I hate to say it but our visit to Denali National Park wasn't as good as I was expecting. Denali National Park is a gorgeous place and provides you with all the views that you would expect to see when you come to Alaska. But your visit is limited... now let me explain. If you have the American the Beautiful park pass, then your admission is free to the park. You can drive your car into the park, but only up to Riley Creek. If you don't have much time for a full day's worth of a visit then this is your best option if you want to visit this national park. But if you do have time, then you definitely want to check out one of the tours or transit buses. Please note that if you wish to take a tour or one of the transit buses, the American the Beautiful park pass does not cover that. You just have to head to the visitor center and purchase your tickets or you can purchase online. On NPS.gov, it warns you that tickets can be sold out if you do not purchase in advance but my husband and I were able to show up and purchase for the time that we wanted. We came on a Thursday morning though, in the month of August. Please note that if you visit Alaska in August, this is towards the end of the summer season and a lot of places already close for the season (Although this is now towards the off peak season and that prices are cheaper, just keep that in mind). Also want to mention that August is the 2nd rainiest month (September and August get the most rain of the year) so make sure to plan for that. There are also a lot of annoying mosquitos too so make sure to bring bug spray for that. Anyways, we took a transit bus. The bus driver is also your park guide to inform you of the sights and also will help you to spot some wildlife of the big 5 (bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves). But you are not able to get in and off the bus whenever you want. There were only 2 stops on our visit. If you choose to stay (which you are allowed to), you will have to wait for the next transit bus. The problem with this is if there are no seats available, you will have to wait until the next bus comes by that does have enough seats for you and your party. Because of this, this really worried many of the people on the bus (including us), so we never stayed at one stop. We just got back on the bus when it was time. We did see this problem as our bus driver did stop for a group of 6 and told the group that there were only 4 empty seats on our bus and so they had to wait as our bus left them. Both of the stops on the bus do have restrooms. The first stop just has a porta potty but the second one has numerous of toilets (but the the cleanest and it may be in your best interest to bring some alcohol spray because there are no sinks). Your views for the rest of the park is just limited to what you see out of your window from the bus. I really wished that we could have driven our own car so that we could get in and out whenever we wanted. Although I will say that the bus driver was friendly and very informative. He also answered questions from the group that was on the bus. My husband and I visited this park over 2 days. Only part of the national park is dog friendly (not on the bus). So we were able to have our little girl join us (yep, our little girl dog travels with us and has been to 49 states so far and we have visited all 50 states). Dogs are also allowed to be on some campgrounds, in case you wish to camp (we ended up staying at an Airbnb not too far from the national park). I don't regret visiting this national park and still recommend that you do when you visit Alaska because Alaska truly is beautiful. You really get to see Mother Nature in all of her glory here. But just keep in mind how the visit may be. read more

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Found this park to be incredible. Had a veteran tour guide,who knew the park inside & out. Spectacular views everywhere you look. Saw a fox up close & a rabbit quite cold when you arrive higher up read more

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A must-see national park, and one of the most accessible in Alaska. The mountain ranges are simply towering and majestic here, and even driving outside the park has views for endless miles. Trails we did: Savage Alpine, Rock Creek, Horseshoe Lake, and a few short ones around the visitor center. The best ones were Savage Alpine (excellent panoramic views at the top) and Horseshoe Lake (easy and great water + mountain views). Would skip the sled dog demo, as it was about 30 seconds of the dogs running poorly in a circle, and then a ranger talking a bit- underwhelming and very crowded. I'd recommend just visiting the dogs on your own. Much of the park is closed until at least 2025 because of a landslide that damaged the park road. You can drive to Savage River (aroundMile 15), or pay to take a shuttle further in. Lots of people took the shuttle everywhere. It was not as crowded as other national parks in early June- plenty of parking, even mid-morning, and quiet moments on the trail. read more

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"First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is" (Donovan) In 2015. the US Government formally changed the name of Mount McKinley to Denali (The Tall One). By any name, its the tallest mountain in North America. Rising 20,310 feet into the sky and clouds. Its so high up, that those clouds sometimes obscure the visibility of the mountain peak itself. So on some days we saw it, on some days we didn't. When we saw it, it was majestic. It was so beautiful it was difficult to believe it was real, and not a green screen backdrop or a sleight of hand CGI illusion But even when we couldn't see it on the day of our formal tour, we saw plenty of other jaw dropping beauty in Denali National Park; a kaleidoscopic rainbow of greens and browns and whites and ridges and valleys and forests and mountains and rocks and ice and snow. The scenery was exquisite. We even saw a singing forest ranger who came onto our tour bus to entertain us with a song about the extremely hot weather. One of our tour stops was a meeting with two young ladies to learn about the indigenous people of the area. Seeing the beauty of Denali was darn close to having a religious experience. read more

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Here's a huge National Park defined by snow-capped peaks (including the big one if you're lucky enough to see it), wide glacial rivers, alpine lakes, broad plains, and plenty of wildlife. Take the Denali Backcountry Tour (separate review) to see as much as you can (on wheels) all the way to MP 92.5 on the park road. We arrived on Train from Anchorage and that ride is well worth the experience to get here. And what better way to say goodbye is via that same train (at least a few day later) as you head north to Fairbanks. Gayle and I also enjoyed the Visitor's Center area (right by the train station) and several of the short hikes in this central area. But of course, that's just scratching the surface of this massive beauty of a park that is both peaceful and deadly. read more

