Denali National Park and Preserve protects six million acres of tundra, braided rivers, and the Alaska Range, including North America’s highest peak. There’s one 92-mile road, limited private vehicle access, and plenty of wildlife: grizzlies, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves. A little planning goes a long way here.
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Quick facts
- Location: on the Parks Highway, about 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks. The Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star also stops at the park.
- Entrance fee: $15 per person (ages 16 and up) for seven days, or a $45 Denali annual pass. Payment is cashless. Interagency passes such as America the Beautiful are accepted (NPS fees).
- Main season: mid-May to mid-September, when buses run. The park stays open year-round, and winter visitors can ski, snowshoe, and see the aurora.
- The mountain’s name: the federal government restored the official name Mount McKinley in 2025, and the National Park Service uses that name for the peak. The park is still Denali National Park and Preserve, and many Alaskans still call the mountain Denali.
The park road and the Pretty Rocks landslide
Private vehicles can drive only the first 15 miles of the park road, to the Savage River area. Beyond that you need a bus. Since 2021, the Pretty Rocks landslide near mile 45 has blocked the road, so buses have turned around at East Fork (about mile 43). In 2026, a transit bus round trip to East Fork took about 4.5 hours and cost $33.50 per adult, with youth riding free (NPS bus information).
The NPS announced in September 2026 that the bridge over the Pretty Rocks landslide is complete, and it expects bus service farther west, toward Eielson and Wonder Lake, to resume in 2027. Confirm 2027 routes and dates when you book.
Reservations
Bus seats and campground sites for the next summer go on sale December 1, so 2027 reservations open December 1, 2026. Popular dates and campsites sell out early, especially with the road reopening. Book through the official concessioner linked from nps.gov/dena.
- Transit (green) buses are cheaper hop-on, hop-off buses. You can get off to hike and flag a later bus.
- Narrated tour (tan) buses include a naturalist guide and are the easiest option for most first-time visitors.
- Free shuttles connect the entrance area, the Denali Visitor Center, and the sled dog kennels.
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Things to do near the entrance
- Sled dog demonstrations. Denali is the only US national park with working sled dogs, which the rangers use to patrol in winter. The summer demonstrations at the kennels are free and need no reservation, but there’s no parking at the kennels, so take the free shuttle from the Denali Visitor Center (schedule).
- Hiking. Trails near the entrance include Horseshoe Lake, Mount Healy Overlook, and the Savage River Loop. The park is also known for off-trail hiking. Read the hiking guide and the NPS backcountry rules first.
- Rafting on the Nenana River, which runs along the park’s eastern edge. See rafting and kayaking.
- Browse guided options: Denali tours on Viator.
Flightseeing over the Alaska Range
Only about a third of summer visitors see the mountain’s summit, because it makes its own weather. A flightseeing trip from Talkeetna or the park entrance is the most reliable way to see the high peaks and glaciers up close, and some flights land on a glacier. As one example of 2026 pricing, Talkeetna-based K2 Aviation listed tours from about $470 per person, with glacier landings extra. Prices vary by operator and route. More in our flightseeing and bear viewing guide, or compare Denali flightseeing tours.
Where to stay
The area around the park entrance (sometimes called “Glitter Gulch”), Healy (about 11 miles north), and Cantwell (south) have hotels, cabins, and RV parks. Inside the park, there are six NPS campgrounds and a few private lodges near Kantishna at the end of the road. Talkeetna is a popular base for flightseeing on the south side. Compare Denali-area lodging on Booking.com or Talkeetna stays.
Wildlife safety
Stay at least 300 yards from bears and 25 yards from other wildlife, and never feed animals. If you’re traveling by bus, stay on the bus when the driver stops for wildlife. Pack layers and rain gear even in July. It can snow in any month at higher elevations.