We stayed at 2 campgrounds here, Riley Creek (1 week) and Teklanika (4 nights). Both were excellent but neither have hookups; the sites are well spaced and private. Denali is a wonderful experience, and we loved our time in the park. The scenery is spectacular and the ability to see wildlife is excellent. In fact you need to take care when hiking as it is bear country and we carried bear spray. We took the Tundra Wilderness Tour which was great, but you need to reserve very early, like when you get your camping reservations as these sell out fast. We saw moose, caribou, grizzly bears, arctic squirrels, ptarmigan, fall sheep, and so many birds and pretty wildflowers in bloom everywhere. It's a fantastic park and a must see if you are in Alaska. read more

If you want to see wildlife then get up very early. Moose stay close to the main entrance and are visible all day. Register in advance for a bus tour. We rode the transit bus. read more

Denali National Park and Preserve - Caribou in taiga on the shoulder of Denali Park Road. - Parks Near Me

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This review is long overdue and we can't wait to come back to Denali National Park and Reserve! We saw lots of wildlife and the views are truly majestic! We were blown away by how beautiful Denali National Park is. This area is vast so plan to spend plenty of time in the park soaking in the stunning views all around you! Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses 6 million acres of Alaska's wilderness and it is all so breathtakingly beautiful! There is so much natural beauty and wildlife all around you! If you're in Alaska and near Denali Park and Preserve, do not miss the opportunity to check it out! We are so glad to have added this national park to our itinerary and can't wait to go back the next time we are in Alaska again! read more

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Absolutely stunning. Did the early morning five hour tour with Jason. Saw a ton of wild life and his narration was outstanding. Weather was gorgeous and loved the stops we took for viewing and breaks. read more

Denali National Park and Preserve - Parks Near Me

We stayed at the Denali River Cabins right within the park, so it was super simple to hop on one of the buses that takes a few routes throughout the park. We took the Fish Creek Turnaround and it was great! We saw tons of wildlife, including bears, foxes, owls, and a moose and her baby (we did not get anywhere close to any of these creatures, we're not crazy, don't worry). During our journey through the park, we went on lots of cool hiking adventures, and heard great narratives as we drove through the park! Definitely worth the cost for the full day on the bus. This was also one of the few times during our Denali trip that we got to see the Denali mountain and it was gorgeous and covered in snow and clouds. The view of this mountain is just...wow. If you're in Alaska and ANYWHERE near Denali Park and Preserve, do not miss the opportunity to check it out! read more

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We drove over from Anchorage to Denali, approximately 4 hour drive, and went on the scenic bus tour. We saw several wild animals and got great photos. Before the bus tour we went by the gift shop and purchased a few souvenirs. The are several gifts shops outside the park which also had great take home souvenirs. Our bus tour started around 3 pm and lasted approximately 4 hours. Our only problem was we scheduled the trip at 1 pm but due to the high number of cruise ship passengers at the park we were numbed to 3 which made our drive back to Anchorage difficult. We all had a great time. read more

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It's spectacular! Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. With a topographic prominence of 20,194 feet and a topographic isolation of 4,621.1 miles, Denali is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. The peak is only visible 30% of the time, so I was blessed to see it. My spectacular view was from The Alaska Railroad! - read more

Denali National Park and Preserve - Mt. Denali - Parks Near Me

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You must come here and take the bus tour. The guides are so knowledgeable and capable. Great way to spend a day and the photo opportunities are near endless. We saw Grizzly bears, bull moose, female moose that had just given birth to calf so we waited and watched it take its 1st steps. Denali sheep visible, caribou and a variety of birds to name a few. read more

I was on an organized tour of Denali and we enjoyed it tremendously. Not sure what tour company we were on as it was organized by our cruise company but they were one of the few tour companies allowed into the park. We were picked up at our hotel then stopped at a couple other places to pick up people. Our bus was completely full. We did the 60 miles in, 60 miles out tour. We saw wonderful wildlife - bear, moose, hare, squirrels, caribou, birds. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and to take in the view. So many different types of terrain and vegetation to see. Our guide was great and explained everything about the location, terrain, flora and fauna. The bus tour gives you a snack pack with a variety of packaged items like nuts and beef sticks as its an all day ride in the bus. Also plenty of water. Definitely a great place to visit and if you can do the full 60 mile tour, do it. read more

