Denali National Park & Preserve
Denali is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, 20,310' Mount McKinley. Wild animals large and small roam un-fenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Road Open To: Mile 30 (Teklanika River)
The Denali Park Road is open to Mile 30, Teklanika River. Please stay alert for heavy equipment traveling on the park road.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonDenali charges an entrance fee year-round. Youth age 15 or younger are free. For people age 16 or older, the $15 entrance fee provides a 7-day entrance permit. Be prepared to show your receipt or pass (digital or physical) if requested by park staff. | $15 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkThe Denali Annual Pass covers up to four adults. You may purchase it online or in person at the park. | $45 | |
Denali charges an entrance fee year-round. Youth age 15 or younger are free. The America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series (Interagency Passes) are accepted. Be prepared to show your receipt or pass (digital or physical) if requested by park staff.
Hours
| All Park Hours | Daily · All Day |
When to go
August draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Riley Creek ↗ | 142 sites | |
| $49.25 a night · Open year-round. Camping is free except in summer, which runs from early- to mid-May until mid-September. Check-in / out is 11 am in summer. · Books through reservedenali.com | ||
| Savage River ↗ | 32 sites | |
| $49.25 a night · Closed Sep 15 to May 19 · Books through reservedenali.com | ||
| Sanctuary River ↗ | 7 sites | |
| $25.25 a night · Closed Sep 11 to May 19 · Books through reservedenali.com | ||
| Teklanika River ↗ | 53 sites | |
| $40.25 a night · Closed Sep 12 to May 19 · Books through reservedenali.com | ||
| Igloo Creek ↗ | 7 sites | |
| $25.25 a night · Closed Sep 11 to May 19 · 5 reservable, 2 first-come | ||
Show all 6 campgroundsHide
| Wonder Lake ↗ | 28 sites | |
| $9.50 a night · Currently closed until further notice. · Books through reservedenali.com | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Denali Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Open in summer only, this is the main visitor center near the park entrance. During the summer, you can explore exhibits, watch the park film, pay the park entrance fee, and talk with a ranger.
- Murie Science and Learning Center ↗Passport stamp
The Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) is located at Mile 1.3 of the Denali Park Road at the entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve. In winter, the MSLC is Denali’s Winter Visitor Center.
- Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station ↗Passport stamp
Located in the town of Talkeetna, about 100 miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve, this ranger station serves as the center of mountaineering operations.
- Denali Bus DepotPassport stamp
This summer facility is operated by our concessionaire rather than by the National Park Service. It is the primary place to buy bus tickets, arrange for stays in park campgrounds, or to check in for an existing reservation. Coffee and grab-and-go food is also available for purchase.
- Indoor Picnic Area
A heated building, called the Indoor Picnic Area, is located next door to the Murie Science and Learning Center. Open in winter only, mid-October to mid-April. Restrooms and a water bottle filling station are available. Food service is not provided, so bring your own food to eat.
- Eielson Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Eielson Visitor Center is located at Mile 66 of the Denali Park Road. Due to the ongoing Pretty Rocks landslide and the closure of the park road at Mile 42, Eielson is currently closed.
Explore
Things to do
- Sightsee on a Denali Tour Bus4-6 Hours
Summer sight-seeing in Denali is mainly done by bus, and there are several trips to choose from. Narrated tour bus trips are more expensive than non-narrated transit buses.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore Mountain Vista & Savage River2-6 Hours
While most of Denali’s sole road is restricted just to bus traffic, anybody can drive out to Mountain Vista and Savage River. Located about 15 miles inside the park, the area is scenic, featuring several trails (some short, one long) and a picnic…
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike a Short Trail From the Denali Visitor Center1-3 Hours
At 6 million acres in size, Denali is incredibly vast, and hiking is possible almost anywhere in the park. However, there are only a handful of established trails in the park, and here you'll find a few suggestions for one or more short hikes from…
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore Denali's Winter Trails1-12 Hours
Whether on foot, skis or snowshoes, winter is a great time for you to explore Denali! Snow starts falling as early as September, although in some years the conditions aren't good for skiing until December, and it sticks around until April or May.