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This park is HUGE... GINORMOUS... GARGANTUAN. So... the little 8 hour bus "tour" we did only hit the tip of the iceberg. It was not at all what I was expecting... quite frankly... why I thought it would all be tall pine trees and rivers is beyond me. I was and am clearly a noob.... not well educated on Denali. The park does have pine trees and rivers, but it is mostly tundra scenery. And boy, is it it beautiful! I wish I was artistic as I think many areas warrant some sketches and watercolors. Just stunning! I snapped as many pictures as possible all over the place. "Tour" is in quotes because it was more of a look-see bus ride to the Eielson center with tidbits of info thrown in here and there by the driver. It's actually a transit bus to Eielson that folks can hop-on/-off. We were on it for the duration from the start to Eielson and back again. A few folks got on/off at a couple of stops. And the driver even (not at a stop) picked up up some weary hikers. I thought that was nice and very accomodating... and good to know should we decide to go back and do more exploring. We were fortunate enough to have a beautiful day and saw Denali in all her glory. WooHoo! 30% Club! While wildlife are not guaranteed... we did get some. A few grizzlies, lots of caribou, dall sheep (way up high on the hills/mountains... they were little white specks) and lots of birds.... and at the very end as we were almost back to the main entrance, a lonely female moose. It was a lovely... yet very long day on a bus. There were several stops to stretch your legs and use the bathrooms. Most stops were about 10-15 minutes. The stop at Eielson was longer... about 45 minutes so definitely some time to do a quick / short hike. Along the way, there is no where to purchase food. Bring lunch with you as you are encouraged to eat on the bus along the way. We had plenty of water with us, but I think there were water stations at the stops to fill up your flasks/bottles. Thankfully, we did this ride out to Eielson center in early August as part of the road is now closed at mile 43 due to landslide. Landslide.... as in the road is not safe and is sliding down the mountain/hill. We saw where they had "patched" / graded the road, but thought nothing of it and our driver didn't mention how precarious it was at the time. Probably just as well as I would have envisioned us sliding down the huge cliff. In any case, I look forward to being able to visit Denali again, and perhaps going further back into the park, and staying for a bit longer. Tip: If you do a bus ride... tour of any kind in Denali... sit in the front of the bus... chances are you'll see more because the wildlife use the road as a trail. They are often up ahead of the bus before they veer off into the brush. read more

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Excellent park. Denali means "the thirsty one" in the local language. On that note, my one piece of advice is you should be sure to pack your own Schlitz cocktails when you venture into the park, because there's slim to no chance you're going to come across a Fred Meyer that sells Schlitz, whipped cream, or cherries. read more

Decent park to look at but not the most exciting experience. Unless you're one of the lucky few that gets to drive the car inside the park (via lottery), you're going to have to ride the bus that will take you deep inside the park. The scenery is not diverse and might be the least exciting national park I've visited. There is some wildlife but usually too far away to capture even on a zoom lens. There is a decent trail at East Fork Bridge for those who feel like being productive. Overall, I rate this as the most uninspiring national park I've ever visited. Come here once just so you can say you've been to Denali but it's likely a borefest for most on the bus. read more

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Two days was not enough time to explore this majestic park. The landscape was vast, but unfortunately, the weather did not aid our attempt to see the peak. It was also in July, during the Anderson fire, so there was lots of smoke from there making everything overcast. We were told the animals higher up in the mountains because of the smoke from the fires. It didn't hinder the mosquitos though. Those little buggers were happily dive bombing us at every opportunity. Still, it was a lovely place to walk around and enjoy the beauty of nature. We will definitely be coming back here in the future. read more

Spent 16 days in Denali. All backpacking. Saw 5 grizzly bears including a cub, and 25 moose, 20 caribou, 30 dall sheep, a porcupine, and many birds. It is so wonderful to see such many wildlife. It was a mating season (end August-early September), and I was able to see a bull following a cow and bull's fighting. It was gorgeous experience. Polychrome glaciers are magnificent. Denali views were great. Also we were lucky enough to be able to see aurora a couple of night. Green and pink in eye! read more

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Ok don't make a rookie mistake and only plan half a day. I under estimated how big this was. Make time for whole day here if not two days. There's so much ground to explore. Be sure to come on sunny, clear day. Out of all days it rained on my trip, it chose the day I go to Denali to rain. I was so mad. I couldn't see the top of mountains because it was so cloudy. Pay for the park entrance fee on their website, $15 before you go. There are tons of hiking trails with tons of easy read signs so you can get yourself out of getting lost. Every trees are the same, I swear I was walking in circle for 30 mins. Denali is 2 1/2 hours from Fairbanks, easy drive but roads are curvy. Pack your own food. There's diners around but you have to drive out. Bring sandwiches so you can eat on the trail, watch out for bears. read more

