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When people talk about Alaska, I feel like Denali is the first thing that pops into people's minds. We visited four of Alaska's national parks during our trip, and (somehow) Denali landed at the bottom of our list. That's not to say that it wasn't incredible (so much more incredible than a lot of other US National Parks), but compared to the remoteness of the others, Denali felt so much more commercialized. Despite that, Denali was absolutely beautiful and had so many different ways to take part in nature's beauty. We took the train up from Anchorage and spent 3.5 days exploring Denali. The weather was cloudy and rainy during our stay, but we still managed to be one of the 30% to see Denali. We knew the odds of us ever returning to Denali were low, so we ended up booking a flight tour of Denali. It gave us such incredible views of the mountain, and we learned so much about its history in the process. Definitely recommend taking a bus tour into the park. With the current road closure, you can only make it to mile marker 43 out of 90 miles, but it's such a beautiful drive and gives you the option to see so much wildlife. We ended up seeing bears, a moose, and some sheep. We just booked a seat on the Denali transit bus, so no narrated tour. But the peacefulness of the drive was wonderful, he still gave some nice information, and he stopped for close wildlife. Also really enjoyed the Horseshoe Lake Trail. Easy with gorgeous views. The Denali Village area has some good shops and restaurants, but it gets so busy. So be prepared to have long waits for food. But the ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT was getting to see the Sled Dog demonstration. So incredible. When you arrive, you get the chance to walk around the kennels, meet the dogs, and then pet them if they're open to it. We also got to listen to an information session about them and watch one of their live demonstrations. Best part of the trip. Overall, if the weather had been better during our stay, our review might have been a bit better - there were some more remote hikes that we wanted to do that just weren't feasible. Gorgeous park with so much to offer.
Unfortunately, due to the smoke from the Canada wildfires, we couldn't see Mt McKinley at all during our trip. Next time! I booked the 5:20am Tundra Wilderness tour. That was brutal, but well worth it. I was going back and forth about the non-narrated transit park bus that just makes stops vs the Tundra Wilderness tour. Glad I booked the Tundra Wilderness tour, as the seats were comfy, albeit tightly packed. This was better for my elderly parents. They also provided a snack box and water. Most importantly, our guide was full of knowledge and spotted a bunch of wildlife (moose, bears, sheep, birds). If you book this tour and have a national park pass, they will refund you $15/pp (up to 3 persons per card) if you show your ID and card at the desk. There is no private vehicle access to Denali after a few miles in, the bus being the exception. Due to a landslide, no one can get past Mile marker 43. It's still TBD when the work will be done. Going up to mile marker 43 and back, the tour was about five hours. We saw the dog sled demo which was informative and fun. They also had new puppies! On our own, we hiked Horseshoe Lake which is 2.5 miles round trip. At 10pm at night it was still light out and the water was so still: providing some amazing reflections! There's a beaver dam there but we didn't spot any beavers. The stairs uphill on the way back are not that bad. I just took some rest stops here and there.
There are a lot of scenic views. Dress warm. It is June and 40 degrees. Expect to see wildlife but not get photos. By the time you stop, they are gone. Can't wait to come back.
Moose sighting! [Denali Park AK] Denali National Park is known for its vast wilderness that is mostly untouched. It is the 20th least visited national park in the US (Dry Tortugas NP off the Key West in FL came in #9). Denali NP is also known for its wildlife that wander the amazing Alaska landscape. 80 - 90% of visitors see bears, sheep, and caribou (often from a distance). Only 20% of visitors see wolves. 35% see moose... and yay! I thought that moose love to wander alone but we got lucky and saw a group of them (at least four) at a nearby distance causing traffic from cars stopping to view them. We got as far as cars would allow into the park. After a certain point visitors would have to hop aboard one of the park buses. A park entrance fee and a separate fee for the non-narrated transit buses (green buses) have to be purchased. This would've been ideal for us to do (hop on, hop off) like they have it at the Grand Canyon in AZ. Narrated tour buses are tan-colored and will not stop to pick up hikers. Anyway, unfortunately, we were not aware of the reservation booking ahead of time and missed out. It was still a beautiful drive until the "end of the road" for us that couldn't drive in the park further. I'd love to go again... with reservations this time. Review #3145
Love love love this park! My husband and I came here in early July and just loved it! The park rangers were all super helpful and friendly. Gave us advice on which hikes to do, etc. We hiked the Savage Loop Trail, it's about 4 miles and 1500 ft in elevation. That was one of my favorites. We also hiked the Horeshoe Loop trail twice, and saw a moose and her calf in the waters. The third hike we did was the McKinley Station Trail. We took it to the 2nd suspension bridge and looped around. Great little hike right by the visitor center. This is just a lovely park and definitely worth exploring!
