| Camping
in Denali National Park FAQ |
|
|
| Q.
What is the weather like at different
times of year? |
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A. Summer comes
quickly to the park with warm days
in late May or early June, which melt
any remaining snow and allow the vegetation
to turn green. June tends to be a drier
month than July or August and, although
it may snow during any month of the
year, the first snows signaling fall
may come as early as late August or
early September. The park itself does
not tend to get as much snow as many
other parts of Alaska; seven feet of
snow for a winter tends to be average.
Through the early season, the skies
stay light almost all day, and for
summer backpackers, darkness does not
become a concern until mid-August.
The weather from day to day and week
to week tends to be fairly unpredictable,
as the mountains tend to create their
own weather; it is difficult to tell
when you are planning a backcountry
trip what the weather will do during
the course of those days.
|
| Q.
How big are the Bear Resistant Food Containers? |
|
A. There are two
sizes of the BRFC’s that are
issued free of charge with the backcountry
permit. Small containers (dimensions
8x12 inches) will carry enough food
for a single person for 3 to 5 days
and weigh about 3 pounds. These containers
may be packed in much the same way
as a sleeping bag. Large containers
(dimensions 8x18 inches) will carry
enough food for a single person for
7 to 10 days and weigh about 5 pounds.
The larger containers are more difficult
to pack.
|
| Q.
How far in advance can I reserve my backcountry
spots? |
|
A. No advance reservations
may be made for backcountry units.
You must come in person to the Backcountry
Information Center (BIC) no more than
one day in advance of the day you wish
to begin your trip. All members of
your party need to be present in order
to have your spots reserved and receive
your backcountry permit.
|
| Q.
Do I have to come all the way back to
the Backcountry Information Center if
I do not wish to begin my backcountry
trip until after my stay at one of the
campgrounds? |
|
A. There are normally
five campgrounds open in the park.
Two of these (Riley and Savage) are
within the first 15 miles of the park
road. If you are staying in one of
these campgrounds you must have all
members of your party come to the BIC
to reserve your permit no more than
one day in advance. However, if you
are staying at one of the other four
campgrounds west of Savage River Campground
(Sanctuary, Teklanika, or Wonder Lake)
you may get a backcountry permit for
after your stay at that campground
1 day before the first night of your
stay at the campground. All other rules
for receiving the permit still apply.
|
| Q.
Are permits required for day hiking? |
|
A. No permits are
required for day hiking in the park.
In fact, Denali is a trailless wilderness,
and you may day hike anywhere in the
park simply by taking the bus into
the park and getting off along the
road. Day hikers must still follow
all rules and regulations set up for
backcountry users. No BRFC’s
are required for day hiking, but you
must keep your food on your person
at all times during your hike. All
hikers should check at the Wilderness
Access Center (WAC) or with the ranger
at the BIC for the most recent information
about wildlife closures, which are
closed for all thru-hikers and backpackers.
|
| Q.
Which is the best unit? |
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A. There are 2.5
million acres of land in the Denali
Wilderness, and thus each one of 43
backcountry units encompasses thousands
of acres. Some backcountry units experience
more use than others for reasons such
as accessibility from the road and
hikers’ familiarity with certain
areas. This does not mean that these
units are “better” than
other units. Backcountry Rangers will
provide information concerning the
different types of terrain, vegetation,
and wildlife you will find in different
areas of the park. Backcountry hikers
equipped with a positive attitude and
a love of the outdoors will rarely
if ever have anything but an amazing
wilderness experience.
|
| Q.
I am accustomed to trail hiking, not
hiking in trailless wilderness. Should
I be worried about getting lost? How
familiar do I need to be with a map and
compass? |
|
A. Confidence in
how to read topographic maps and basic
compass skills is recommended for all
backcountry users. Generally, it is
fairly easy to tell where you are because
the small number of truly wooded areas
make waterways and dramatic features
of the land easily visible. However,
basic compass skills may be essential
in some terrain and in foggy weather.
Check out this site for more info on
map and compass skills: Alaska Natural
History Association
|
| Q.
Can I combine a backcountry trip with
a bicycle ride on the park road? |
|
A. Combining bicycles
with the backcountry can be quite difficult,
but such trips are manageable with
adequate planning. All bicyclists must
follow the bicycle rules of the road
and must leave their bike at a campground
or rest stop (specifically at Savage,
Sanctuary, Teklanika, Toklat, or Wonder
Lake) where it can be locked up while
they are in the backcountry. No bikes
are allowed trails. We strongly recommend
that bicyclists be as prepared as all
hikers in terms of gear and equipment.
The high brush and often difficult
terrain makes hiking without a backpack
impractical, so those who wish to combine
biking with backcountry should be prepared
to transport a pack while biking.
|
| Q.
Can I make reservations for a unit and
not use them? |
|
A. When one party
says that they are out in the backcountry,
they are taking spots in the quota
for that unit that might otherwise
go to a different party. Therefore,
to make backcountry reservations and
purposefully not use them may deprive
others of taking the trip they would
like. However, if you are out in the
backcountry and decide to come out
early for any reason, all you have
to do is return your BRFC’s and
we will be able to free the unused
spots for others to enjoy.
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| Q.
Can I get maps and books on Denali before
I get there? |
|
You can purchase
books and maps from the Alaska Natural
History Assocation Website. Follow
this link for more information: ANHA
|
| Q.
How long does the permitting process
take? |
|
A. The process usually
takes about an hour but may take longer
or shorter depending on how long it
takes you to plan your trip. Generally,
when visitors first come to the BIC,
they first spend time planning their
itinerary (which units they wish to
stay in on which nights) based on unit
availability. Then all members of the
party much watch a safety video (~
30 min), hear a safety briefing from
one of the rangers (~5-10 min), purchase
and/or mark maps with unit boundaries
and wildlife closures, and buy a camper
bus ticket to get out into the park.
|
| Q.
How do I make bus reservations? |
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A. Backcountry users
can take one of the camper buses, which
leave daily and travel the park road.
These buses are the only buses available
to backcountry users because there
is space in the back for packs and
because visitors must either have reservations
in a campground or have acquired a
backcountry permit to ride the bus.
These buses are kept open for these
types of users and thus no reservation
is either necessary or possible before
you arrive at the Wilderness Access
Center in Denali.
|
|
| Q.
What buses can I take? |
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A. The camper bus
is set up specifically for backcountry
and campground users. The two other
buses that may be open to backcountry
users are the Savage Shuttle, which
runs on a set schedule each day between
the Wilderness Access Center and Savage
Check Station at mile 15, and the Polychrome
bus, which runs once a day between
the Wilderness Access Center and Polychrome
rest area at Mile 47 of the park road.
|
| Q.
How do I know which areas are closed? |
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A. Check at the
WAC or with one of the rangers at the
BIC to get recent closure information
before heading out. Closures are often
only marked on the most obvious travel
routes, so it is your responsibility
to be aware of the location of closures
and know how to avoid them without
relying on signs. The best way to do
this is to have maps of the area of
appropriate scale so that you may judge
the boundaries of the closure by the
topographic features of the land.
|
| Q.
How much does a permit cost? |
|
A. All backcountry
permits are free! The only cost of
spending time in the backcountry in
Denali is the price of the camper bus
ticket.
|
| Q.
How long can I stay out in the backcountry? |
|
A. Any visitor to
the park can spend as many as 30 days
in the backcountry. These days may
be in one continuous trip, or may be
dispersed over an entire season. You
can stay as long as 7 days continuously
in a single unit, but when doing so
must move your campsite at least every
two days so as to minimize the impact
created by having your equipment there
for extended periods. |