Denali National Park - Parks Near Me

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Denali National Park isn't all that it's cracked up to be. In fact, of the 55 National Parks that I have visited, I would rate it in the lower half! I had high expectations for coming here. It was my first time in Alaska this past summer and Denali was 1 of 8 NP's on my To-Do List. My excitement quickly faded as I started exploring. Let me explain why... First off, I did do the Tundra Wilderness Tour on my 2nd day here. This is sort of a right of passage for exploring Denali. It's an 8 hour all day bus tour that takes you into the heart of the park and goes to Mile 63 along Denali Park Road before turning around. It costs $162.50 per person. It's definitely worth it to do this Tundra Wilderness Tour (you can book reservations on nps.gov) because if you don't...honestly, there's really not many attractions here. I think that's why I was a little let down by certain aspects of my Denali experience. Granted there were some highs and lows...but I think what really bothered me was when I arrived here on Day 1, I drove to Mile 13 on Denali Park Road (which is as far as private cars can go before tour buses take over) but along these first 13 miles...THERE WAS NOTHING TO SEE OR DO! Seriously it was quite disappointing at times. I will say, when entering Denali...you can stop by the Visitors Center. The VC/Gift Shop was complete with nice souvenirs to buy. Plus you can get your Parks Pass stamped here, pick up a park pamphlet (which I like to collect, lol), etc...I did appreciate all the cool little gifts they offered. I also voluntarily paid the $15 admission fee. But since I was taking the Tundra Wilderness Tour, I'm not even sure why they charged $15? Immediately after stopping at the VC and gathering my thoughts...I immediately knew I wanted to drive the first 13 miles of Denali Park Road and stop for any good sightseeing moments. But...for 13 miles it was quite mediocre and simply boring. I did stop at Mountain Vista Trailhead to hike a little and that was a waste of time. Getting to Mile 13 or also known as Savage River...I parked my car and hiked the Savage River Loop for 2 miles roundtrip with no elevation change. At first I thought I admired the scenery here, but after completing the hike and having some time to reflect, I genuinely felt like I got nothing out of this. Midway through my 1st day here...I was searching for things to do. I knew the following day I had the Tundra Wilderness Tour set and good to go, so...I then returned to the Visitors Center to look for a good hike to trek. Well I found one! I found a really worthwhile hike that brought me to the top of Denali. This was probably my most memorable moment! I hiked MOUNT HEALY OVERLOOK TRAIL! This hike led to the pinnacle/apex of the park. And...the sights were spectacular! Only thing...this hike is strenuous. I struggled to complete it so late in the afternoon. Mount Healy Overlook Trail is 5.5 miles round trip gaining almost 2000 feet in elevation. But the surrounding landscape from high above was glorious! I got some fantastic photos from high above and at least ended Day 1 on a good note! Day 2 was the Tundra Wilderness Tour. The Bus Depot is the place of departure. I parked my car here and boarded the bus. Although I'll write a review about it separately, along the 62 miles into Denali, we stopped a bunch of times to look around and view the surroundings, but I never connected with anything. Even at Mile 62...trying to find Denali Mountain on the cloudy day I had was virtually impossible. Plus...Denali Peak was so far off into the distance. I think back to myself and say...I did this entire 8 hours for what? Mount Healy Overlook Trail was 10x better than this bus tour. I will say...my driver was so friendly and accommodative I gladly gave her $10 tip at the end. They do provide you an entire lunch box when boarding. Also...they stopped countless times for wildlife. But...the bears, moose, elk, caribou...any wild animal you could think of was situated so far away, it was a waste! And yet all the tourists on my bus were "oohing and aahing" like it was some big deal fully zooming in on tiny specs with their cameras. I'd just rather go to the zoo! On my 3rd and final (half) day...I enjoyed the Sled Dog Kennels area. Hard to believe, but in winter times Denali has dog sledding. That's quite "old school, lol". But, right off Denali Park Road within the first 5 miles near the Park Headquarters sits the Dog Kennels area. Here you can say hello to all the canines. I'm an animal lover so I enjoyed taking a few pictures with them. The dogs all have names and they're gentle. It's free to do this. Walking through this kennel section didn't take long and Park Rangers are available to answer any questions. Since I'm running out of room, I will just say that although Denali never lived up to the hype, my overall Alaskan experience was still a positive one that I have fond memories of. I hope to return in 2022 to complete my National Parks destiny. read more

This was such a wonderful national park and I'm glad we stayed 2 days to get the absolute most we could. The scenery is breathtaking and we did the historic land tour and that was around 4 hours on a bus which was super informative and the next day we did sled dog tour which was super fun being with the dogs. The visitor center was really hands on and it was pretty cool Checking that out. This is one of my favorite national parks and I hope I can come out again soon. read more

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Visiting the Denali National Park is a must experience in your life time. Beautiful mountains and the wildlife makes you forget about your busy normal routine. We had booked a Denali tour bus because cars are not allowed after a certain spot. The sight seeing bus takes you up to Denali mountain and there are a few sight seeing stops where the bus will stop. We spotted Grizzly bears, Moose, Dall sheep, eagles, Caribou and few wonderful birds. Do not forget to carry binoculars. They have hop on hop off buses too. Definitely a must visit place in your life time! read more