We had time restraints and only did the bare minimum for activities here. Saw 2 videos in the visitor center theaters, sled dog demo, small hike by visitor center, and another small trail by mile 15. Was very unimpressed with the variety of shirts in the gift shop. I didn't even purchase any souvenirs. If I come back, I will come back without older family members.
Just love this national park. Today was our first day of our second trip. Very little open in March but the visitor center was staffed with a wonderful young lady named Julia. Turns out that Julia just started in January and she loves her position with the NPS. She's from Wisconsin and a huge Packers fan. Very knowledgeable and informative. Gave us some much needed advice regarding the aurora borealis. Tammy The Tornado, Buster and I love Denali and look forward to our next visit ! I know there will be a time when I'm no longer on the road to Denali with the best woman in the world. I'm just happy I got to go everywhere with her while I'm still on the right side of the sod. My life with her was a dream. The little black Pom Pom in the photo was the best dog that ever lived too! Man was I one lucky man! I love you so much baby.
I love this park, it's absolutely beautiful despite the rainy weather. July apparently is rainy season in AK so unfortunately we haven't had a clear view of the Denali peak. Yesterday my family and family friends did the Wilderness Bus tour - although I had to miss it since my youngest wasn't feeling well. So I can't speak on that. Their feedback was that it was "ok". They saw a few animals and got water and a snack box on board. They said when wildlife was spotted, the driver would open the bus door and use a camera to zoom in in the wildlife so that he could show it on the TVs in the bus. Today we did the Horseshoe Lake Trail and had the opportunity to see mama moose and her two calves cross in front of us. Mom moose was actually about 3 feet away from my son who was running up the trail and didn't notice her, and I had to yell at him and his friends to back away from her so that she wouldn't charge at them! Scary but so cool. We then later saw them in the lake enjoying the water. We took the bus ride into the Sled Dog kennel area - the only National park with a kennel. That was a lot of fun. They are celebrating their centennial of the kennel opening. They have an area where you can pet some of the dogs and an area where you can see the one month old puppies - the centennial pups! Sooo cute! The demo is neat, they explain how each row of dogs are purposely positioned and how they determine which dogs are assigned where. I love national parks and this one is really special!
This is a pretty magical place. I highly recommend taking the Tundra Wilderness tour, which as of this review, goes to mile 43 (the park ends at around mile 92-93 at Kantishna), but also as of this review, a landslide at mile 45 in 2022 prevented the Tundra Wilderness tour from going any further into the park. That said, I'm not sure if that tour went any further even before the landslide. On a clear day, you'll get great views of Denali. On a not so clear day, you will either get great views or non-views of the wildlife, contingent on fog. Common animal sightings here include, but are not limited to: grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, moose, dall sheep and ravens. You can drive into the park up to a certain point with your personal vehicle and there are a few campsites, but all of that requires special permits beyond my knowledge. Denali is a must-do if you are in Alaska.
Denali National Park was absolutely stunning. Well worth the 4 hour drive from Anchorage even if everything was closed.
I have to say that the park itself is amazing! So big and vast. Views are beautiful. Denali was cloud free today and visible for two days while we were here. So awesome. The tour was a pleasant drive. However when we stopped and Primrose Point, the lady that works for the parks department and a local native for generations, didn't say much about the mountains, the animals, or the land, she droned on and on about her ancestry and how her mother raised her. I came to see and hear about the area and the sites, not hear about someone's life history. That was disappointing.
