Denali National Park

Bear Viewing, Wildlife Viewing, Flightseeing, Kantishna

Alaska’s Denali National Park is 238 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks and is more significant than Massachusetts.  This iconic U.S. national park is also one of the world’s last great frontiers for wilderness adventure.  Mountain Denali is North America’s highest peak at 20,320 feet.  Denali is an Athabascan name and stands for the “high one.” Its impressive vertical relief of 18,000 feet is even greater than Mount Everest’s and towers over the other mountains in the Alaska Range.

Many people discover more than they expected during their Denali National Park tour.  Denali National Park’s sub-arctic ecosystem supports abundant wildlife, including the “big 5”: Grizzly bears, Dall sheep, caribou, moose, and wolves.  Denali’s tundra landscape fills with wildflowers, and migrating birds visit the region throughout the summer.  The park’s 6 million acres of wilderness make Denali an explorer’s paradise, and with a wide variety of accommodations, it is a perfect addition to any Alaska vacation.

Denali National Park’s summer operating season is from mid-May to mid-September.  Besides a few lodges within the park, most of Denali’s hotels and activities are near the park entrance, including hiking, river rafting, and helicopter flightseeing tours.  The primary Denali Visitors Center at the park entrance is open daily from approximately 8 am to 6 pm during summer.  The visitor center has an enormous amount of information about the park, including displays, maps, and short films.  Ranger-guided hikes leave directly from the center and vary in length and activity level.  The Denali National Park rail depot is just a short walk from the visitor center.  There are two other information centers in the park, Eielson and Toklat, and a Ranger Station is located in the small town of Talkeetna, approximately 153 miles south of the Denali park entrance.

The park has only one road extending 91 miles from the park entrance to Kantishna. Only 15 miles of the road are open to private vehicles.  The park has scheduled shuttle bus transportation as well as guided road tours.  The tour buses depart from most of the Denali Park entrance hotels and the Wilderness Access Center.  For visitors interested in viewing wildlife, no trip to Denali would be complete without a bus tour into the park.

Several remote lodges are located within the park for those wishing to escape more profound into the wilderness of Denali.  These lodges offer all-inclusive overnight stays with comfortable accommodations in cabin or motel-style buildings.  They are less luxurious than some park-entrance hotels but have modern and tastefully decorated amenities.  All the lodges offer guided hikes and nature programs for their overnight guests, and a couple offer meals using produce grown on-site.  Kantishna Roadhouse and Denali Backcountry Lodge are located at the very end of the park road, while Camp Denali is on the rise with great views of Denali.  These lodges are a great way to get a more in-depth Denali wilderness experience.

Find out what you can discover on a visit to Denali National Park:

 

Choose from 46 vacations in Alaska related to Denali National Park

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Active Tour

“Active Alaska” Rail Package

Experience Alaska’s must do outdoor activities: raft, hike, kayak, even take a zipline tour! You start your trip in Fairbanks and travel to Denali where you raft and hike. Then continue south to Seward via Anchorage for a... Browse itinerary

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Grand Alaska Guided Bus Tour

Great option as a stand-alone touring program or as a comprehensive land tour before or after an Alaska cruise. There is spectacular mountain scenery every day, with local sightseeing insights from a professional guide the entire tour—first, journey... Browse itinerary

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Alaska by Rail Tour

Travel the entire Alaska Railroad in just nine days! Take the train from Anchorage to Seward, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. Cruise to an active glacier, jet boat on the Talkeetna River, view wildlife in Denali National Park and... Browse itinerary

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two people on the deck of a tour boat looking at a tidewater glacier

Glaciers and Wildlife Tour

Combining Anchorage, Seward, Talkeetna, and Denali, this tour provides wildlife viewing opportunities and scenic touring throughout. You travel by the Alaska Railroad to Seward and cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, well known for glacier scenery and viewing... Browse itinerary

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a GMC vehicle and a moose on a paved road in Alaska

All Alaska Classic Self Drive Tour

Explore three of Alaska's National Parks: Denali, Wrangell - St. Elias, and Kenai Fjords. Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities throughout. Travel on four designated National Scenic Byways showcasing Alaska's natural beauty with its jagged mountain peaks, lush alpine meadows,... Browse itinerary

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Denali & Glacier Experience

Travel along the scenic Seward and Portage Glacier Highways before entering the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the second-longest tunnel in North America. On arrival in Whittier, embark on the 26 Glacier Cruise with lunch. Enjoy viewing massive rivers... Browse itinerary

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a woman and two children sit on the shore of a glacial lake admiring Spencer Glacier

Family Fun Vacation by Car

An excellent family itinerary designed to allow for a leisurely travel pace with plenty of time for family-oriented activities. Top destinations include Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks. Touring highlights include riding aboard a "whistle stop" train operated... Browse itinerary

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Great Alaskan Road Trip

Explore Denali, Seward, and the Matanuska Valley with the freedom of a rental car. These three destinations complement each other with natural beauty from mountains to valleys to coastlines. The bus tour into Denali National Park is a... Browse itinerary

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Alaska Highlights Self-Drive Tour

This independent Alaska self-drive tour features many of the state's most popular attractions and scenic roadways. Visit Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park and the cities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez, and Seward. The circular... Browse itinerary

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Circle Alaska Adventure Tour

Ride the Alaska Railroad, explore Denali National Park, search for gold, meet a sled dog team, and much more! Travel abroad on the Alaska Railroad to Denali and Fairbanks and by car to Valdez, Seward, and Anchorage. We... Browse itinerary

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