DENALI MOUNTAIN MORNING HOSTEL
denali national park information
Why Denali National Park?

Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses 6 million acres of wilderness in the heart of one of Alaska's predominant mountain ranges, the Alaska Range. North America's tallest mountain, known as both Mount McKinley and Denali, 'The Great One,' stands at 20,320ft and is staggeringly beautiful from the Park road on days when the mountain decides to show its many facades from behind its customary scarf of cloud. Denali National Park provides one of the best opportunities in the state of Alaska for viewing birds and wildlife such as grizzly or brown bears, Dall sheep, moose, wolves, caribou, black bears, marmot, fox, and more. Denali National Park also provides one of the best opportunities for extended backpacking trips, mountaineering and hiking in the state.

How do I get into Denali National Park?

There is one road that leads into Denali National Park. This road begins at the park entrance at mile 237 of the Parks Highway, 13 miles north of the Denali Mountain Morning Hostel. The park road winds 91 miles into the park. You can drive the first 14 miles into the National Park in your own vehicle, and after that you must be on a bus, a bike, your own two feet, or in the air. All Park tour buses depart from the Wilderness Access Center (WAC) at mile 1 of the park road.

National Park Tour Buses

See the national park website for complete information on tour bus options, rates and schedules. We recommend the the Park's tour bus trips over other tours. The two are essentially the same thing, but the other tours are much more expensive and offer less flexibility in terms of departure time and the ability to get on and off the bus at your own discretion to go for a hike. Additionally it is cheaper to take the green shuttle bus than the tour buses and you still get narration from the driver. The options are described in more detail on the above national park website.

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you make your reservations for the Park tour buses IN ADVANCE, particularly if you are only staying two nights in the area. Many visitors arrive and are out of luck because the buses going into the National Park do fill up. Of course this is not always the case, and at times a person can find an open seat at just the right time. Generally, particularly once the summer gets going (mid-June), you can arrive on one day and make reservations for the following day. The Visitors Center is open from mid-May to mid-September. Park tour bus reservations are the only local reservations that we do not book for our guests.

Hiking

There are some great hikes that begin from or close to the Denali Visitors Center. See a map of the entrance area hikes along with descriptions on the Day Hiking page of the national park website.

Ranger led hikes are a great way to see the park and learn something along the way! For more information, see the Ranger Programs page on the national park website. These hikes are offered daily and often involve the purchase of a shuttle bus ticket, a drive into the park, and a hike at a pre-determined location. You can only sign up for these hikes in person no more than 48 hours in advance.

Biking
The park road begins as a paved two-lane road, but soon changes to a long and windy dirt road that gently climbs as it meanders deep into the park. Bikes can be ridden from the rental shop near the entrance to the park, from the Visitors Center parking area or bikes can be taken on Camper Buses. Camper buses each have room for two bikes only. See our Things to do in Denali page for local rental rates or contact us for rental reservations.
We also recommend checking out this website for descriptions of the scenery at different points along the Park road, as well as info on seeing the Park on your own.
Flight-seeing
You can go on a one-hour flight over the Park with phenomenal views of Denali or Mt. McKinley, neighboring peaks, hanging glaciers, the expansive Muldrow Glacier and much more. Another option is a Summit Flight: fly over the summit of The Great One, viewing the Kahiltna Glacier, the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, the Moose's Tooth and much more. See our Tours Page for Flight-seeing details.
Camping in Denali National Park and Preserve

There are two ways to camp in the park: make a reservation at a campground OR obtain a backcountry permit and hike out into Denali's backcountry for your own personal campsite. You can go HERE for more details.

Campgrounds in the park

There are 7 established campgrounds in Denali National Park. Most of these campgrounds have flush toilets and water. Several have chemical toilets and no water. Reservations are recommended. Reservations for campsites can be made in the same way that reservations for tour buses are made (see above).

Backcountry Adventures in Denali

With 6 million acres to explore, Denali National Park and Preserve is a dream for the person looking to get off the beaten path and get lost in wilderness for a while. The most extensive information for backcounty adventuring in Denali is found on the Backcounty page of the national park website.

The nuts and bolts:

  • Permits can ONLY be obtained IN PERSON NO MORE THAN 24 HOURS PRIOR to the first day of your trip. Phone reservations are NOT available.
  • Obtaining a permit takes about 1 hour, depending upon how busy the Wilderness Access Center backcountry desk is.
  • All party members must be present to receive a permit.
  • Permit holders need to purchase bus tickets for the camper bus and pay the park entrance fee.
  • Bear Resistant Food Containers are mandatory when camping in the Denali backcountry and are included with the permit.
  • Leave No Trace camping procedures are strictly enforced.
  • Denali's 6 million acres is divided into 87 backcountry units.
  • Forty-one units have a limit on the number of people allowed in at a given time. This means that you should have several routes/units in mind as you go in to obtain your permit, as some of the units will be full.
  • USGS topographical maps are STRONGLY recommended and are available for purchase at the Visitors Center bookstore.
  • Maximum allowable stay in one unit is 7 consecutive nights.
  • Maximum allowable stay in Denali backcountry is 30 nights.
  • If your unit is adjacent to the park road, you must hike out of view of the road before setting up your tent.
  • Denali National Park is marked by a lot of rivers and creeks, high, rocky mountains and low-lying, marshy tundra. Travel on the tussocks and marshes of the tundra can be difficult and can slow progress: be sure to study up on the terrain of the different units in order to better understand how far you can really expect to travel in a day.
  • Weather is unpredictable, but expect rain and possibly snow, depending on the terrain you're in and the current weather systems. Also expect MOSQUITOES!!
  • It is important to study the Backcountry page of the national park website so that you are fully prepared for your backcountry experience in Denali.
Contact Information
Denali Mountain Morning Hostel
Bill A. Madsen, proprietor
Tele: (907) 683-7503 No FAX
Mile 224.1 Parks Highway
PO Box 208
Denali National Park, AK 99755
Copyright 2001-2010