I mean... it's friggin' Denali. This was the primary motivator for us driving 3.5k miles from Nevada all the way here in our Sprinter van. To sum it up: 1. Awesome, accessible sightseeing options for all levels of people: you can get on their famous in-park bus tours and sit on it for hours, go on-off and hike various established trails, or prep for a wilderness backpacking/camping trip if you've got the chops for it. 2. Plenty of wildlife abound, though honestly a lot of it you really need telephoto lenses and binoculars to see the more interesting stuff, as the wildlife intentionally do not try to wander too close to roads where the tourists go. 3. Campsites are great and plentiful, though: be prepared for cold/rain, it's Alaska after all, geez. If you want to see more stuff in a faster pace and it's a nice day, consider flightseeing with one of the many companies nearby too -- this place is on an Alaska-sized, Planet Earth tv show sort of majestic nature scale.
Denali National Park is beautiful, clean and offers a ton of activities. The welcome center was great and they have a shop next door full of souvenirs. Although you can only drive out to mile marker 15, the views are amazing. I had the opportunity while here to renew my annual national park pass. I highly recommend visiting Denali if you ever are in Alaska!
I think one of our favorite parks. There's not many trails. You definitely have to blaze your own! The scenery is great (not as much wildlife as I expected). It's nice that the public can't go the whole distance thru, that way it keeps traffic minimal and doesn't disturb the wildlife. read more
Visiting Denali National Park was nothing short of breathtaking -- a true wilderness experience that takes your breath away in both scale and beauty. From the moment we arrived, the immense landscape of tundra, mountains, and glaciers stretched out before us, reminding us how small we really are in the natural world. The vast open spaces encourage slow exploration, whether you're on a bus tour, hiking along a riverside, or just stopping to watch wildlife. We saw moose, caribou, and even distant bears -- real wild animals in their natural habitat -- which was unforgettable. The shuttle system into the park (which limits private vehicles) makes sense given how pristine this place is kept, though it does mean planning ahead and sometimes long days on the bus. We learned that weather can be unpredictable -- Denali itself was hidden in clouds a good part of our visit -- but even without a clear view of the peak, the surroundings were spectacular. The hiking opportunities are more backcountry-oriented, so if you love getting off the beaten path and embracing rugged terrain, Denali delivers. If you're expecting paved trails and easy viewpoints like other national parks, you might find it a bit raw -- but that's exactly why we loved it. All told, Denali is a must-visit for anyone who wants to experience true Alaskan wilderness -- rich wildlife, dramatic landscapes, and a sense of isolation that few other parks offer. Just pack warm layers, be ready for limited services, and give yourself time to soak it all in. read more
When people talk about Alaska, I feel like Denali is the first thing that pops into people's minds. We visited four of Alaska's national parks during our trip, and (somehow) Denali landed at the bottom of our list. That's not to say that it wasn't incredible (so much more incredible than a lot of other US National Parks), but compared to the remoteness of the others, Denali felt so much more commercialized. Despite that, Denali was absolutely beautiful and had so many different ways to take part in nature's beauty. We took the train up from Anchorage and spent 3.5 days exploring Denali. The weather was cloudy and rainy during our stay, but we still managed to be one of the 30% to see Denali. We knew the odds of us ever returning to Denali were low, so we ended up booking a flight tour of Denali. It gave us such incredible views of the mountain, and we learned so much about its history in the process. Definitely recommend taking a bus tour into the park. With the current road closure, you can only make it to mile marker 43 out of 90 miles, but it's such a beautiful drive and gives you the option to see so much wildlife. We ended up seeing bears, a moose, and some sheep. We just booked a seat on the Denali transit bus, so no narrated tour. But the peacefulness of the drive was wonderful, he still gave some nice information, and he stopped for close wildlife. Also really enjoyed the Horseshoe Lake Trail. Easy with gorgeous views. The Denali Village area has some good shops and restaurants, but it gets so busy. So be prepared to have long waits for food. But the ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT was getting to see the Sled Dog demonstration. So incredible. When you arrive, you get the chance to walk around the kennels, meet the dogs, and then pet them if they're open to it. We also got to listen to an information session about them and watch one of their live demonstrations. Best part of the trip. Overall, if the weather had been better during our stay, our review might have been a bit better - there were some more remote hikes that we wanted to do that just weren't feasible. Gorgeous park with so much to offer. read more
