Denali National Park & Preserve Active and Adventure Travel Guide

Denali National Park & Preserve Active and Adventure Travel Guide

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Denali National Park & Preserve Active and Adventure Travel Tips

By Karen Kefauver

  • Denali ranks as one of the most bike-friendly national parks. The park road (the only road for bike use) is 90 miles long, and bikes are allowed throughout the whole length. You also can take your bicycle with you on a camper shuttle bus.
  • Overnight backpacking is a popular activity for wilderness trekking enthusiasts. Backcountry stays in Denali National Park require a free backcountry permit available at the visitor center during the summer months and at park headquarters during the winter months. Most areas require the use of Bear Resistant Food Containers, distributed free of charge with your backcountry permit. Bear encounters are fairly common, so learn how to handle them ahead of time.
  • The most challenging peak to summit in the United States is Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley). With a summit of 20,320 feet, temperatures known to fall below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and 95-mile-per-hour winds, summiting Denali is for expert mountaineers only.
  • To access day hikes (and scout longer backpacking adventures) in Denali, follow the park road. Take a shuttle bus, get off at an interesting location, and hike from there. When you feel you've gone far enough, turn back and either wait for the next shuttle bus or walk along the road until the next bus comes.
  • Take a dogsledding tour with Mary Shields. Mary was the first woman to finish the 1,049-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Mary enjoys the pure pleasure of long spring trips with her dogs, exploring the wild country of Alaska, and meeting the people who live in the "bush" communities of Alaska. She offers tours ranging in length from one to ten days.

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali is truly a park on an Alaskan scale: six million acres—a plot of magnificent land larger than the state of Massachusetts—interrupted by just one road. And at that, the byway is gravel and all but closed to private vehicles. In other words, Denali sees less traffic than do many suburban streets. Read More

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Hotels

from: $199

McKinley Chalet Resort

Milepost 238 George Parks Highway
Denali, AK Map

Distance: 21.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
3.0
from: $299

Grande Denali Lodge

238 Parks Highway
Denali National Park, AK 99755 Map

Distance: 21.2 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

from: $275

McKinley Village Lodge

Milepost 231 George Parks Hwy
Denali National Park, AK 99755 Map

Distance: 22.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

All Denali National Park & Preserve Hotels »
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Attractions

Discovery Hikes and Mountaineering

expert favorite attraction
Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9
Denali National Park, Alaska 99755-9998

Distance: 53.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Denali's National Park Service rangers lead five-hour Discovery Hikes in the backcountry... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
3_0

Junior Ranger Program

Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9
Denali National Park, Alaska 99755-9998

Distance: 53.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Designed for families to learn about the park together, programs are organized for two different... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
4_0

Sled Dog Demonstrations

Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9
Denali National Park, Alaska 99755-9998

Distance: 53.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Your family will enjoy visiting the national Park Service kennels that house trained dog sledders,... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
4_0
All Denali National Park & Preserve Attractions »

Airports

Major Airports near Denali National Park & Preserve

Distance (mi.)
Anchorage International Airport 157.4 map

Other Smaller Airports near Denali National Park & Preserve

Distance (mi.)
Fairbanks International Airport 103.9 map
Tanana Ralph Calhoun Airport 154.9 map
Valdez Municipal Airport 179.0 map

Flight Deals to Denali National Park & Preserve

Originating From
Salt Lake City (SLC) to Anchorage (ANC) $671

Feature Articles

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