes provided for overtaking at certain points. I did not stop on the way but if you need a break, Nenana may be a good option. Nenana is located almost midway between Fairbanks and Denali National Park and the historic Alaska Railroad Depot is located here. I also spotted a ‘Subway’ here.

Nice viewpoint just outside park entry

As I got closer to Denali, the Alaskan mountain range came into view. Few of the peaks were covered in snow but I was not sure if Mt. Denali was also visible. There are lodges/hotels and quite a few restaurants(including a Subway) on the Parks Highway, just before the turn to Denali National Park. The river Nenana flows here also and there are couple of view-points with some great views of the mountains and the river itself. I stopped here for dinner on the way back to Fairbanks.

Preferable to park your car at the Bus depot

From the George Parks Highway, I took a right turn onto the Park road to Denali Visitor Center. After the Riley Creek Campground on the left side, Denali Bus Depot with public parking facility comes up on the right. Further up, after a roundabout, is the Denali Visitor Center. Public parking is available here also. One can either park near the Bus Depot (preferable as bus tickets have to be purchased here) and take a free shuttle to the Visitor Centre or park near the Visitor Center.

The transit buses start and end the journey at the Bus Depot but pass through Visitor Center. One can get in and off at either location, depending on where you have parked the car. I guess the Tour buses do the same, but do check. The ticket counter is located at the Bus Depot where one can purchase both entrance and bus tickets. At Visitor Center, only entrance tickets are sold.

Getting around Denali park – choices for tourists

Private vehicles or free bus

Private vehicles can drive up to Mile 15, Savage River. If you choose this option, you can do a bit of hiking nearby. The entire road to Savage River is paved. Parking space is limited and it may be good choice to take the free bus that runs from Bus Depot via Visitor Center. However, you will possibly miss some great scenery and also lower your chances of viewing wildlife. If the weather is unfavorable, this may be an option to consider, as that will save you the bus fare.

Tour buses

There are 2 tours on offer – Natural History Tour and Tundra Wilderness Tour. I had made not booking in advance and the Tundra Wilderness Tour was running full till mid afternoon, on the day I visited.

Transit buses

This is what I booked and I think this is good enough. This is supposed to be hop-on, hop-off kind of a service. One can get off anywhere inside the park, go for a hike or a picnic and hop on the next available bus. This is feasible only if one starts in the morning. Stated to be non-narrated but my driver gave plenty of information on the way. Cost is $33.25 per adult plus entrance fee of $15 per adult, making a total $48.25 per adult.

The tour is similar to the Tundra Wilderness Tour minus the narrative. I think this was good enough for me who was only looking to get a feel for the Denali Park. Saved me $85 or so per adult as compared to the Tundra Wilderness Tour.

Flightseeing tours

Denali Air offers 2 flight tours of Denali National Park everyday. One hour long Denali Peak Experience Tour and the 45 minutes long Denali Express Tour. There are multiple flights in day and costs $449 and $365 respectively per adult. They operate from their private airstrip located 8 miles south of Denali Park entrance road, Mile 229.5 on George Parks Highway.

Kantishna Air Taxi operates out of the airstrips at Denali National Park Airport(close to Denali Visitor Centre) and Kantishna, both inside Denali National Park. They were closed during 2024 season.

There may possibly be more operators.

The total distance covered is curtailed for the time being

The Park road runs for 92 miles till Kantishna, which is the last turnaround point. A round trip takes about 12 hours. However, because of a landslide, all buses currently run till East Fork, at mile 43. The round trip takes about 4.5 hours with 2 breaks. Bit unfortunate because the farther one goes, better are the chances of wildlife viewing and one also gets a closer look at Mt. Denali. There are 3 turnaround points between East Fork and Kantishna. The road beyond mile 43 is expected to be closed until summer of 2026.

My experience on the transit bus

The green colored buses are the Transit buses and look like school buses. Seats are not that comfortable but ok for the short journey where the focus is outdoors. A cheerful driver, who has been driving for 19 years at Denali, welcomed us! She was quite knowledgeable as well.

Lovely scenery

The scenery got better as the bus crossed Savage River. The road beyond Savage River is gravel road and passes through valleys as well as mountain passes. From the low lying Taiga vegetation to Tundra vegetation at higher altitude, the landscape was very colorful and very pleasing to the eye – from green to yellow, to brown and to red. Parts of the valleys and mountain sides were often draped in a carpet of red! Mt. Denali was clearly visible for a long time but it was a distant view. Several mountain tops had snow cover.