Unfortunately, due to the smoke from the Canada wildfires, we couldn't see Mt McKinley at all during our trip. Next time! I booked the 5:20am Tundra Wilderness tour. That was brutal, but well worth it. I was going back and forth about the non-narrated transit park bus that just makes stops vs the Tundra Wilderness tour. Glad I booked the Tundra Wilderness tour, as the seats were comfy, albeit tightly packed. This was better for my elderly parents. They also provided a snack box and water. Most importantly, our guide was full of knowledge and spotted a bunch of wildlife (moose, bears, sheep, birds). If you book this tour and have a national park pass, they will refund you $15/pp (up to 3 persons per card) if you show your ID and card at the desk. There is no private vehicle access to Denali after a few miles in, the bus being the exception. Due to a landslide, no one can get past Mile marker 43. It's still TBD when the work will be done. Going up to mile marker 43 and back, the tour was about five hours. We saw the dog sled demo which was informative and fun. They also had new puppies! On our own, we hiked Horseshoe Lake which is 2.5 miles round trip. At 10pm at night it was still light out and the water was so still: providing some amazing reflections! There's a beaver dam there but we didn't spot any beavers. The stairs uphill on the way back are not that bad. I just took some rest stops here and there. read more
2 years ago
Moose sighting! [Denali Park AK] Denali National Park is known for its vast wilderness that is mostly untouched. It is the 20th least visited national park in the US (Dry Tortugas NP off the Key West in FL came in #9). Denali NP is also known for its wildlife that wander the amazing Alaska landscape. 80 - 90% of visitors see bears, sheep, and caribou (often from a distance). Only 20% of visitors see wolves. 35% see moose... and yay! I thought that moose love to wander alone but we got lucky and saw a group of them (at least four) at a nearby distance causing traffic from cars stopping to view them. We got as far as cars would allow into the park. After a certain point visitors would have to hop aboard one of the park buses. A park entrance fee and a separate fee for the non-narrated transit buses (green buses) have to be purchased. This would've been ideal for us to do (hop on, hop off) like they have it at the Grand Canyon in AZ. Narrated tour buses are tan-colored and will not stop to pick up hikers. Anyway, unfortunately, we were not aware of the reservation booking ahead of time and missed out. It was still a beautiful drive until the "end of the road" for us that couldn't drive in the park further. I'd love to go again... with reservations this time. Review #3145 read more
3 years ago
Love love love this park! My husband and I came here in early July and just loved it! The park rangers were all super helpful and friendly. Gave us advice on which hikes to do, etc. We hiked the Savage Loop Trail, it's about 4 miles and 1500 ft in elevation. That was one of my favorites. We also hiked the Horeshoe Loop trail twice, and saw a moose and her calf in the waters. The third hike we did was the McKinley Station Trail. We took it to the 2nd suspension bridge and looped around. Great little hike right by the visitor center. This is just a lovely park and definitely worth exploring! read more
2 years ago
We had time restraints and only did the bare minimum for activities here. Saw 2 videos in the visitor center theaters, sled dog demo, small hike by visitor center, and another small trail by mile 15. Was very unimpressed with the variety of shirts in the gift shop. I didn't even purchase any souvenirs. If I come back, I will come back without older family members. read more
2 years ago
Just love this national park. Today was our first day of our second trip. Very little open in March but the visitor center was staffed with a wonderful young lady named Julia. Turns out that Julia just started in January and she loves her position with the NPS. She's from Wisconsin and a huge Packers fan. Very knowledgeable and informative. Gave us some much needed advice regarding the aurora borealis. Tammy The Tornado, Buster and I love Denali and look forward to our next visit ! I know there will be a time when I'm no longer on the road to Denali with the best woman in the world. I'm just happy I got to go everywhere with her while I'm still on the right side of the sod. My life with her was a dream. The little black Pom Pom in the photo was the best dog that ever lived too! Man was I one lucky man! I love you so much baby. read more
