Denali Park Road Tours
To experience the heart of Denali National Park, you'll have to travel by bus, van or plane -- private cars aren't allowed past the first 15 miles. The options all vary with respect to time, distance, price and flexibility. It's worth doing one of them: You'll get closer to Denali (Mt. McKinley), see more wildlife, and get a better sense of what makes the park so renowned. Find out which one works best for you:
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Park Tours
Bus Tours
Narrated large group tours on the Denali Park Road, 4 - 12 hours
Most people who visit the six-million-acre Denali National Park only see roughly the first dozen — or maybe 50 — miles of the legendary park Road. But this tour takes you all the way to the depths of Kantishna — the heart of the Park where you have the chance to experience postcard-perfect views of Mt. McKinley. This tour makes for a full day — from about 6 in the morning until 7 or 8 in the evening — but it’s an adventure of a lifetime.
The best way to get an overview of Denali National Park is aboard one of the park buses, which feature a trained naturalist who both drives and provides narration. Available tours include the Natural History Tour (4−5 hrs), Tundra Wilderness Tour (7−8 hrs), The Eielson Excursion (8−9 hrs) or The Kantishna Experience (11−12 hrs)
Explore all 92 miles of the Denali Park Road and have the entire trip narrated by an experienced driver. Not only will you see legendary landmarks such as Polychrome Pass, Wonder Lake and Reflection Pond, you will have opportunities to see the abundance of wildlife in the park. Enjoy a hot lunch, explore the grounds, pan for gold, or take a short walk along the creek, or relax in a rocker at the lodge and soak up the scenery.
Denali National Park Shuttle Bus
Not always narrated, serves as transportation for campers and hikers in the park. Or, you can ride it as an alternative to a tour.
This flexible alternative to the standard bus tour is a great option for independent travelers. Get off anywhere, spend a few hours hiking, then catch another bus back to the park entrance (as long as a seat is available). You can take a short ride before starting your adventure, or travel out to Kantishna, at the end of the park road.
Flights
Take a bus tour one-way, and fly back the other
This is the only flightseeing company with an airstrip in Kantishna, inside Denali National Park. Because you depart so much closer to the mountain than other tours, in a one-hour flight, you’ll get 40 minutes circling the mountain. You may also combine a one-way park road bus tour with a Denali flightseeing tour for an incredible overview of the park.
Guided Hiking in Denali
Forget the trailhead on your next hike. Instead, take a short but very scenic helicopter ride to a special wilderness area just outside Denali National Park and start your trek from there. Your guide will lead your small group on a soft-adventure hike above the tree line, with sweeping views. You’ll learn about identifying animal tracks and the local flora and fauna, and of course have the opportunity to spot wildlife like bears, moose, and Dall ...more
Traverse Alaska can craft fully-guided custom adventures, or set you up on a trip into the Alaska wilderness arming you with some know-how — and providing you with the independence to freely explore. Traverse Alaska’s owner, Joe and his local team can help facilitate stays in lodges, cabins, tents or yurts, and provide the necessary gear and instructions..
The Denali National Park Visitors Center is actually more of a campus. The center itself is the main National Park Service welcome and information center and it is surrounded by other facilities that include a restaurant, bookstore/giftshop, bag check, bus stop and the Alaska Railroad depot.