Denali Park Road Timed Entry Timed Entry

Denali National Park & Preserve is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers see low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, Denali, standing at 20,310 feet. Wild animals, large and small, roam unfenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility, and wilderness await.

Visitors are invited to explore the park's website for additional information.

The park’s tour and transit bus system capacity is greatly reduced due to COVID-19. As a result, the park will implement a timed entry road permit reservation system to allow some private vehicles to travel the restricted portion of the Denali Park Road. This 2020 offering will allow for additional access beyond the very limited transit and tour bus schedule and compiles with CDC social distancing guidelines.  

Driving the Denali Park Road is a unique opportunity and not to be undertaken lightly. Visitors will traverse a winding, gravel road that is one to one-and-a half lanes wide at some spots. There are steep slopes, no cell service and limited access to facilities. Please be aware you’ll be sharing the road with buses and heavy equipment.

Reservations: Any private vehicle driving the Denali Park Road past Mile 15 will need a permit. The person making the reservation needs to be in the vehicle and present ID at the time of entry.

Park entrance fees: Are required at the time of reservation, no payment accepted when entering the park. Please purchase entrance fees through Recreation.gov and present the receipt at time of entry. Or if you have an annual or lifetime pass at the time of your reservation those are accepted as your entrance fee. Valid entrance passes accepted are: Denali National Park & Preserve Annual Pass, Interagency passes including: Annual, Senior Lifetime, Senior Annual, Access, Volunteer, Military, and 4th Grade Pass. Pass holders must present pass and ID at time of entry. 

---

Indoor Picnic Area Visitor Center

A heated building, called the Indoor Picnic Area, is located next door to the Murie Science and Learning Center, which is across the street from the Denali Visitor Center. Restrooms and a water bottle filling station are available. Food service is not provided, so bring your own food to eat.

---

Denali National Park - Road Lottery Permit

Overview:

Each September the park hosts a multi-day event called "Road Lottery." During these days, winners of a lottery drawing are given a chance to purchase a single, day-long permit, allowing them to drive as much of the Denali Park Road as weather allows. In years with heavy snowfall, the park road may open no farther than Savage River (mile 15); in milder years, lottery winners are able to enjoy a trip out to Kantishna (mile 92).

Natural Features:
Denali National Park and Preserve is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, 20,310', Denali. Wild animals, large and small, roam unfenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility, and wilderness await.

Recreation:
The vast and expansive landscape that surrounds the Denali Park Road includes not only breathtaking scenery but opportunities for wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, and much more. Visitors are invited to explore the park's website for activities and additional information related to the fall Road Lottery.

Camping and overnight sleeping while on the Denali Park Road is allowed only in designated campgrounds that are open. These may include: Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika Campgrounds.

Wildlife viewing along the Denali Park Road can never be guaranteed. Some of the most iconic, large mammals, such as grizzly and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose and Dall sheep, can be seen by lucky visitors. More-often seen small mammals include arctic ground squirrels, red squirrels, foxes and marmots.

Facility Details:
The dates of Road Lottery vary each year -- the event usually begins the second Thursday after Labor Day.

Year	Dates for "Road Lottery" Event
2018	Sept 14,16,17,18

Applicants must apply for the lottery between May 1 - May 30 each year, to partake in the September Road Lottery Event. You may not apply before May 1.

---

Riley Creek Facility

Riley Creek is a fairly wooded campground, with some screening between sites whenever possible. Most of the campground sites are open to either tent campers or vehicles / RVs. The proximity of Highway 3 means there is occasional traffic noise, but also means campers have all the conveniences and amenities of the park entrance area, and businesses outside the park, close at hand. Trails leading from the campground connect to the Denali Visitor Center, which is the central hub of trails in the entrance area.

---

Savage River Facility

Open in summer only (May 20 to mid-September). Savage River campground is located at Mile 13 on the Denali Park Road. It sits in a spruce forest, with moderate screening between sites. On clear days, Denali can be seen from a short walk below the campground.

---

Sanctuary River Facility

Open in summer only (May 20 to mid-September). Sanctuary River is a heavily wooded campground, with screening between most sites. The immediate area is brushy, but nearby mountains offer chances to hike directly from the campground and gain elevation, with views of Denali to the south possible on clear days, after some strenuous up-hill hiking. Sanctuary is tent-only—you will not find any RVs or other vehicles in this campground. It is accessible only by camper bus.

---

Teklanika River Facility

Open in summer only (May 20 to mid-September). Though nearly all private vehicles must turn around at mile 15, Savage River, Tek campers are an exception to that rule. If you wish, you may drive your vehicle / RV to Tek. The trade-off is that you must make, at minimum, a three-night stay, and your vehicle must stay in your campsite for the duration of your stay, while you use transit buses to sightsee. Tent campers using the park bus system to reach Tek are not subject to the 3-night minimum stay.

---

Igloo Creek Facility

Igloo Creek Campground is at mile 35 on the Park Road. It offers 7 sites, making it the smallest in Denali (along with Sanctuary River Campground, which also has 7 sites). Igloo is tent-only—you will not find any RVs or other vehicles in this campground. It is accessible only by camper bus. The bus stop is a short walk from the campsites (less than 50 yards).

---

Wonder Lake Facility

Wonder Lake Campground will be closed in 2022. Wonder Lake Campground is at mile 85 on the Denali Park Road. It offers 28 tent-only sites. It is the closest campground to Denali. Though separated by nearly 26 miles, the sheer size of the mountain makes it loom impressively over Wonder Lake Campground. Cloudy skies can obscure views, and mosquitoes can be fierce, but Wonder Lake on a clear day offers views that will last a lifetime. Bear-proof food lockers are available throughout the campground.

---

Denali Visitor Center Facility

Open in summer only, this is the main visitor center near the park entrance. During the summer, you can explore exhibits, watch the park film, pay the park entrance fee, and talk with a ranger. In fall, winter and spring, the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) acts as the park's Winter Visitor Center.

---

Eielson Visitor Center Facility

The Eielson Visitor Center is located at Mile 66 of the Denali Park Road. Due to the ongoing Pretty Rocks landslide and the closure of the park road at Mile 42, Eielson is currently closed.

---

Murie Science and Learning Center Facility

The Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) is located at Mile 1.3 of the Denali Park Road at the entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve. In summer (June 1 – late August), the MSLC hosts educational science activities during daily open hours from 1–3 pm. In winter (mid October – mid May), the MSLC serves as Denali’s Winter Visitor Center.

---

Denali Bus Depot Facility

This summer facility is operated by our concessionaire rather than by the National Park Service. It is the primary place to buy bus tickets, arrange for stays in park campgrounds, or to check in for an existing reservation. Coffee and grab-and-go food is also available for purchase. Only credit cards are accepted here.

---

Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station Facility

Located in the town of Talkeetna, about 100 miles south of the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve, this ranger station serves as the center of mountaineering operations. Climbers wishing to attempt Denali or other peaks in the Alaska Range stop here first, for an orientation to the mountain and to acquire their climbing permit. This ranger station also offers some visitor services, particularly in summer. It is open year-round.

---