An interesting fact I discovered was that Mt. Denali has a higher vertical rise(5500m) as compared to Mt. Everest(3600m)! Measured from base to the summit. Mt. Everest sits on the Tibetan plateau at 5200m.

Wildlife spotting

I was lucky to have spotted bears(both black and brown), Caribou and Dall’s sheep. But there were a little away and not on or next to the road.

We had two stops, first at Teklanika and the second at East Fork. It was nice to get off the bus and walk around.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Suggestions for a day tourist(without flight tours)

Make a tentative plan before booking

Make a tentative plan for the day(Ranger walk, lunch, hikes etc) before buying the bus tickets that are issued for a specific time.
If you have not made any advance booking, head to the Bus Depot first and buy the Transit bus(or Tour bus if that is your preference) tickets. Depending on the actual time of departure, you can re-plan the rest of the day.
Check out the exhibits at the Visitor Center, before or after the bus tour. Will take about 30 minutes max.

Consider a short hike

Go on a short hike on one of the few trails near Visitor Centre or opt for Ranger walk. Alternatively, get off whichever area takes your fancy. This is possible only in Transit buses. The gap between 2 buses is approximately 30 minutes but the wait can be longer if there are no vacant seats. So do this only if the bus departure is in the morning, say before noon. An easier option for hiking is to join the Ranger who conducts guided nature walks for 2 hours, normally starting at 10am and 2 pm from the Visitor Center. No registration, just arrive in time.

Lunch and snacks

I had a meal at Morino Grill near the Visitor Center well before boarding the bus. There is also a Starbucks Coffee counter. One can have hot meals or opt for take away. Vegetarian options were available and I chose hot soup and warm roasted Veggie Panini. Cost about $30 with tips. This is where I learnt sandwiches can be served with unhealthy but yummy fries or with healthy carrots and celery. I chose the latter and I must say it was a welcome change. There is nothing available inside the Park, not even water.
Since the Transit bus tour lasts 4.5 hours or so, carry snacks and water. Eating/drinking is not allowed on the bus but there will be 2 stops of 15 minutes each.
Alternative to a bus tour is to drive or take the free shuttle to Savage River. Explore the area before returning.

Denali in a day with flight tour

It is possible to squeeze in both a flight tour(requires up to 2.5 hours by Denali Air) and a Transit bus tour(requires 5 hours) in a day, provided one starts early. Check out the flight and bus timings and plan accordingly.

Those visiting for more than a day

Lodging is available inside the Park as well as outside. Camping is also possible inside the Park.

Options include joining the Ranger for a Discovery hike(can take up to 10 hours) or hiring a private guide. Or exploring on your own taking advantage of free detailed maps and guides.

There are 3-4 lodges at or near Kantishna which is inside the Park and who offer packages from 2 nights to over a week. Accessible only by air and these lodges possibly provide the most exclusive experience of Denali National Park. The lodges/hotels outside the Park too offer packages.

One can also consider Jeep excursions on the Denali Highway. This Highway is not inside Denali National Park but runs East from George Parks Highway, the opposite direction to the Park road inside Denali Park that runs to the West. It is a gravel Highway and car rental companies prohibit driving on this road.

Flight tours

K2 Aviation offers flightseeing trips from Talkeetna to Denali with glacier landings. Denali Air and Kantishna Air also offer Denali sightseeing flights.I am sure there are more operators and flight tours from other locations.

Getting to Denali from Fairbanks

From Fairbanks, renting a car is the best option. Other option is to take a bus. If you prefer someone else does all the planning, take a guided tour. But if you intend to stay at Denali for one or more nights, train would work just as well.

The Alaska railroad stop is located very close to the Visitor Center. If taking the train from Fairbanks, you will need to halt overnight at Denali. A day trip by train would leave you with less than 4 hours in Denali. Few of the hotels/lodges inside/outside Denali National Park as well as Alaska Railroad offer packages that include activities and stay.

Is Denali worth visiting?

Absolutely. I just wonder how scenic would be drive all the way to Katishna? It is quite long no doubt and would require an overnight stay. But even with the buses turning around at Mile 43, there is plenty of exciting scenery unfolding. Views of wildlife and Mt. Denali added to the excitement. But always remember these views are not guaranteed. So don’t go with too high an expectation. I only wish I had got into Denali a bit earlier in the day(I reached at around 11.30am) so as to be able to take a short hike.

While one day is good enough to get a feel for Denali National Park, a 2-3 day stay would actually provide a deeper and more varied experience, including hikes deep inside the Park and flight tours.