What's Different About Visiting Denali National Park in 2024, 2025, & 2026?
Denali has only one road—the aptly named Park Road—into the heart of the park, and a landslide in August 2021 cut off access to the latter half of it. Previously, visitors could travel the road for as many as 92 miles. But even though you can now only reach the 43-mile marker, there’s still a lot to see, and you can still have an unforgettable Denali experience!
Are people still going to Denali?
YES!! In 2023, visitation was back up to pre-COVID levels.
How have Park Road tours changed?
It’s long been the rule that to drive the Park Road with your own vehicle during summer, you’re restricted to the first 15 miles; beyond that, you’ll have to take Park Service shuttle buses or guided tours.
Historically, there were three main tour options:
A 12-hour journey covering the entire 92 miles.
An 8-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour that traveled up to mile 60.
A 4-hour Natural History Tour to mile 17.
Due to the 2021 landslide, the tour dynamics for 2024, 2025, and 2026 have shifted:
The 12-hour tour has been suspended.
The Tundra Wilderness Tour takes you up to mile 43 over 5 to 6 hours, with multiple departures in the morning and afternoon, starting at late as 4:30 p.m. This actually gives visitors more flexibility; now, you can experience the longest available road tour and have time to add another Denali adventure, such as flightseeing, rafting, ziplining, or ATV riding!
The shorter Natural History tour remains unchanged.
So…what can you see?
Even on the shortened section of road, you’ll have great opportunities to spot the park’s amazing wildlife and catch a glimpse of Mt. Denali on a clear day. Here are some highlights:
Mt. Denali viewpoint (miles 9–10): The dense forest opens up here, giving you the first view of Denali, about 70 miles away—and you’ll see only the top 8,000 feet!
Savage River area (miles 12–15): This area along a braided river is a popular spot for hiking. Try the Savage Cabin Loop, Mountain Vista Trail, or Savage Alpine Trail.
Primrose Ridge (mile 16): Great spot to look for Dall sheep.
Teklanika Riverbed (mile 30): Another braided river with a wide gravel bar.
Igloo Mountain (mile 35): A great area to look for Dall sheep. Fun fact: In 2005, this was the first place in Denali where dinosaur tracks were found!
Sable Pass Area (mile 39): The tundra is permanently closed to walkers and hikers because it’s an important wildlife area. But even from the road it’s a great place to look for bears, caribou, wolves, and Dall sheep, as the short vegetation makes it easier to spot wildlife.
Can you go beyond the road closure?
Yes! And it’s magical. The catch: You’ll have to fly in and stay at one of the 3 lodges tucked deep inside the park.
Before the landslide, these lodges were accessible via a 6-hour drive along the Denali Park Road. Now they’ve had to transition to fly-in only. It’s made visiting the park’s backcountry a more private, intimate experience—one which was quite exclusive to begin with, due to the lodges’ remoteness and small size.
Today, Camp Denali and Denali Backcountry Lodge have the capacity to host about 24 guests, while Kantishna Roadhouse can accept 12. They offer stays between 2 and 7 nights, and the experience turns the Denali backcountry into practically your own private backyard.
Plus, the all-inclusive lodges take care of everything: transportation, lodging, meals, and activities. Yes, these lodges are more expensive than hotels at the park’s entrance. But the exclusive, immersive experience in one of the world’s most breathtaking natural settings makes it worth the splurge.
All the lodges take guests on guided walks and hikes in the Kantishna area, but each is a bit different:
Denali Backcountry Lodge. Fly in via helicopter to this lodge on Moose Creek, where you can enjoy the wood-fired sauna and hot tub, book a massage at The Nest Wellness Center, take a kayak or paddleboard out on Wonder Lake, ride an E-bike out on the Park Road, or pan for gold.
Camp Denali. This Alaskan family-owned and -operated eco-lodge has been hosting guests since 1951. Enjoy canoeing on Wonder Lake, and take advantage of the lodge’s exclusive access to the closed-off section of the Park Road for some amazing guided day hikes. Then sit down to meals that include meats and fish from Alaska and vegetables sourced from the on-site greenhouse.
Kantishna Roadhouse. This indigenous-owned lodge incorporates Alaska Native culture and Gold Rush history into the experience. Go gold panning, check out the original recorder’s cabin and Roadhouse building, and tour the cabin of frontierswoman and miner Fannie Quigley.
What’s next for Denali?
An exciting new 10-mile trail is being built, which will connect the park entrance area with the Denali Park Village area. There will actually be two parallel trails; one for hikers that hugs the river, and another that’s paved, making it perfect for cyclists.
More bike paths may be coming in the next few years. The vision is to connect the Carlo Creek communities to Healy along the Nenana River Trail, and eventually tie into the Alaska Long Trail. The goal is to provide more recreational opportunities in and out of the park—and to give visitors even more reasons to return to this gorgeous area!
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