Seeing the Park
Since private vehicles are only permitted along
the first 14 miles of the park road, to get around in the park you'll want to
take advantage of Denali's shuttle and tour bus systems. The park offers three
bus systems: 1) entrance
area shuttles, offering loop trips in the highly visited entrance area; 2)
park shuttle buses,
providing transportation to various points along the 89-mile park road (with
advanced reservations available); and 3) tour
buses, offering 3-hour natural history tours and 6-8 hour tundra wildlife
tours (with advance reservations available). Riding a bus enhances your
chances of spotting wildlife. You are sitting higher than if you were in a car
and there are many pairs of eyes watching.
If you're interested in flightseeing trips, air tour operators fly out of
Anchorage, Talkeetna, and the McKinley Park areas. Some choices available
include Denali Air, Talkeetna
Air Taxi, and Alpine Air Inc.
(I haven't used any of the air tour operators at Denali, so I am not
personally endorsing any of these companies).
Hiking
Denali offers hiking opportunities for both novice and experienced hikers. The
only maintained park trails, mostly short loops, are located near the hotel. You
can walk them on your own or join a scheduled ranger walk. Information on walks,
hikes, campground talks and other programs is available at the park visitor
center.
Other options include longer day
hikes or ranger- led Discovery
Hikes, which provide an excellent introduction to backcountry. Overnight
stays in the backcountry of Denali National Park require a free backcountry
permit. Permits are available at the Visitor Center during the summer months and
at Park Headquarters during the winter months. Permits are issued only one day
in advance; reservations are not accepted.
Mountaineering
For information on climbing Mount McKinley or Mount Foraker, including
registration information, mountaineering summaries, and climbing statistics, or
to receive a mountaineering booklet, see the Denali
Mountaineering page.
Educational Programs
The Denali Foundation offers outdoor educational programs for both youth and adults.
Fishing
Most park rivers contain a milky suspension of silt or rock flour that
fish cannot tolerate. Arctic grayling are caught in a few clear mountain
streams. Lake (mackinaw) trout are caught in Wonder Lake. No license is
necessary to fish in the Denali Wilderness.
Winter Activities
Riley Creek Campground is open year-round. Registration is not
required in the winter. Although the park road is closed to vehicle traffic, the backcountry is
accessible by your own snowshoes, skis, or dog sled. Check at the park
headquarters for weather conditions and backcountry permits.
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