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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve lies on the north flank
of the Alaska Range, 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
Originally established in 1917 as Mount McKinley National
Park, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
changed the park’s status and renamed it Denali 1980.
That legislation also enlarged the park from 3.2 million acres
to its present 6 million.
The park entrance is 237 highway miles north of Anchorage
and 124 miles south of Fairbanks via the Parks Highway. The
92-mile Park Road provides access to national park campgrounds
and to private lodges in the Kantishna area. The park has
2 visitors centers: one in the Riley Creek area near the park
entrance, and one—Eielson Visitor Center—at Mile
66 of the Park Road. Private vehicle traffic is restricted
beyond the Savage River checkpoint at Mile 15.
Visitor facilities within the park are limited. There are
6 campgrounds along the Park Road and 4 wilderness lodges
in the Kantishna area at the far western side of the park.
Lodges, cabins, campgrounds and restaurants catering to park
visitors are found along the Parks Highway between Cantwell
and Healy. A cluster of businesses about a mile north of the
park entrance forms Denali's commercial district, with numerous
hotels, restaurants, RV parks, a gas station with convenience
store, assorted shops and commercial outfitters.
The park shuttle bus service provides transportation for the
majority of the park's visitors. Some buses operate exclusively
in the entrance area, shuttling visitors between the visitor
center, Riley Creek Campground, the railroad depot, the sled
dog demonstrations and out to the Savage River area at Mile
5. Other buses travel beyond the vehicle check station at
Mile 15, providing service to Teklanika River and Wonder Lake
campgrounds and Eielson Visitor Center.
The park is open all year, although visitor access and visitor
facilities are seasonal. Most campgrounds, as well as food
and shuttle bus service within the park, are available only
from late May to early September. Opening dates for the visitor
centers, campgrounds and other park facilities and activities
are announced in the spring by the Park Service and depend
mainly on snow conditions in May. Closing dates for facilities
and activities are announced in the fall.
Visitors camping in the park or using the visitor transportation
system are charged an entrance fee. Fees are also charged
for the campgrounds and there is a nonrefundable processing
fee for campground reservations. Park shuttle bus tickets
and park campsites may be reserved. Reservation information
and forms are available on the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/dena.
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