Denali National Park - The Denali mountain - Parks Near Me

700th review has to be special. Denali National Park: remote, huge and unlike most National Parks unspoiled. This was part of our 12 day Collette land-sea tour of Alaska and the Yukon. Arrived at the Denali railway station next to the Denali Visitor Center on the Alaska Railroad after a 4 hour, 125 mile trip from Fairbanks. 240 miles from Anchorage. Raining and cloudy. Shuttle buses run 4 miles across the river to Glittery Gulch, better known as the tourist trap town of Denali, with lodgings and countless pizza joints. We go to the visitor center, and then tour the town, staying overnight in the Grand Denali hotel, before starting our tour of the park proper the next day. DNP almost 10,000 square miles, heavily forested and mountainous area, with the only serviceable road into the park, the 92 mile Denali Park Road running from the Denali Visitor Center past Wonder Lake to Kantishna airport. Tour bus $80-$208, transit bus $31.50-$60, and camper bus $40 for those with wilderness camping permits. Price depends on how far you e go along the Denali Park road, with buses departing from Wilderness Access Area across the railroad tracks from the train station, May-September. Transit buses for those riding to distant points along the road, for hiking, with no tour commentary. They run every 15-20 minutes, but stop in the early evenings, even though almost 24 hours of daylight in the summer. Missing the last bus is a way of getting a close up look at the grizzly bears which come out at night! Private vehicles and free shuttle buses allowed only on the first 15 miles of two lane paved road, from the Denali Visitor Center. Only official park buses allowed past this point. We switch from our luxurious tour bus to a 1960s exterior looking park bus. You can't tell a book by its cover applies here. 2018 model park bus, with 52 contoured seats, AC, overhead shelves, shoulder-seat belts, overhead TV screens, with a low sulfur diesel engine, which meet 2018 California heavy vehicle diesel emission requirements. Ok, no electronic chargers, but you can't have everything! We had rest stops at Savage Cabin (mile 13), Primrose Ridge (mile 17), Teklanika River (mile 30), and Toklat River (mile 53), driving from the Visitor Center to Stony Outlook (mile 63). Up to 12 individual shacks for pit toilets and a larger shack of multiple urinals for stand up jobs at each rest stop. The first 15 miles is two lane paved roadway running through thick forests of spruce trees, interrupted by the occasional lake. We can see Mt Denali, tallest mountain in North America 50 miles away, easily recognizable as one of the few snow capped mountains on this warm, cloudless July day. We travel along a valley, and then go higher and higher up the side of mountains. The forests recede, as we go above the tree line. In a distance on the river beds we can see caribou. Pass a fox den. Far in the distance, the bus driver sees light brown specs against the green background. Grizzly bear! No approaching within 300 yards. Driver has a camera with a telescopic lens, and transfers the image a quarter mile away onto TV screens within the bus. Mamma bear with cubs sunbathing in the warm sun amid the foliage. Paved road becomes gravel road, and narrows from 2 lanes to 1.5 lanes. Reach Polychrome outlook, with steep drops hundreds of feet into the valley. Reach Stony Hill, with snow capped Mt Denali suddenly appearing, looming like a giant mountain, dwarfing all around it, like it was just around the corner. End of the line for our tour, we take pictures, and turn back on this cloudless sunny day. Road goes on for another 29 miles, past Wonder Lake to Kantishna airport, where for $270-$390 per passenger, you can take an air taxi back to Denali in 50 minutes, compared to 5 hours by bus. Driver says that yesterday with the rain and mist, you could not see beyond the bus, let alone any mountains. We go around a blind curve, and almost hit a grazing caribou on the road. It charges the bus, and then thinks better, going off to the side disappearing into the brush. Live to see another day! On the way back, we encounter a bus coming in the opposite direction at Polychrome canyon. It has the right of way on the one lane twisting mountain road, without guard rails. We back up, along a curve of the mountain side, outside wheels barely on the edge of the gravel road, overlooking the 300 feet plunge into the valley below. The birthday boy in the front passenger seat willing to trade seats with any one on the driver side of the bus! Picture for "A Kodak moment!" or a wet your pants moment. Or as our ex governor would say, an "Hasta La Vista Baby" moment! Needless to say everyone on the right side of the bus used the rest room facilities at the next stop! read more

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What an absolutely beautiful National Park. We took a bus ride from the bus depot today to Tilkut, 52 miles each way. It was slow and gave us plenty of time to observe and take it all in. At times the road was not much wider than the bus but the driver was excellent at his task. We saw 7 grizzly bears, 2 were 15 feet away. Also say numerous caribou and a heard of Dall sheep. The bus driver stopped each time we saw critters so we could stay and observe a bit. Very cool. No food was available and we knew that. Our hotel set us up with bag lunches which were great! read more

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We were here the end of July and we were blessed with great weather! Clear skies and no rain! The breeze was a bit brisk though for us thin skinned Hawaii people. Amazing views of the mountains and we saw moose! The visitor center was very interesting and there's cool things in the shop. Just be aware every closes at 6 pm. From the visitor center, there are various bus you can take to different trails. I can't even begin to describe the beauty of this place! read more

Given right now is a special time in Denali (winter) I'll give my summer review of this vast, extreme wilderness. Denali was on my bucket list and part of my 50 states by 30 quest (well 30.5 haha). First I flew into Anchorage a tad before midnight and made the drive straight up, four hours or something. Was really a mistake and would spend a day relaxing in Anchorage if/when I do it again. Tried to rest in my car when I got to the Denali Visitors Center however it was just too uncomfortable. Then came the bus ride through Denali. Man was that a rough ride! It left if I recall at 9 and went all day into the park. Saw a lot of wildlife, mainly from afar. Also got lucky and Denali peeked out of the clouds! I didn't get out at Wonder Lake because the mosquitoes there are ridiculous. Ended up so exhausted I basically passed out the second half of the ride. The next day I came back and drove out to Savage River and did a little hiking around. So, in a nutshell Denali is a cold (even during summer), rugged landscape but wow is it beautiful! Will be back! read more