I love this park, it's absolutely beautiful despite the rainy weather. July apparently is rainy season in AK so unfortunately we haven't had a clear view of the Denali peak. Yesterday my family and family friends did the Wilderness Bus tour - although I had to miss it since my youngest wasn't feeling well. So I can't speak on that. Their feedback was that it was "ok". They saw a few animals and got water and a snack box on board. They said when wildlife was spotted, the driver would open the bus door and use a camera to zoom in in the wildlife so that he could show it on the TVs in the bus. Today we did the Horseshoe Lake Trail and had the opportunity to see mama moose and her two calves cross in front of us. Mom moose was actually about 3 feet away from my son who was running up the trail and didn't notice her, and I had to yell at him and his friends to back away from her so that she wouldn't charge at them! Scary but so cool. We then later saw them in the lake enjoying the water. We took the bus ride into the Sled Dog kennel area - the only National park with a kennel. That was a lot of fun. They are celebrating their centennial of the kennel opening. They have an area where you can pet some of the dogs and an area where you can see the one month old puppies - the centennial pups! Sooo cute! The demo is neat, they explain how each row of dogs are purposely positioned and how they determine which dogs are assigned where. I love national parks and this one is really special! read more
1 year ago
This is a pretty magical place. I highly recommend taking the Tundra Wilderness tour, which as of this review, goes to mile 43 (the park ends at around mile 92-93 at Kantishna), but also as of this review, a landslide at mile 45 in 2022 prevented the Tundra Wilderness tour from going any further into the park. That said, I'm not sure if that tour went any further even before the landslide. On a clear day, you'll get great views of Denali. On a not so clear day, you will either get great views or non-views of the wildlife, contingent on fog. Common animal sightings here include, but are not limited to: grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, moose, dall sheep and ravens. You can drive into the park up to a certain point with your personal vehicle and there are a few campsites, but all of that requires special permits beyond my knowledge. Denali is a must-do if you are in Alaska. read more
I have to say that the park itself is amazing! So big and vast. Views are beautiful. Denali was cloud free today and visible for two days while we were here. So awesome. The tour was a pleasant drive. However when we stopped and Primrose Point, the lady that works for the parks department and a local native for generations, didn't say much about the mountains, the animals, or the land, she droned on and on about her ancestry and how her mother raised her. I came to see and hear about the area and the sites, not hear about someone's life history. That was disappointing. read more
5 years ago
I mean... it's friggin' Denali. This was the primary motivator for us driving 3.5k miles from Nevada all the way here in our Sprinter van. To sum it up: 1. Awesome, accessible sightseeing options for all levels of people: you can get on their famous in-park bus tours and sit on it for hours, go on-off and hike various established trails, or prep for a wilderness backpacking/camping trip if you've got the chops for it. 2. Plenty of wildlife abound, though honestly a lot of it you really need telephoto lenses and binoculars to see the more interesting stuff, as the wildlife intentionally do not try to wander too close to roads where the tourists go. 3. Campsites are great and plentiful, though: be prepared for cold/rain, it's Alaska after all, geez. If you want to see more stuff in a faster pace and it's a nice day, consider flightseeing with one of the many companies nearby too -- this place is on an Alaska-sized, Planet Earth tv show sort of majestic nature scale. read more
Denali National Park is beautiful, clean and offers a ton of activities. The welcome center was great and they have a shop next door full of souvenirs. Although you can only drive out to mile marker 15, the views are amazing. I had the opportunity while here to renew my annual national park pass. I highly recommend visiting Denali if you ever are in Alaska! read more
2 years ago
Gorgeous, just gorgeous! We saw lots of wildlife, and our guide was well versed in all things Denali! He showed us where to look for creatures and explained life in Denali at any point of the year! Go see this gorgeous park! read more
Beautiful park. Great trails. Cool sled dogs (definitely go see the kennels). We saw bears, moose, caribou and chipmunks. Only down sides: A lot of the ranger activities were cancelled and access too the park is limited because of the single road. Because of road collapse, you can only go about 45 miles in, and have to pay for that and book and ride a special bus. It's an expensive area because there is nothing but the park and the tourist businesses. read more