Opens on the Park Service site - Bike the Denali Park Road1-12 Hours
Biking the Denali Park Road is a rewarding way to explore the park at a slower speed than vehicles allow. Experience a variety of terrain over the course of just a few hours as you pedal from forested areas up to expansive views of the tundra, then…
Opens on the Park Service site - Berry Picking in Denali
Alaska is well known for it’s amazing and abundant berries in August and September—just ask any of the grizzly bears in Denali! A family friendly activity would be to strike off into the tundra and search for berries.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Discover the Boreal Forest: Identify Plants While Hiking in Denali1-4 Hours
Denali is home to a beautiful variety of plant species, from tall Aspen trees to short Moss campion. With a diversity of habitat types that support water-loving to drought-tolerant plants, Denali is an excellent place to immerse yourself in the…
Opens on the Park Service site - Sightsee on a Denali Transit Bus6-12 Hours
Summer sight-seeing in Denali is mainly done by bus, and there are several trips to choose from. Transit bus trips are the cheapest and most flexible option, although they aren't narrated.
Opens on the Park Service site - Viewing Wildlife in Denali6-12 Hours
Denali provides habitat for 39 species of mammals, 169 species of birds, 14 species of fish, and one species of amphibian The large animals that are often the most sought after can be surprisingly elusive.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking Off Trail in Denali2-12 Hours
Denali National Park and Preserve has very few formal trails for a park of its size, but hiking off trail offers limitless opportunities for recreation and exploration.
Opens on the Park Service site - Backpacking in Denali2 Days
A backpacking trip in Denali is unlike backpacking in most other national parks. Denali is about the size of Vermont, with only a handful of trails—most of which are near the entrance of the park for day-hiking, rather than overnight backpacking.
Opens on the Park Service site - Early Morning Hike to Horseshoe Lake2-3 Hours
Horseshoe Lake is a lovely destination about 2 miles from the Denali Visitor Center. A trail loops around the entire lake, which is occasionally home to moose, beavers and a variety of bird-life.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
- Denali Puppycam ↗
- Berry Bear ↗
- Alpine Tundra Webcam ↗
- Sled Dog Puppies ↗
- Alpine Tundra ↗
- Alaska Railroad Depot ↗
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Events
- 01:00 PM · runs through May 9 · free
News
- Denali National Park to Resume Fuels Reduction Project This Fall ↗2026-09-30
Denali National Park and Preserve and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service will continue fuels-reduction work this fall near the park entrance to reduce wildfire risk around park buildings, infrastructure and public-use areas.
- Denali Park Road Opens to Private Vehicles to Teklanika Sept. 18 ↗2026-09-14
Denali National Park and Preserve will open the Denali Park Road to private vehicle traffic as far as Teklanika Rest Area at mile 30 beginning Friday, Sept. 18, weather and road conditions permitting.
- Pretty Rocks Bridge Complete, Paving Way for Return of Public Access to the West End of Denali Park Road ↗2026-09-03
The National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and project partners today celebrated the completion of the Pretty Rocks Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Denali National Park and Preserve, marking a…
- Four Deceased Climbers Recovered and Identified ↗2026-06-11
Mountaineering rangers on Mt. McKinley recovered the bodies of four deceased climbers from two different incidents.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Denali National Park & Preserve
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthWillow Ptarmigan 2× · Spruce Grouse 2× · Trumpeter Swan 1× · Brown Bear 1× · Moose 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 160 birds, 38 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · Bald eagle · Boreal owl · Golden eagle · Great gray owl · Great horned owl · Merlin · Northern harrier · Northern hawk owl · Osprey · Peregrin falcon · Red-tailed hawk · Rough-legged hawk · Sharp-shinned hawk · Short-eared owl · Snowy Owl · Swainson's hawk
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican wigeon · Barrow's goldeneye · Blue-winged teal · Bufflehead · Canada goose · Common goldeneye · Common loon · Common merganser · Eurasian wigeon · Greater scaup · Greater white-fronted goose · Green-winged teal · Harlequin duck · Horned grebe · Lesser scaup · Long-tailed Duck · Northern pintail · Pacific loon · Red-breasted merganser · Red-necked grebe · Red-throated loon · Ring-necked duck · Sandhill crane · Snow goose · Trumpeter swan · Tundra swan · Yellow-billed loon