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Explore The Great Outdoors: Alaska Edition A trip to Alaska would not be compete without a visit to Denali National Park. Ample camping accommodations can be found, but getting reservations is a good idea in case sites are all filled up.... Camping really does require a reservation. Take the long all day is rode through the park where you will see Bears, Caribou, Moose, Wolves and other wildlife abounding. Some of the bus drivers are fun and give you some narrative along the journey. There is one 50-60 year old female terrible bus driver who has no sense of humor and is pretty stressed out and rude. Stop by the sled dog area and see the short demonstration. Kids can pet the sled dogs and that is a kids happy moment. We camped near Wonder Lake where it was nice and peaceful, but HOLY MOSQUITOS! You really need to get a mosquito headset to go near here! Long sleeves, pants and don't let the Alaska state bird (the mosquito) get you! Food and anything you want to buy is about double what the price of the rest of the USA... So hit Costco before your journey to stock up on supplies. All in all this is a good way to spend a few days in Alaska. read more

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I know I will get flack for not auto-five-star-ing this park, but I'm a big boy and I can take it. I go to National Parks to lace up my hiking boots, charge up my camera batteries, and explore the wilderness. This is quite difficult to do in Denali. You have to take a bus into the park, and unless you are camping or doing backcountry in the park, you only get off the bus a handful of times (usually where there are bathrooms, MAKE SURE YOU BRING SNACKS/MEALS) Celebrating being out in nature by...sitting on a bus for 9 hours. What's wrong with this picture? Most times I've been here I do some backcountry camping which is the absolute best way to experience the park. The only downside is that it can be difficult to do on a whim, you're often forced to reserve far in advance of your planned hike to get the best "zones". And...once again. You're at the mercy of the bus system to get you in and out. Want to skip the crowds, roll in at midnight and hike until the 3am sunset on the solstice? You can't. You are bound to the bus times. Also, it's very rare to see Denali from the park. And if you forgo the bus system and drive the first 15 miles in your own vehicle, it's impossible. The best chances for views of the actual mountain are near Talkeetna and the viewpoints in Denali STATE Park to the south. I had the good fortune to win a permit for the fall. This permit allows me to drive my OWN car on the park road and forgo the clunky bus system and explore at my own pace, YES! Only downside is that it's still virtually impossible to camp in the park...with your vehicle. Guess I'll be stocking up on 5hr energies...I'll update this review after the bus-free trip later next month. read more

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Stupendously run. Charged $10 for NP access for 7 days only. Go to Wilderness Access center to reserve shuttle buses in to the heart of the wild. Clean, organized, great signage and super well trained and adroit rangers. Bear and moose beware; signs are ubiquitous. Less so, care with wolves, coyotes, lynx, and caribou. read more

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There are only so many positive adjectives in the American lexicon and I can literally use them all to describe Denali National Park! The scenery was breathtaking, jawdropping, amazing, stunning all wrapped up into one! On our visit to Denali, we came to the park twice, once as part of the AM Tundra Wilderness Tour, which was an 8-4pm trip and the second time on our own from the McKinley Chalet Resort shuttle. Both times we were just amazed at the scenery and wildlife that we witnessed at the park! As part of the Wilderness Tour, we had a guided tour (via the brown bus) 66 miles into the park. During that journey, we were lucky enough to spot moose, mountain goats, dall sheep, caribou and bald eagles! The tour was absolutely amazing and the narration was extremely informative. Besides the wildlife, the views all around were just breathtaking, with mountains surrounding us. On the day we went, it was a bit cloudy so Mt. Denali was not visible, but don't give up on seeing it as we ended up seeing it on the day we were on the McKinley Explorer out of Denali! The journey thru the park was not without peril though, specifically when reaching Polychrome Overlook at mile 46. The drive next to the 2000 foot cliffs were not for the faint of heart! As for the time we came here alone, we took a shuttle from our hotel to the park and then took one of the green buses to mile 15 (Savage River), which was as far as those buses would go into the park. Actually, they don't let any vehicles past that point either, except if you're on a Wilderness Tour. The green bus tour was free and took about 1 hour to loop around from beginning to end. Although I'm a city person, I am definitely envious of those who work here as it's a truly peaceful and beautiful park and a great park to spend some quiet time at. The scenery and habitat is truly unmatched! read more

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I LOVED THE TUNDRA RIDE SO MUCH! It was incredible. Not only did I see a lot of wildlife and beautiful scenery, but our guide was also very knowledgable and I was educated on different facts I did not know before. I don't remember his name but he was so great (Tour bus #24 on Aug. 11, 2014)!! Only mammals I didn't get to see were moose and wolves! The moose were probably there but the willows in area are so thick it's hard to see past the 2nd or 3rd row :-( Support this park!!! These people do an AMAZING job preserving it! And make sure not to litter or leave any trash or spills behind. :-) read more

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Unfortunately, we didn't get to do much as COVID and heavy snow had shut down a lot of what the park has to offer. We were only able to drive in as far as the Maurie Science and Learning Center. The park is not offering snow shoe rentals and many of the trails are closed. The buses and tours are not operating. We were only able to do the Horseshoe Trail and we thoroughly enjoyed it! It is easily accessible from the Maurie Center and is an easy hike that involves some hills. The park is absolutely beautiful and we are determined to come out in spring with hopes that we'll be able to do more! read more