Something about springtime when the birds are flying around teaching their young, the bears frolicking in the streams boasting with fish as if taunting the wildlife to feast. The momma moose with their young strolling amongst the chartreuse mossy paths and leafy brush filled with delectable edible flowers and grasses. It's all so beautiful only.....I saw absolutely no wildlife except maybe one bird in flight but it was so far away I lost interest. It was as if all of nature was hiding behind the forest growth, keeping quiet until I left the area at which time all the animals would come out and party and laugh knowing they fooled me. The flora part of flora and fauna was pretty to look at and meander on the well maintained foot paths. Fauna wasn't present today, no idea why - I half thought a bear was in close proximity and all the animals left Dodge but me and I was destined to be food. But no (thank goodness), not an animal to witness, but I did note the bear tracks I spotted as I was making my way back to the visitors center. Forgot to take a photo, but I did get a couple of nice flora shots, so I'll have some lovely memories. The train depot stops right at the entrance of the park; a nice day trip from Fairbanks. Free park entrance and bus tour options ranging in price depending on the itinerary. Lovely day, just wish I saw some wildlife. read more
3 years ago
This national park is so beautiful. We were able to see Mt. denali on a clear day, which was a true treat. The park rangers are so nice and the bus tour is a great way to see the parts of the park you can't drive to. Don't miss the dog sledding demonstration! That was also a real treat. read more
I absolutely loved Denali National Park during the fall, the blanket of yellow, orange, red and green tresses was just incredible to look at. The park is so well kept - very clean and easy to maneuver, staff is friendly and informative. There is only one road so you will not get lost unless you are hiking on your own. I was also surprised to learn that park is open 24/7 and the visitor's center is a good spot to see the northern lights, we were not that lucky but maybe next time. There are about 10 different hikes that you can go on just from the visitor's center so if you have a limited time, you can see a lot in one day. My favorite one was the horseshoe loop which is around a lake and we were able to see a moose there, about 2 miles loop. So the one road is 92 miles long and at mile 15 you cannot go further unless you have a permit or you book a bus shuttle ride to mile 66 which we did, it did rain on and off but the ride is pretty and the views on mile 66 are just breath taking, you get an hour there so can go on a hike, I think there are three options of different hikes. Make sure you pack water and food for the six hours day trip becasue they are not provided. We spend three days at Denali and did not have a bear spray just FYI and we did only the designated hikes, we did not veer off on our own. CC accepted. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Love Denali area. This is the must go to while in Alaska because of what it offer and it's accessible. Best bet is to get a bus trip going at the bus depot. Out and back to the eilson visitor center is my recommendation. We saw bears, moose, birds, Dahl sheep, caribou. What a great experience!!!! read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
4 years ago
Beautiful and untouched 600 million acres. Very rugged terrain and authentic vegetation. Beautiful rivers and streams with the occasional wild life sighting. read more
Denali National Park proves that wilderness is not convenient. I mean, that's common sense, but you'd be surprised how hard it is for the average American to understand that true wilderness does not have easily accessible paths, loop trails, or cafes every 10 miles. All of which is my way of describing the mindset of Denali National Park--the place exists to keep the wild . . . well, wild. 6 million acres of national park land that has one 90 mile road carved through it (and only 15 miles of that road are drive-able unless you're on a sanctioned park bus). Denali does not exist primarily for the visitors. It's primarily designed to be wilderness and reserved for the animals. The big plus here is the wild. Land that is left for the animals, the ice, and the weather. It allows for the large mammals to wander, to struggle and survive in their own element. And there's plenty of benefit in that for the visitor. Take a park shuttle bus and you're likely to see most of the "Big 5" mammals of North America: grizzly bear, wolf, moose (excluding the other 2--bison and elk--which really don't exist in Alaska). Even behind the steel of a touring steel school bus, the site of a grizzly rumbling along the tundra will quicken your heartbeat. The major cons: - Well, wilderness costs a lot of money. So expect to pay here--for buses, for food, for lodging. - Long bus rides -- you'll get to see alot of wildlife, but you'll also be sitting a long time (11 hr bus ride out to Mirror Lake for the chance to see Mt Denali/McKinley). It can be fun, but the more active visitor will find the long wait without an exercise to be tiring. - Hiking is tough to arrange, so plan ahead of time. It will seem counter-intuitive, but the park is not designed to get hikers out on the trail. There are a few, short hikes laid out by the park service, but if you want a longer hike in Denali, you'll be bushwhacking. Sounds like fun until you remember that you're bushwhacking in bear country. So, you're gonna need a hiking guide if you want to do more than 2-3 mile hikes. Beyond that, my advice is 1) read up on the park and what to do when encountering moose or bears and 2) prepare, prepare, prepare, and 3) ask someone what all you need to bring. Check off that list and you'll have fun. read more
