Denali is huge - bigger than New Jersey, Hawaii, and Connecticut. There's only one road, of which more than half has been and will be closed for years. There's a good reason for the closure; google "Pretty Rocks Landslide". Most of the open section can only be travelled by bus. There's a good reason for that, too; google "overpopulation". Understanding the reason Denali's one road is so restricted didn't keep it from being frustrating that we only got to see a tiny fraction of this wild and wonderful place. There are other ways you can and should experience the park, but my group included an octogenarian whose spirit far exceeds her physical capabilities.

Denali was pretty much hidden under clouds but there are plenty of views in the park to make it worth the trip. I just wish we had had more time to do other things. You can visit the kennels were the sled dogs are kept and I think there are several other tours that you can take. The park is huge and you can only see a fraction from the roads but if you ever get a chance to go, I would recommend it.

Rain, and more rain. The park is certainly beautiful, but the views are somewhat redundant. During our trip we didn't see any moose or bears. The best part of our tour was provided by a young native American guide who provided a little history of his people. Not only was his talk educational, but it was also very funny.

We had a wonderful tour of Denali National Park in the park bus - an old school bus. Our driver was wonderful and very informative. He would slow down and stop if possible for some great photos, including seeing a mother & child Moose in a turnoff area. He pulled into the area and got us fairly close to them. Such an amazing sight. We had great views of Denali/Mt McKinley and he told us that it is rare to get such clear views of the top of Denali. You must take the time to go on one of the bus trips into the national park, it is well worth it.

Denali NP is worth 2+ days of your time. Great hikes, close to the visitor center varying from easy to hard (e.g. Mt Healy Overlook Trail). Or take the "cheap" bus ($33 pp) to Eastfork point (mile marker 43); the bus stops when they see wildlife and our driver did some great narration. You can also take the "expensive" bus ($144 pp), however you get almost the same. Try to get away from the visitor center, it's way too busy; also be there before 9 AM or after 4 PM, then the big crowded buses are not there.

We chose the green bus ride because our research told us that although this is not officially a tour, the drivers end up providing all the info you might want and they also stop for wildlife viewing. so it just made sense to do it the cheaper way for the same results. The park is beautiful although it maybe doesn't have that "pop out your eyes" spots like some other national parks. It does make up for it in the grandness and vastness of the park, surrounded by snow covered beautiful mountains. Tina, our driver, did provide us all the info and made plenty of wildlife stops. we only saw the big ones from a distance (grizzlies, moose, caribou) but they were still thrilling to observe, especially a grizzly mom with 2 cubs. We also saw porcupine right at the side of the road, golden eagle soaring above us, a family of ptarmigan & great horned owl as well right near us.

The National Park Service really outdid themselves with this venue. The Visitor Center had a great exhibit about the wildlife and plants in the park, and the staff are amazingly helpful. The short trails around the visitor center are well maintained and easy to walk. Plus, it is co-located with the train station, so you've got just the right amount of time to explore.

Denali National Park: Visitors are allowed to drive time milepost 15 inside Denali National Park, after miles post 15 only park tour buses and permitted vehicles are permitted. Also, after milepost 15 it is unpaved. Also, if you are planning to book a bus tour, please book it in advance, stay informed till you visit the park. Park conditions can suddenly change and that may affect your plan. We traveled in July 2024 and did all the tour booking and hotel booking; however, when we reached Denali National Park, we realized the Park was closed due to fire activities and that forced us to change our plan, we ended up extending our stay. We got a bit lucky this time as the park returned to normal the next day. Thank you! travel-learn-repeat.blogspot

While the easily accessible area (once you're there, anyway) is a small fraction of the park, there is much to see and do. Great hiking, beautiful scenery, and charming, hard-working sled dogs. With more time and money, you can investigate other parts of the park by plane or by longer hikes with camping. You may not see the Denali peak, which generally is in the clouds, but no matter.

We were visiting the Denali Park area for two nights, staying at the Denali Bluffs, which was just a five minute drive from the entrance to the park. We arrived early afternoon after driving from Anchorage (a scenic 3.5 or 4 hour drive) and toured the visitor center and watched one of the movies showing how the park changes through the seasons. When you’re in the visiter center, don’t miss the screen with the live view of Denali from the park (Unfortunately Mt. Denali is frequently covered due to weather, but we were able to catch the view at a look out about nine miles in the park road on our last day). We also did the two mile Horseshoe Lake walk (an easy and beautiful hike with a moose viewing) that leaves from right near the visitor center and picked up the 3:20 pm bus from the visitor center to catch the 4 pm sled dog show, which was a lot of fun! The next day we had reservations for the East Fork Transit bus at 9:30 am. You can ride the transit bus until 9 pm at night and get on and off whenever you like. We liked our driver Darren so much that we stayed on the entire time which was about a 5 and a half hour ride. Darren does two tours a day and it was obvious that he loves looking for and finding the wild animals along the way. We saw fox kits, bear cubs, call sheep and caribou, most from a distance, except for the caribou which lept in front of our bus. When we spotted something, he would stop the bus, letting everyone get their fill of the sight. We didn’t want to get off the bus because Darren was such a great driver and we wanted to continue to benefit from his willingness to go slow and look for animals. As Darren told us, Denali is not a zoo so you can’t count on wildlife viewings. I think we were lucky! We did have Darren drop us at the Savage Canyon stop on the way back. There are two hikes from that spot: the Savage Canyon Trail, an easy two mile walk which was beautiful but crowded, and a more challenging hike with elevation which was closed due to bear sightings. Before heading back to Anchorage the next day, we made one last stop at Denali National Park, and did the ranger talk, which leaves from the visitor center at 10 am and 2 pm. This was a slow easy one and a half hour walk with frequent stops to explain the wildlife, the fauna, the ecology, and the history of the park. It was a great overview! Seeing that Denali was visible that day from the nine mile stop, we drove our car there and enjoyed the majestic site before heading back. Note: If you’re driving to or from Anchorage to Denali, be sure to stop at the Denali State Park, which has two opportunities to view the mountain: the North and South Views. I recommend that you visit the Denali National Park website before you go. The park service offers a lot of free, excellent programs and it’s helpful to plan around that!