Absolutely breathtaking views! I went during April and everything was snowcapped like out of a postcard. A tip: If you want to go snowshoeing you can actually go to the information center and rent them for the day! Get there early and start your adventure through the snow! read more

Denali National Park - the road sign - Parks Near Me

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I can't believe there is no yelp business posting for this visitor center! If you're in the area, and on your way to the Wilderness Access Center to hop on one of the park's many tours and shuttles, you should try to stop by this visitor center to check out the interior. There are many exhibits related to all the wildlife in the park and a nice 3-D map of the entire park. We stopped by this visitor center for a quick visit before our assigned shuttle departure time. It was fun to look around and learn some history about the wildlife, take some photos, and visit a LEED certified building! :) There is also a bookstore across the way from the visitor center where you can buy souvenirs, books, etc. All the staff are very friendly and nice. It's worth a quick 30 minute stop if you have some time! read more

Denali National Park - Grizzly bear statue in front of the main entrance - Parks Near Me

Love Denali! The road is great! We have been coming here for years and the road has been under construction. While repairs were necessary it is so nice now that they are done. Some repairs around mile 43, but working at night makes it unnoticeable. Stayed at Riley this year on Bear loop. Wolf loop is rough for big rigs. Showers are up to $4.50 for 10 minutes and they don't check out towels anymore. read more

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Wow! There are no words to truly describe how special this national treasure really is. It is easily our new favorite national park of all time. This place has EVERYTHING: wildlife, nature, beauty, tranquility, mountains, water, etc. Private vehicles are not allowed in the park and now I understand why, it would affect its charm and peacefulness. There is just too much wildlife that needs to be respected so I understand why an experience guide needs to drive you in and out of the park. On our first day in we saw bears, moose, caribou, dall sheep, mountain goats and other creatures that I couldn't name. It felt like they were so free and I was the one in a cage, confined to my old school bus. Simply awesome. I'm going back. read more

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Took the 4 hour bus(lasted over 5 hours. We saw grizzly bear, caribou, Ptarmagin birds, and Dall Sheep. Bus had video screens that the driver had connected to a zoom video camera. That was great. read more

We drove up here on a whim and I'm so glad we did. We of course visited to try and see the peak of Denali but didn't take the buses any closer. We got lucky and were able to see it from a ways away while hiking. While driving to the park it was comical because even before driving to Denali a local told us that we would be able to see the mountain at least a couple hours away from being there. We had no idea what we were looking for... I would love to visit again knowing what Denali is all about. After seeing a bit of the peak we explored in the valley for a while and soaked up the view. We traversed many little creeks and foliage and felt that we were way far out secluded in nature but knew we had other people around us, safe. The park is clean and once you get your bearings relatively easy to navigate. Countless trails to choose from. I think we did two or three before we had to head home. Our last little trail was an easy hike around a large pond. We were greeted by a moose eating and could have watched her for hours. She was the only one we'd seen on our whole trip and we found her just hours before our trip ended! Truly magical. read more

Fabulous, peaceful, scenic and certainly unforgettable. 6 million acres of wilderness initially set aside for preservation of Dall Sheep and other species. A true Bucket List item. Smartest tip I got before going...go the last week of Aug or first week of Sept. NO mosquitos, fall colors everywhere, lots of animals looking good before the winter snows start, very few rug-rats (biggest benefit) and the crowds are waaay down. Second smartest tip I got before going: don't go on a cruise ship prepared or any other organized tour that includes the hotel - ripoffs. Fly to Anchorage, rent a cheap car (plenty of them from other than "national" brands), stay in Healy (see my reviews for a great cabin and really good restaurants/bars) and spend 3-4 full days in the park on your own, fly out of Fairbanks. The Park Service contracts with Aramark for tour bus rides and shuttle buses for the park, up to 85 miles into it. Take advantage of them. You can also drive in 15 miles. Do not miss the sled dog kennel. If you want to take the train into the park, good luck, you will be stuck without transportation - bad idea. Once again, organized tours with transportation and hotels are a ripoff and you don't get to spend enough time or have access to all the wonderful parts of the park. DIY travel for this one. Review #900 (includes the Yelp Central deleted ones) read more

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So, I was reading some of the one star yelp reviews of NP's and i read some of the well silly reviews of this gem. As an Alaskan who has visited this park numerous times, I OWE people a real review. First of all, yes you can only drive fifteen miles into the park and yes if you want to go further its long bus ride. Why? because to their credit the NPS is preserving WILDERNESS!!! Imagine, real wilderness, not a Disney theme park or over loved over crowded Yellowstone Twin. The road simply could not support thousands of vehicles. I have yet to visit the park without seeing dozens of Animals, last visit people I talked to saw 13 brown bear in one day. Hiking, folks, you can hike all you want to your hearts content, just not on trails, its tundra you dont need trails. The bus which stops too much will let anyone off any where and you can get picked up by the next bus, imagine being flexible? The bus stops, for wait for it, wildlife! Imagine the very thing people come to Denali for and they stop so you can see a wolf, maybe the one time in your like. Once when I was camping deep in the park, I was riding my bike alone on the road, and a wolf pack came up all around me, I experienced this all by myself, no crowds, no cars. It remains one of the cherished memories and a life of amazing memoiries. My advice is, to actually go on the website and do some research about this or any park before arriving, imagine actually planning for a once in a lifetime experience. The bottome line is, Denali offers something for everyone, true back country experinces like Packrafting or Mountaineering or packaged bus rides and stays in Hotels. You can mingle or you can be completely alone in the middle of summer. How many parks can say that? read more

