Best Things to Do in Denali National Park
1. Tour the Denali Park Road
This is your ticket to explore the heart of the park, as private cars aren’t allowed past Mile 15 of the Park Road. On a bus tour of Denali National Park, you'll have the opportunity to look for wildlife like bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, fox, and wolves. On a clear day, there are also several viewpoints where you may see Mt. Denali. Plus, the bus offers narration from a trained naturalist.
If you don't want a traditional bus tour, you can utilize the National Park Shuttle bus which offers hop-on, hop-off service for hikers. Or, you can rent a bike or e-bike and see the park on two wheels!
Our tip: Make sure you're an expert at taking photographs of the Alaska landscape by first joining a tour with Denali Photo Guides. Take one of these tours when you first arrive in Denali, and you’ll take better photos throughout your wholee Alaska journey!

Get up close with the beauty of Denali National Park on a park tour. Photo by Bob Kaufman.
2. See Denali National Park from Above on a Flightseeing Tour
Get a unique perspective on the park’s majesty by soaring high above it on a flightseeing tour; you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of wildlife and see mountain peaks up close.
Go by plane to cover more territory; or travel by helicopter, where you’ll have the option of landing on a glacier or hiking along the alpine tundra.
Another fun way to see the park from off the ground: Zoom along on a zipline tour!

Denali Air soars in front of the face of Mt. Denali.
3. Hike in Denali National Park
With more than 6 million acres in Denali National Park and Preserve, it’s hard for hikers to know where to begin.
Fortunately, a wealth of guided hiking tours can help you navigate it, whether you’re looking for a day hike, a multi-day trip, or a small-group customized trip.
You also have the option to hike on your own, either on maintained trails near the park entrance or in Denali’s backcountry.

Traverse Alaska will teach you how to navigate in Denali’s backcountry.
4. Join a Jeep or ATV Tour
Get off the beaten path and explore by ATV or Jeep. Either way, you’ll experience the thrill of splashing through water as you cruise across the Alaskan tundra heading deep into the Alaskan backcountry.
On Jeep tours, you can decide to relax and take in the views (and look for wildlife) as a passenger, or grab the wheel yourself and pilot your vehicle.
You can also rent a Jeep or ATV and explore the area on your own!

Three people smiling as they splash through the mud on an ATV
5. Raft the Nenana River
Rafting the Nenana River is an exciting way to get away from noisy roads and take in the serenity of the Alaskan wilderness. Choose a mild float trip, where you can kick back and gaze up at snow-capped peaks. Or a opt for a heart-pounding journey through rushing rapids with names like Coffee Grinder and Ice Worm. You'll also have the option to choose a raft where everyone gets a paddle and contributes to the ride, or a fully guided trip where just the guide navigates the boat. Either way, you’ll feel the wind in your hair as you cruise down glacial rivers and look for wildlife along the riverbanks.
A rafting tour is one of the easiest activities to fit into your schedule. Shorter 2-hour tours have departures as early as 7:30am and as late as 6:30pm during the middle of summer. You can also opt for a full-day trip complete with a picnic lunch on the riverbank. Get even more hands on with a packrafting adventure that includes a hike, and paddling your own packraft through the Denali area backcountry.

Navigate exciting rapids with Denali Raft Adventures
6. Go Dog Sledding (Year-Round!)
Just 30 minutes south of Denali National Park near Cantwell, you can experience a dog sled adventure with Squid Acres Kennel year-round. Winter tours can involve learning to drive your own dog team or riding out to see the northern lights. In summer, the excited dogs pull a side-by-side on wheels across the tundra with a view of Denali. All tours are private, just you and your group, led by expert guides.
Get the insider’s perspective on the Iditarod from veteran musher Jeff King, who has claimed first place four times. He will regale you with tales from the trail and introduce you to his dogs during a tour of his sled-dog training center, the Husky Homestead.
You can also visit the Denali National Park sled dog kennels. Free demonstrations are given by a National Park Ranger 2-3 times daily between May and September, with a free shuttle from the Denali Visitor Center to access the kennels. The kennels are open in winter too, check the visitor center for hours.


