Denali National Park

Don’t want a bus driver to direct your exploration of the Denali area? On the Denali Self-Drive Jeep Adventure, you can take the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler, which seats up to four, and go at your own pace. .

Starting at the rental location, a mile south of the Park entrance, you’ll embark on one of four suggested routes, depending on which one suits your interests—whether that’s walking along tundra, seeing the setting of the movie Into the Wild or getting potentially picture perfect views of McKinley.

Your souvenir road map includes plenty of suggested stops and highlights along the way, so you’ll know when to pause or get out and look around. Here are the four route options you can choose from:

Denali Park Road: Explore the tundra at your own pace. Even though private vehicles aren’t permitted beyond the Savage River station (at about mile 15), you can check out the Denali National Park Visitor Center and Murie Science and Learning Center—and perhaps get good views of Mt. McKinley. On a clear day, milepost 9 is a great place to pull over for a view of Mt. McKinley. The starting point id about five miles south of the entrance, so the roundtrip can be up to 40 miles. Entrance into the park is $10 per person or $20 per vehicle.

The Denali Highway: At the junction with Alaska Highway 8, you can see why many call this highway the “real Alaska”—a lonely gravel road slicing through untamed wilderness. You have a great chance of seeing both wildlife and McKinley. About a 60-mile round trip.

BroadPass: In this tundra area, where the George Parks Highway crosses the Alaska Range, you’ll see the effects of glaciation—as well as caribou, moose and, weather permitting, Mt. McKinley. Stops include Hurricane Gulch and the flag stop town of Cantwell. This is an approximately 90 miles roundtrip, or about 3 hours including stops. Be sure to get out and stretch your legs on the boggy tundra.

The Industrial Wilderness: A longtime hotbed for mining—coal, antimony and gold—this untamed area also has a lot of game. Near the town of Healy, you’ll find the junction of the Wolf Townships and Stampede Road; the latter gained notoriety in the 1990s as the true-life setting of the book and movie Into the Wild. Keep an eye out for the Healy and the Usibelli coal mines, as well as Nenana Gorge. The 35-40 mile trip lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours—more if you decide to take a walk—and consists of two-lane highway, local surface streets. (Vehicles on this tour are not allowed beyond where the pavement ends on Stampede Road, which is approximately 8 miles from the Parks Highway).

Take note: Off-roading is not allowed on these tours, and certain road restrictions apply, beyond just buckling up. For instance, you have to keep your headlights on, and pull over if more than five vehicles are trailing you (the latter is not just courtesy—it’s the law).