We were able to spend a couple of days at Denali National Park as a side trip before starting our Alaska cruise. We stayed at a rustic sort of lodge just outside the park and our package included the bus transfers to and from the park Visitor Center for the day. In order to go deep into Denali National Park you must ride on the park buses that depart from the Visitor Center. Private vehicles like RVs can only go about 20 miles in to a campsite located there. When we first arrived at the Denali National Park Visitors Center we watched a short movie about the history of Denali National Park. Then we boarded our bus for the excursion into the park. Before we even really got into the park, not very far from the visitors center, we stopped and saw right alongside us maybe 10-15 feet from the bus in the trees a mother and baby moose! They were the only ones we saw all day. Fortunately, we did see all kinds of other wildlife, including bears, caribou, and mountain goats as we made our way through the various areas in the park (DISCLAIMER: I'm not a naturalist or veterinarian so if I say goat and it is a sheep or I say caribou and it is an elk or reindeer, I am NOT responsible for leading you astray...use Google). The scenery throughout Denali was spectacular and we were also able to get fairly clear views of Mt. McKinley, as well. We were told that only about a third of visitors to the park for a short visit are able to see Mt. McKinley as it is often clouded over. So we were finally able to check interior Alaska off our list. And, yes, of course I bought a shirt at the gift shop! read more
8 years ago
We left Denali's River Salvage Campground with no intention of coming back to an overrated and overhyped and poorly run park. Took us 3 months to reserve a spot. Like everyone else, we have not seen Denali interior, only seen pictures of majestic peaks, valleys, lakes, animals grazing everywhere from other visitors and local guides. According to prior instructions from the Ranger, we pick one of the 32 sites to call it home for the next few days. Also you can move to any other sites if it has not tagged. Majestic view? most likely you will have no majestic view of the famed mountain from anywhere in its 32 sites, nor beautiful lake, nor undulating landscape... nope, just jungle of spruce after spruce. Granted, some said that majestic views can be had on the hiking trails, further inside park interior, or from the air... then these folks should checkout Banff NP, Jasper NP, Grand Teton NP, Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP... just to name a few! Wild animals? no mammal larger than 1lbs visit our campsite, on trails, or at lookouts... just a rude camp host came by twice in less than 24hrs period to tell us to put away trailer wipe towels to avoid bears! Dirt wiping trailer towels attract bears? We assured the camp hostess there is absolutely no food scent on those towels, they just hangout to dry after a very wet days. Early next morning, same hostess arrived she and tell us to pack up the stove that we used to cook breakfast mere minutes ago! We told her that we are not about to put a hot stove into the trailer or truck until it has cool down to the touch, period. Irritate from her pestering and we showed it, she pulling her bicycle back and mumbling some apologies. Watching her taken off, we remembered her advise yesterday about bear deterrence... to make noise and waving your arms to scare it off, and who doesn't know Timothy Treadwell, the bear expert whom bear knowledge and agonizing screams didn't deter the bear, as well as Treadwell's girlfriend banging on pan and loud screaming didn't deter the bear either. We told the camp hostess that we always carry bear spray canisters and know how to use it. She advises to use it within 10ft of the charging bear! What? 30ft-40ft is what we've trained to do. Also, bear spray doesn't work on all bears, that is safeguard distance to take secondary action. More bear/moose deterrence training for Park employee, definitely! Watch animals grazing and foraging? sure, we have fleeting glimpse of moose butt here and there before it disappear behind the shrubs, or an elk at a nose bleed distance away, or common marmot perching on a rock. Even thought we carry both binocular and zoom lenses. We see more animals outside of Denali, than inside the park. Tuning her out and say goodbye to Denali after staying on the first day (even thought we booked 2 days) so we can have better vacation elsewhere in this beautiful Alaska. read more
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Denali National Park - hiking - Updated August 2026
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