Summer and winter dog sledding near Denali National Park
7. Go to the Visitor Center and a Dinner Theater Show
Learn all about the park and get the inside scoop from the rangers who work here by stopping by one of the park’s many information centers, including the Denali Visitor Center.
Another fun option is to spend an evening experiencing dinner theater, Alaska-style: In addition to a delicious, family-style meal, you’ll learn about historic events like the Gold Rush and the first ascent of Denali.

The Cast of the Cabin Nite Dinner Theater will educate and entertain!
Day Tours & Excursions View All
Don’t just visit iconic Denali National Park, experience it by gaining a real understanding of the wilderness. Northern Epics’ small-group walking and hiking tours have an educational emphasis so you can learn how the entire ecosystem fits together. Choose an easy walk, a rugged mountain trek, or opt for the survival tour where you’ll do some off-trial hiking and learn skills like how to build a shelter and identify edible berries.
Go flightseeing over Denali National Park in a very unique way: via helicopter. Lift off on a 50-minute flight —landing the helicopter on a glacier, putting on special boots, and going for a walk on the frozen landscape to get an up-close look at it. Or, visit Bus 142, made famous by adventurer Christopher McCandless. Flightseeing in a helicopter is much different from in a plane — learn all the benefits of this great way of checking out the ...more
Raft the pristine and scenic rivers in the Denali area with an expert, local guide. The most popular water activity is river rafting, which can range from a scenic float to a more whitewater experience on a class III+ river. For a full day of adventure, you can combine a trip on the river with hiking. Traverse Alaska also offers packrafting (each person is paddling their own small boat), which is a day-and-a-half class, transitioning from ...more
Just outside Denali National Park, the Nenana River offers a unique rafting experience: The river is big and icy cold, with glacially fed waters. But this rafting outfitter based near the Park Entrance offers a soul-warming experience on the river, which makes an excellent counterpart to a bus tour through the national park. Choose a quick 3‑hour trip on mild water or splash through some rapids. Or opt for a longer 5.5‑hour run.
The Black Diamond ATV Treasure Hunt backcountry adventure, just outside Denali, offers both a skilled guide and a splash of think-for-yourself adventure. Your ride can be fast and exciting or slow and leisurely — it’s up to you. Unlike some other ATV trips, you don’t have to do the driving; a pro is at the wheel of the Polaris ATV. You’ll explore old coal-mining trails and the Dry Creek River Bed, where Athabascan Indian artifacts have been found ...more
Drive your own 4‑wheel all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on this exciting off-road journey through the backcountry adjacent to Denali National Park. Black Diamond puts you in control: stop whenever you want, take pictures of the spectacular scenery, and laugh as you experience Alaska as it was meant to be: rough and wild. Explore old coal-mining trails and spill out onto the Dry Creek River Bed, then head high up on Black Diamond Peak to take in the ...more
Love taking photos? Take a tour with Denali Photo Guides exploring Denali’s epic landscapes, and you’ll get great shots and professional tips in Alaska’s most picture-perfect spots.
On a typical zipline you’ll ride under a canopy of trees. But with this unique zipline tour — the only one in the Denali National Park area— you ride above the tree line, so that you can take in sweeping, 360-degree views of miles around, including the tundra and the Alaska Range. Denali Park Zipline is the only ACCT Accredited zipline tour in Alaska. This is the highest recognition a zipline course can receive!
Not offered in 2025. Explore Denali National Park with Alaska Geographic on an educational day tour led by a science educator. Dive into the park’s ecosystem, history, and wildlife through hands-on experiences, off-trail hiking, and unique sensory engagements. Suitable for anyone aged 8 and up, the tour includes stops at significant sites like the East Fork of the Toklat River and offers intimate insights into the science and research of Denali. ...more
Traverse Alaska can craft fully-guided custom adventures, or set you up on a trip into the Alaska wilderness arming you with some know-how — and providing you with the independence to freely explore. Excursions include private day hikes, rafting and packrafting, and multi-day backpacking.