Denali National Park - Wonder Lake September. - Parks Near Me

Size doesn't matter ... if it's big. Denali is huge and deeply satisfying. The national park is 6 million acres (6,045,153 to be exact ... or 9,446 sq miles) of wild nature ranging from low-elevation boreal forests to alpine tundra and the tallest mountain in North America: Denali (the 20,310' mountain formerly known as Mount McKinley). Denali National Park is bigger than 6 entire U.S. states ... and served by a single 92-mile road (Denali Park Road) to Wonder Lake. Most of the road is limited to park-operated bus traffic with private vehicles allowed to only drive a small 15-mile section near the entrance in summer. Along the route and at various stops, you'll see wildlife in the wild and nature at its most unspoiled. Tours: * 3 bus tours with narration from late May to early September * Natural History Tour ($80 - 4.5 hrs & limited wildlife) * Tundra Wilderness Tour ($136 - 8 hrs & more wildlife) * Kantishna Experience Tour ($208 - 12 hrs over the entire road) * Plan to ride long hours in a rustic old-style school bus * All start at the Denali Visitor Center * Free (without guide) bus routes are Savage River & Riley Creek Tips: * Check the NPS site for season hours and tickets * Bring binoculars, camera, and batteries for the day * Also bring food & water (pack in / pack out) * Wear layers and rain gear as needed * Camping is a popular option with different bus options * See the famous 1929 Sled Dog Kennels & show (9:00a - 4:30p) * You will likely NOT see Denali's peak except on VERY clear days * Check out the webcams & weather pages for conditions * The Alaska Railroad goes through the park Facts: * Native Athabascans originated the name Denali (The High One) * Declared a National Park February 26, 1917 * Designated in 1976 by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve * Renamed and tripled in size on December 2, 1980 * Ranks 3rd in the U.S. for total size (after 2 other Alaska parks) * A record 642,809 visitors came to Denali in 2017 * 15% of park's land area is covered with glaciers * That is down 8% from 1950! * About 3,000 earthquakes hit the park each year * Largest was 7.9 quake on November 3, 2002 * 80 inches of average annual snowfall varies greatly by elevation * Sled dog teams patrol over 3,000 miles each winter * 39 species of mammals are found in Denali National Park * Like Grizzly Bears, Gray Wolves, Caribou, Moose, & Dall's Sheep * Over 100 birds breed in the park * 14 types of fish are native * Of course, plant, tree, moss, & lichen species are also diverse * First summit of Denali North Peak: April 3, 1910 * First summit of Denail South Peak (true summit): June 7, 1913 * Shortest day is Dec 21: 4 hrs, 21 min of daylight * Longest day is June 21: 20 hrs, 49 min of daylight Denali National Park and Preserve is huge and deeply satisfying. It's sheer size provides visitors about six million ways to experience tranquility, view wildlife, or discover nature. read more

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Beautiful national park not accessible via private cars.. you need to book one of their transit buses to tour the park or camp in there..lucky to see alot of wild life-caribou, mama bear with 2 cubs, moose, eagles, dall sheeps, etc.. scenic drive to the end of the park with amazing view points of Mt. Denali and reflection lake etc.. it is a lonnng drive 11-13hrs to and fro if you want to go to the furthest point in the park..carry enough food and water to last you all day since there are no restaurants in the park.. the restrooms are surprisingly very very clean at all times and you can see the folks maintain it for their customers.. enjoy your day at the park if your lucky to camp this is one hell of a camp spot.. read more

We had such an extraordinary stay at Denali National Park and Preserve back in June, 2015. On a two week Alaskan road trip of sorts, we traveled to Denali in the wee hours of the morning from Talkeetna. Unfortunately any sort of check in station was closed upon our 1:30am arrival but there were spaces available in the camp ground so we kind of had no choice but to help ourselves. Don't get me wrong, we weren't anticipating arriving at 1:30am and we weren't anticipating sleeping in our rental car, either. We made things right in the morning, paying a ridiculous amount to take a shower. In campgrounds I am familiar with, showers are included in the price of your campsite. Not so in Denali, it costs additional money and the shower is limited to 10 or 15 minutes. I had plenty of time to lather up, shampoo, and condition so not to worry about the time frame. Anyways, we woke up after the adventurous evening, showered, and proceeded to venture up to Fairbanks, Alaska for the nearest Western Union. At this point, my travel companion lost her wallet for the second time in two weeks! Upon arriving back in Denali, we hiked one of the trails near the Denali Visitor Center while we waited for our Couchsurfing host to finish with work. We hit another Couchsurfing lottery with our host. She happened to be a park ranger and we were able to stay right in her house IN the National Park, seriously, so awesome. Highlights of our time in Denali were hiking, taking a tour of the sled dog kennel, holding the newborn puppies!, and the bus tour to Eielson Visitor Center in which we saw a bear (!!!). There are also a couple hikes at the Eielson Visitor Center, one very easy and one much more difficult... I never thought the difficult one would end but I'm proud to say we made it to the top and were greeted with such spectacular views. Everyone we came in contact with from the people working in the gift shop to the rangers to the bus tour guide were amazing. Everyone really appeared to love their jobs, the park, and nature as a whole. Another highlight? We're members of the 30% club as we were able to see Mt. McKinley! Denali is a huge national park, I believe there are six million acres in total! You can only drive up to a certain point so I highly recommend the bus tours. There are a variety of options (and prices). Our bus tour proved to be well worth it as we saw numerous moose, bear, deer, birds, etc. There's also an abundance of different terrains, tundra, snowy mountains, forest, etc. Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in North America and has an ecosystem of its own. Denali is definitely an awesome National Park and worth a trip there!!! read more