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I would have to say that Denali National Park is one of the biggest disappointments of a National Park I've ever been to. - Mount Denali - First of all, only about 30% of visitors will be lucky enough to actually see Denali (the mountain) while within the park. (Yes, I saw it as I get up early: pre cloud cover) Add to this that there are actually better places to see Mount Denali from such as Trapper Creek AK, on the highway heading back to Anchorage AK, Talkeetna AK, etc. and it makes going to Denali National Park with the goal of seeing Denali kind of pointless. - Bus System - If you can not get onto one of the transit or tour bus (best scheduled far in advance online if you have any hope of getting on one), you might as well not go to Denali NP at all. It's not that Denali NP is not lovely, because it is. However, there are many other State and National Parks that are just as lovely and well, much lovelier than Denali. Heck, there are DRIVES along the Alaska highway such as on the Richardson Highway and Seward Highway that are WAY more beautiful that Denali NP. (Not to mention that most people go for the wildlife more than the scenery.) According to our very well informed bus guide (yes, I booked online way in advance), Park Officials at Denali decided they didn't want Denali to be like Yellowstone and wanted the animals and ecosystem to remain undisturbed..... (and to make a crapton of cash in my cynical opinion). To this end, they cut the portion of the 92 mile park road that you can visit in your own vehicle down to only around mile 14.5, or at the portion of the park ecosystem where visitors have less than a 4% chance of seeing much if any large wildlife at all. This means that you pay your $15 entry fee to be in an area of the park where you are pretty much guaranteed NOT to see the large animals for which Denali is famous. Now, there are many National Parks that use a bus system to cut down on pollution, visitor/animal accidents, etc. I can totally understand that. However, at most other National Parks, the cost of riding said transit is included in your park admission price or quite minimal. Not at Denali NP. Here, you are looking at $40 to $60 per person for the running transit buses (this season) to as much as $110 pp for the naturalist narrated Tundra Tour or $199 pp if you want a narrated tour that goes the entire 92 miles. This makes getting the full Denali NP experience quite cost prohibitive for many. Fortunately, apparently, a study was done and about 90 or so % of the large animals at Denali hang out in the areas between miles 30-60. This means you really only need to go as far as Eielson to see the majority of large wildlife (if you're lucky and they are feeling social). Unfortunately, a landslide has closed off the road to only mile 42 at this time so the $40 bus is your only option right now. Also note: The cost of the bus tour INCLUDES the $15 entry fee. This means there is no need to buy an entrance pass if you've already booked a bus tour. You simply use your copy of the bus stub as proof that you paid the park entry fee and I believe it's good for like a week. Now having gone on the Eielson Transit bus pre landslide, I will say it was a lot of driving and scenery (MUCH prettier than the free entrance 15) though we did manage to see Caribou, Dall Sheep, 4 Grizzlies, Moose, Marmot and Willow Ptarmigan. There are restroom stops every 90 mins with 1 place to buy food (depending on the time of your trip) but no food or drink on offer on the bus itself. I would advise you to pack snacks/drinks. Also, the road is not for the faint of heart: super narrow dirt/mud road, high on mountains with sheer drop offs and no guard rails. Masks are required at both the bus depot and on buses at all times except for brief periods when eating or drinking. I personally only ate and drank off the bus during the stops. Lastly, whenever possible, ALWAYS try to be on the 1st tour of the day. If that's not possible, be on the last. You will see the most wildlife this way. - Timed Entry Pass - I was also fortunate enough to get my hands on one of these. (Yes, also bought on line and in advance.) Now, while they have been sold out for a minute, if you check the purchase site frequently, like once or twice a day, you MAY just luck up and catch one that was returned. That's how I got mine. This pass allows you to drive miles 10-30 in your personal vehicle at your own pace. You can go as slow as you want, stop and get out (with caveats). I must say I LOVED this pass - my only regret being that it didn't let you go farther. I saw 1 grizzly, caribou, Marmot and Willow Ptarmigan on this outing. It was nice to be able to drive/hang out in this part of the park at your leisure until 9p the day of. Though not nearly as much large wildlife as miles 30-60, I did see quite a lot of birds and marmot as compared to the crickets of the free 15. read more

This place is an adventure, we don't have stuff like this in the south. Denali is one of the most natural preserves in the United States. Miles and miles of free open land, no fences or nada. All wild and free, so beautiful! You can never be too sure on the weather when you come to Denali, especially in the summer, rain comes and goes. We came and took our chances anyway. It was misty from the beginning, but it was worth driving through the park and exploring. When you arrive, you can only go so far in the park with your own vehicle, needless to say; if you want the full exposure you're on foot or taking a bus backcountry tour. Opt for the tour if you have minimal hiking experience; and there are bears just walking around this place. It's insane, scary, and cool all at once. So much life and nature in this park. The rangers are knowledgeable, and you can get some great shots of mountains, low peaks, and bodies of water running through the mountains. Now I can see why "Into the Wild" was all about, this guy had the right idea...RIP. So much nature and beauty, it's definitely worth a return. And, if you're ever in the Last Frontier, DO NOT skip this! read more

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Beautiful! Many viewpoints for pictures. Lots of rest areas with outhouse type bathrooms. read more

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INCREDIBLE! Amazing views of Denali/Mt. McKinley! Wild Animals everywhere to see. It is God's country...Untouched and unspoiled beauty! Denali National Park and Preserve is a MUST visit! read more

Wjile in Fairbanks for my son's wedding, and went up to Denali today as a family outing. It was so absolutely beautiful. Such picturesque views. We saw moose, caribou, a bear, rams, and SEAGULLS of all things! The welcome center is very nice and, well, welcoming:) Very informative. read more

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Just incredible in views and diversity of wildlife. Could easily spend a month here. Moose, goats, caribou, bears, bald eagles, just incredible. A highlight of the continent! read more

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Beautiful area. My family and I went on a bus tour and I wish our bus driver was more talkative during the trip. Though, we saw many moose, a bear with two cubs, a wolf, rams, and a variety of birds. We were very lucky to have seen so may animals! Also it is better on a sunny day, you see Denali very clearly. read more

Big mountain, tough climb. Long approach, lots of snow and ice. Bring snowshoes and plenty of warm clothing. A solid tent is a must along with plenty of food. Sunglasses are a great idea day or night. Also, LOTS of sunscreen. Stay hydrated and watch out for crevasses. read more