If you want to experience Denali National Park, Bike Denali has a fun, unique way to do it — on two wheels! Options include afternoon rentals to ride around the park entrance, full-day rentals to the explore the Denali Park Road to multi-day rentals for bike camping. Opt for a mountain bike, or eBike.
Feel the thrill of crushing through whitewater on the Nenana River just outside the iconic Denali National Park. Do it with New Wave Adventures and you’ll have your choice of rafting trips — you can even decide whether to paddle or just take in the beautiful scenery — as well as other exciting options like hiking and packrafting, all great options for family fun.
This is your chance to experience the spectacular scenery along the Denali Highway, a road recently ranked #2 worldwide as a ‘Drive of a Lifetime’ by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. You’ll be given the opportunity to take the wheel, or if you prefer, just sit back and enjoy stunning views of the peaks and glaciers of the central Alaska Range. There is a guide in the Jeep up front, but you can stop wherever, whenever, and as often as you ...more
Forget the trailhead on your next hike. Instead, take a short but very scenic helicopter ride to a special wilderness area just outside Denali National Park and start your trek from there. Your guide will lead your small group on a soft-adventure hike above the tree line, with sweeping views. You’ll learn about identifying animal tracks and the local flora and fauna, and of course have the opportunity to spot wildlife like bears, moose, and Dall ...more
ATV rentals for 2, 4, 8, or even a full 24 hours to explore many of the fun trails just outside of Denali National Park on your own. Unguided doesn’t mean unaided: Denali Toy Rentals will outfit you with a helmet, goggles, and trail map, as well as lots of insider tips and suggestions on where to go, customized to your interests.
This tour is an adventuresome alternative to a bus ride into the park. Denali ATV Adventures offers several tours that let you explore the areas surrounding Denali National Park. On your journey, you’ll splash through rivers, drive over tree root-rutted trails, and four-wheel up to some of the area’s most spectacular vistas. Drive your own ATV, or be the passenger and enjoy the ride.
The best way to get an overview of Denali National Park is aboard one of the park buses, which feature a trained naturalist who both drives and provides narration. Available tours include the Natural History Tour (4−5 hrs), and the Tundra Wilderness Tour (5−5.5 hrs).
Your journey starts with a 35-minute flight, gliding over towering mountains, glaciers, and pristine wilderness. On a clear day, you’ll have a front-row view of Denali, North America’s tallest peak. Touch down in the remote Kantishna Gold Mining District and board a shuttle for the Kantishna Roadhouse where you’ll enjoy lunch and choose from a menu of activities like gold panning, guided walk or hike, or self-guided kayaking or paddleboarding on ...more
Small group backpacking and basecamp hiking adventures in Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Wrangell St. Elias, Kobuk, and Lake Clark National Parks. Beginners with a high level of fitness are welcome but having completed at least a few backpacking trips is recommended. Your guides are highly trained trip leaders who have global mountaineering experience and wilderness medical training.
New Wave Adventures provides experienced guides who go beyond guiding your way — they enrich your journey with insights into the area’s history, flora, fauna, and geology. Choose from 3 hikes in the Denali area: Oxbow, Triple Lakes, or Rock Creek.
This train travels through the forested areas north of Anchorage into the boreal forest, and eventually into the tundra regions further north. On a clear day the train will slow down to allow you to see beautiful vistas of Denali. You may also spot wildlife along the way. Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna Day Trip from Fairbanks: Denali Multi-Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and / or Fairbanks Multi-Day Trip ...more
Explore all 92 miles of the Denali Park Road and have the entire trip narrated by an experienced driver. Not only will you see legendary landmarks such as Polychrome Pass, Wonder Lake and Reflection Pond, you will have opportunities to see the abundance of wildlife in the park. Enjoy a hot lunch, explore the grounds, pan for gold, or take a short walk along the creek, or relax in a rocker at the lodge and soak up the scenery.
Traverse Alaska creates custom tours in the Denali National Park area that allow travelers to enjoy the magic of Alaska at their own pace. Winter itineraries include iconic Alaskan cold-weather activities in Southcentral and Interior Alaska. After all, Alaska in winter is a very special time of year — quieter, full of snow-frosted trees, and frozen snow-covered ground creates an outdoor playground in every direction.
