Top 9 things to do in Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve covers six million acres (24,000 km²) of interior Alaska, larger than the state of New Hampshire, around Denali, at 20,310 feet (6,190 m) the highest mountain in North America. A single road runs into it for 92 miles (148 km), and almost everything else is trackless wilderness of tundra, braided rivers, spruce taiga and glaciers, where grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep and wolves live much as they always have. Private cars may drive only the first 15 miles (24 km); beyond that, you travel by park bus, on foot or by bicycle. These are the nine outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

The park requires you to stay at least 300 yards (275 m) from bears and 25 yards (23 m) from other wildlife, moose included. Carry bear spray, and make noise where you cannot see far. Weather can turn to rain, wind or snow in any month, so carry warm layers and rain gear even in July. Glacial rivers are fast, cold and much deeper than they look: cross only with care, and turn back rather than risk a crossing.

1. Ride a park bus deep into the park

The bus ride along the park road is the heart of a visit to Denali. Beyond Savage River the road turns to gravel and winds over passes and along mountainsides, past Polychrome Pass with its multicoloured cliffs, across wide river valleys and over open tundra, with Denali rising ahead on clear days. The drivers stop for wildlife, and most trips see grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep. Transit buses let you get off almost anywhere to walk and catch a later bus back; narrated tour buses carry a guide. Book seats ahead, bring food and water, and plan on a long day.

• Distance: 66 miles (106 km) each way to Eielson; 85 miles (137 km) to Wonder Lake; 92 miles (148 km) to Kantishna
• Allow: about 8 hours round trip to Eielson; 11 hours or more to Wonder Lake
• Start: Denali Bus Depot, near the park entrance
• When: late May to mid-September
• Suits: everyone

2. See Denali from Eielson

Denali makes its own weather and hides in cloud on most summer days, so a clear view of the mountain is a matter of luck. The best place to try is the Eielson Visitor Center, built low into a hillside 66 miles (106 km) along the road, where the mountain fills the view across the broad valley of the Thorofare River and the Muldrow Glacier. Around the center, short trails lead over the tundra, and the steep Alpine Trail climbs a ridge behind it for an even wider view.

• Distance: about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round trip on the Alpine Trail
• Climb: about 1,000 feet (300 m) on the Alpine Trail
• Allow: an hour or more at Eielson, between buses
• Start: Eielson Visitor Center, by park bus
• When: June to mid-September
• Suits: everyone for the center; fit walkers for the Alpine Trail

3. Go on to Wonder Lake

Near the end of the road, Wonder Lake lies on the tundra about 26 miles (42 km) from Denali, closer than anywhere else on the road, and on a still, clear day the mountain is reflected in its water from top to bottom. It is a long day to get here and back, but it is the classic view of Denali. Moose wade in the lake, beavers swim along its shore, and in late August the tundra around it turns red and gold. A trail leads down to the gravel bars of the McKinley River.

• Allow: a full day by bus; stay at the Wonder Lake Campground to catch the evening and morning light
• Start: Wonder Lake, by park bus
• When: June to mid-September; late August for fall colour
• Suits: everyone who can manage a long bus day

4. Walk off-trail across the tundra

Most of Denali has no trails at all, and the park encourages you to make your own way. Get off a transit bus anywhere that looks good, and walk out across the tundra, along a ridge or up a river bar, alone or with a ranger on a Discovery Hike, then flag down a later bus back. There is no better way to feel the scale of the place. Day hikes need no permit; for an overnight trip, get a free backcountry permit and a bear-resistant food container from the park.

• Allow: a few hours to several days
• Start: anywhere along the park road, by transit bus
• When: June to mid-September
• Suits: fit walkers with navigation skills for off-trail routes; anyone on a ranger-led Discovery Hike

5. Meet the sled dogs

Denali is the only national park that breeds and works its own sled dogs. Since the 1920s, rangers have patrolled the park’s winter wilderness by dog team, and they still do, because motor vehicles are not allowed there. At the kennels near the park entrance, you can meet the dogs, and in summer rangers give free demonstrations of how a team is hitched and how much the dogs love to run. A free shuttle runs there from the visitor center.

• Allow: 1 hour
• Start: Sled Dog Kennels, near park headquarters, by shuttle from the Denali Visitor Center
• When: demonstrations in summer; the kennels are open all year
• Suits: everyone

6. Drive to Savage River and walk the loop

You can drive your own car as far as the Savage River, 15 miles (24 km) into the park, and on a clear day get a first distant view of Denali along the way. At the river, an easy trail loops along both banks of the clear Savage River below rocky bluffs, where Dall sheep, marmots and pikas are often seen. For more, the steeper Savage Alpine Trail climbs over a ridge with wide views and comes down at the Savage River campground.

• Distance: about 2 miles (3.2 km) for the Savage River Loop; about 4 miles (6.4 km) one way for the Savage Alpine Trail
• Allow: 1 hour for the loop; 3 to 4 hours for the alpine trail
• Start: Savage River parking area, at mile 15 of the park road
• When: late May to mid-September
• Suits: everyone for the loop; fit walkers for the alpine trail

7. Climb to the Mount Healy Overlook

From the visitor center at the park entrance, this trail climbs steadily through spruce forest and willow onto the open slopes of Mount Healy, to a rocky perch with a view down the Nenana River valley and across the Alaska Range. It is the best hike that does not need a bus, and a good one for the day you arrive.

• Distance: about 5.4 miles (8.7 km) round trip
• Climb: about 1,700 feet (520 m)
• Allow: 3 to 4 hours
• Start: Denali Visitor Center
• When: late May to September
• Suits: fit walkers

8. Look for beavers at Horseshoe Lake

Close to the park entrance, a short trail drops through spruce forest to Horseshoe Lake, an oxbow lake cut off from the Nenana River, then follows its shore. Beavers have built dams and a lodge on the lake, and early in the morning or late in the evening you may see them swimming, along with ducks, moose and the occasional bear. It is a quiet walk for the evening after a long bus day.

• Distance: about 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip
• Allow: 1 to 1.5 hours
• Start: Horseshoe Lake trailhead, near the Denali Visitor Center
• When: late May to September; early morning or evening for beavers
• Suits: most walkers; the path back up from the lake is steep

9. Fly around the mountain

The best way to see Denali up close is from the air. Small planes from Talkeetna, south of the park, and from near the park entrance fly over the Alaska Range, past great walls of ice and rock and the long glaciers that pour off the mountain, and some land on a glacier so you can step out onto the snow. Climbers bound for the summit fly in the same way, to a base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. Book a flight for a clear day, and keep your plans flexible.

• Allow: 1 to 2 hours
• Start: an air-tour operator in Talkeetna or near the park entrance
• When: May to September, on clear days
• Suits: everyone

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Closures, bus schedules, road conditions and wildlife warnings change, and the National Park Service posts them on its own site. The link is on our Denali National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.