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Yes yes yes!! If you're in the area this is a must!! Love this park!! How to get here? Most likely by car... Or train... Go early to the bus depot to book your ride into the park. It books up early and since these buses are a long journey, be prepared to start early!!! Like 7am. Pack enough water and snacks that you think you'll need. And probably lunch too... There are some water refill stations at the big stops. Go at least to Eilson or else it's not really worth it. If you have more time go to Wonder lake... Both will be the whole day... Ask the rangers for more info but both end stops have a view of Denali if it's a clear day!! And just go if it's a clear day!! Around the visitors center are a few trails. Good diversion into the wilderness... Also hit up the sled dog kennels. Pet the dogs. And watch the demo!!! So interesting! Not to mention just wander around... There's so much to do here I would budget at least 3-4 days here... And it many not be enough!! read more

Denali National Park - The road... On the green bus... - Parks Near Me

This place is awl inspired! Mountains as far as the eye can see. Wildlife almost everwhere. Lots of camping spots and even RV dump stations. Meet a few fellower teavels. Everyone in this park is so nice. The view's on many hikes were totally amazing. This park is just so big! I didn't get to see it all and spent 3 days in this park. Totally amazing. Took a bus tour that ran for 6 hours. The bus got so close to cliffs, I got nervous thinking omg this is the end. Lol! Saw a few moose and sheep. Sadly it stated raining my first day in the park and never stopped. Even with the rain this place is wonderful and great! Everyone should come here at least once in your life! read more

The best season to come is late August and early September, colorful autumn! read more

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Alaska - Denali National Park When planning a trip to Denali National Park aka Mt. McKinley you 1st need to decide how you will get there example 1) drive yourself 2) take a motor coach bus 3) take a luxury train from Anchorage or from Fairbanks or 4) take a pricy flight. 2nd you need to decide if you want to 1) camp in the park or 2) just take a day trip tour into the park. I did not camp I took a day tour. If you also choose a day trip you would need to decide how far you want to tour into the park. The park offers 4 different tour options. The further into the park you want to explore via bus, the longer your bus tour will last, the more opportunity you will have to view wildlife and the higher the cost of your tour. The longer your tour is the more opportunity you will have to see wildlife and the shorter your tour is decreases the duration of these possibilities. Out of the 4 options the park offers I choose to take "The Kantishna Experience Tour" it is the longest in time and miles into the park and it's the higher priced tour costing $175 for just myself. My thought was "I'm here I might as well see the park to the end" and I'm so glad I chose The Kantishna Experience Tour. I recommend taking The Kantishna Tour, it's 11-12 hours and it covers about 180 miles total. The tour includes a cold sack lunch and a bottle of water. I would bring extra snacks and beverages. They also provide you with a mosquito head net. They advertise that they offer hotel pick up however I would double check if your hotel is on their list of hotels they provide service to. I drove myself from Anchorage to the park so I had a vehicle to drive from my hotel to the "WAC" = Wilderness Access Center = the location at the park where the tours leave from. There is a large area to park your vehicle free while you are on your tour. The Kantishna Experience Tour completely met my expectations. I was able to see roughly 10-12 bear, caribou, mountain sheep and moose. The scenery itself is beautiful as well as the mountain. The tour bus itself is literally a school bus, it is not a luxury bus and it does not have bathroom facilities on it but there are frequent stops for the purpose of using facilities (going to the restroom). On the bus you are able to slide the windows down to take photographs however they do not allow you to exit off the bus to take photographs. The tour bus option is basically designed for people to stay on the bus and photograph from inside. I was able to take great photos. I would definitely recommend this specific tour. Although it's an all day tour it wasn't at all boring. I found it to be well worth the time and money. In closing I want to add that I stayed 3 nights at The Grande Denali Lodge. Its sets up on a hill that overlooks the river. It's only a 5 minute drive from the hotel to the park where the tours depart from. I would also recommend this hotel specifically with a balcony room that overlooks the Nenana River and the small town below. I wouldn't say it's a 5 star hotel but I would say the right room can offer a 5 star view. I suggest room 3241. I loved the rooms small private balcony and the amazing view. The staff offered friendly and professional customer service. I would have given this experience 5 stars but the clouds were out and I missed seeing the mountain. It was a great trip anyways seeing the bear cubs was unexpected! I hope this information is helpful. read more

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First I have to tell you that I am trying to visit all the National Parks. I have hit over 1/2. This park tops the list. Real nature. We saw moose, bears, Golden eagles, owls and snow hare. The rangers were super helpful. I went on a 2 mile hike by myself and ran into one of the biggest moose these eyes have seen, while scary this is why you come here. Throw in the tallest mountain in the U.S. and you have the Mecca of parks. Enjoy and take a few days. read more

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