Drive through Alaska with an audio tour guiding you along iconic routes. Audio Tour Alaska gives you an insider’s take on everything from points of interest to history, wildlife, and culture, along with captivating stories. Guides to popular routes include Anchorage to Talkeetna; Talkeetna to Denali National Park; Denali to Fairbanks; Anchorage to Seward; Tern Lake to Homer; and the Denali Park Entrance area and the Denali Park road.
To get a real sense of old-time Alaska, climb into Black Diamond’s family-friendly Covered Wagon Adventure for a trip through time. While guides fill you in on the area’s history and natural treasures, you’ll be pulled by two draft horses through the Alaskan tundra, with the mountains of nearby Denali National Park hovering overhead. Hear the history of this coal-mining area as you pass through the wilderness.
A lot of people swear to it: the best way to see Alaska is from an airplane, and there may indeed be no better way to get close to the face of Denali. This one-of-a-kind flightseeing operator makes it easy to see up close to the Great One without spending a great deal of time.
Experience the thrill of the iconic Alaskan sport of dogsledding from veterans of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races! Operating in summer and winter from Cantwell, about a 30-minute drive south of Denali National Park, the private tours will be just you and your group, led by expert guides. Winter tours can involve learning to drive your own dog team or riding out to see the northern lights. In summer, the excited dogs pull a side-by-side on ...more
Get the insider’s perspective on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from veteran musher and Alaskan celebrity Jeff King, who has claimed first place four times. He will regale you with tales from the trail and introduce you to his dogs during a tour of his sled-dog training center, the Husky Homestead. Here, for more than three decades, Jeff has offered visitors a look at what goes into creating a championship team and carving a life in the Alaska ...more
Denali Air flights see the majestic mountain a whopping 90% of the time, thanks to the company’s highly experienced pilots and its unique ability to access both the south and north approaches to Denali. Passengers appreciate the private airstrip, the longstanding reputation of Denali Air as the original flight company in Denali, and the fact that 99.9% of the tour is within Denali National Park boundaries.
Parks & Trails View All
This hike introduces you to the best that Denali has to offer. The Bison Gulch trail is all about stunning views of steep river canyons, a solid, well-broken trail through alpine tundra, and an exciting summit scramble for those that reach it. For those with less time, this hike is favored for its quick access to high alpine views directly off of the Parks Highway. No need to go all the way to the summit if you haven’t the time or motivation; the ...more
Either drive your own car or take the free shuttle 15 miles out the park road to the Savage River check station. This is a popular hiking trail, and you won’t be alone, but at least you’re away from the entrance area and entering the true wilderness of Denali National Park. This is a tundra walk on a developed trail that follows the river. Good hike for kids, with possibility of seeing Dall sheep, marmots, and caribou. You can do a loop walk, ...more
This popular trail attracts lots of folks, so don’t expect to be the only hiker. It’s still worth the trip. The trail begins at Mile 0.9 on the park road near the railroad tracks. You’ll walk on a developed trail down to the lake. After you reach the Overlook, the trail drops steeply. Along the way, especially at the overlook bench, you’ll have a panoramic view of the Nenana River, the development called “Glitter Gulch” right outside the park, ...more
Sugarloaf offers fun, steep, and challenging ridge hiking above the hotels and restaurants of the commercial area North of Denali National Park. It’s a great place to scramble freely in this region’s semi-arid alpine zone or to enjoy a long midnight sunset. The broad, west facing peak of Sugarloaf Mountain is a rewarding summit, and once you’ve climbed the steepest trail section at the beginning you’ll likely have the rest of trail to yourself, ...more
A roadside hike that gains quick elevation and leads to soaring views? Count me in. A little traveled creek that rushes into one of the wildest whitewater rivers in Alaska? Hmm. Yes, please. A trail all to yourself just a few minutes from Denali’s busy front country area? Now you’re talking. Dragonfly Creek has all this and more, and you’ll only just be getting your feet wet.