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican golden-plover · Arctic tern · Baird's sandpiper · Black turnstone · Black-bellied plover · Bonaparte's gull · Dunlin · Glaucous-winged gull · Greater yellowlegs · Herring gull · Hudsonian godwit · Killdeer · Least sandpiper · Lesser yellowlegs · Long-billed dowitcher · Long-tailed jaeger · Mew gull · Pectoral sandpiper · Pomarine jaeger · Red phalarope · Red-necked phalarope · Ruddy turnstone · Sanderling · Semipalmated plover · Semipalmated sandpiper · Solitary sandpiper · Spotted sandpiper · Upland sandpiper · Western sandpiper · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesRock Ptarmigan · Ruffed grouse · White-tailed Ptarmigan · Willow ptarmigan
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Black-backed woodpecker · Downy woodpecker · Hairy woodpecker · Northern flicker
Hummingbirds & swiftsRufous hummingbird
Also on the checklistAlder flycatcher · American dipper · American pipit · American redstart · American robin · American tree sparrow · Arctic Warbler · Arctic warbler · Bank swallow · Belted kingfisher · Black scoter · Black-billed Magpie · Blackpoll warbler · Bohemian waxwing · Brant · Brown creeper · Brown-headed cowbird · Canvasback · Cliff Swallow · Common raven · Common redpoll · Dark-eyed junco · European starling · Fox sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned kinglet · Golden-crowned sparrow · Gray jay · Gray-cheeked thrush · Gray-crowned rosy finch · Gyrfalcon · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit thrush · Hoary redpoll · Horned lark · Lapland longspur · Long-billed murrelet · Mallard · Northern goshawk · Northern shoveler · Northern shrike · Northern waterthrush · Northern wheatear · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned warbler · Pine grosbeak · Pine siskin · Red-breasted nuthatch · Red-winged blackbird · Redhead · Rosy Finch · Ruby-crowned kinglet · Rusty blackbird · Savannah sparrow · Say's phoebe · Snow bunting · Steller's jay · Surf scoter · Surfbird · Swainson's thrush · Tennessee Warbler · Townsend's solitaire · Townsend's warbler · Tree swallow · Varied thrush · Violet-green swallow · Wandering Tattler · Western tanager · Western wood-pewee · Whimbrel · White-crowned sparrow · White-winged crossbill · White-winged scoter · Wilson's warbler · Yellow warbler · Yellow-rumped warbler
Small mammalsAmerican beaver · Arctic ground squirrel · Brown lemming · Cinereus shrew · Collared pika · Dusky shrew · Hoary marmot · Meadow jumping mouse · Meadow vole · Muskrat · Northern bog lemming · Northern flying squirrel · Northern red-backed vole · Porcupine · Pygmy shrew · Red squirrel · Singing vole · Snowshoe hare · Taiga vole · Tiny shrew · Tundra shrew · Tundra vole · Water shrew
PredatorsAmerican Marten · American black bear · American mink · Brown bear · Coyote · Ermine · Gray wolf · Least weasel · Lynx · Red fox · River otter · Wolverine
Hoofed mammalsCaribou · Dall's sheep · Moose
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 32 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Summer is typically cool and wet, with highs typically in the upper 50s to low 60s, and lows in the 40s. On occasion, summer highs reach the low 80s, though this is rare. Snow can fall any month of the year, so be prepared for chilly weather even in summer. Fall colors emerge on the alpine tundra in August and in the low valleys in early September. Winter generally starts in mid-September, with temps often getting down to -40 by January. Spring is a short season in April / May, with highs above freezing.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Denali?
Entrance is $15 per person on foot or bike. Denali charges an entrance fee year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Denali?
A Denali-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Denali takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Denali free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Denali?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Denali. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Denali open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Denali?
Yes. The Park Service lists 6 campgrounds in Denali: Riley Creek, Savage River, Sanctuary River, Teklanika River, and Igloo Creek, and more. 6 take reservations through Recreation.gov.
Source: Campgrounds
Which Denali campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Riley Creek. Dump station: Riley Creek.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Denali include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Riley Creek is $49.25 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Do Denali campgrounds book through Recreation.gov?
Not all of them. Riley Creek, Savage River, Sanctuary River, and Teklanika River take reservations through reservedenali.com.
Source: Campgrounds
When do Denali campgrounds close for the season?
Savage River is closed Sep 15 to May 19, Sanctuary River is closed Sep 11 to May 19, and Teklanika River is closed Sep 12 to May 19; 1 more have posted closures.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Denali right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Road Open To: Mile 30 (Teklanika River).
Source: Alerts
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
