**UPDATE: The 92-mile Denali Park Road (the only road that goes into Denali) is closed at Mile 43 due to an on-going landslide. Tour buses will still operate, but will not go farther than Mile 43. This closure is expected to remain in place until partway through summer 2026. For the most recent information regarding the road closure, see the National Park Service website.
Are you traveling to Alaska wondering if you should fit a Denali National Park trip into your schedule? Alaska is vast and beautiful with such a variety of natural masterpieces and landscapes, including mountains, glaciers, forests, and fjords. While you won’t have time to see every bit of Alaska’s stunning scenery, fitting in a variety of sights and experiences is likely your goal.
So, does it make sense to trek to Denali National Park, home of vast rugged wilderness, diverse wildlife and the tallest mountain in North America?
Our answer may surprise you.
Located 4 hours north of Anchorage, the park’s out-of-the-way location can be a struggle to fit into your travel plans, especially since most first-time visitors to Alaska head south to the Kenai Peninsula. Yet, traveling to Alaska and not visiting Denali National Park seems a little crazy.
We’ve traveled to Alaska many times and twice explored Denali National Park. There are some definite pros and cons of including Denali into your travel plans. Our experiences can help you decide whether to include this excursion in your trip itinerary or skip it altogether.
Read on to see whether Scenic and Savvy recommends you Trip It or Skip It.
(For detailed information on planning your Alaska itinerary, click here: Comparing Two Alaska Road Trip Itineraries)
Visiting Denali National Park, Alaska
Denali National Park encompasses nearly 9,500 square miles, totaling more than 6 million acres. Larger than the entire state of New Hampshire, Denali is the third largest national park in the country.
It’s also home to the highest mountain peak in North America. Formerly called Mt. McKinley, this mountain was renamed Denali in 2015, meaning “The Great One.” It reaches 20,320 ft. high!
In 2019, more than 600,000 people visited Denali National Park. Travelers journey to the park to take in the wide open wild landscape, witness Denali’s monumental peak, and view a variety of large iconic animals like grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves, and dall sheep.
These epic Alaska experiences sound too good to miss! However, not all visitors have their expectations met. In fact, travel forums often discuss travelers’ disappointments with the mountain peak being clouded over or not encountering much wildlife. Is the journey to Denali National Park even worth it then? Let’s take a closer look.
Facts To Consider
There are some interesting facts you should be aware of when considering a trip to Denali National Park.
- Denali National Park is located 240 miles, or four hours, north of Anchorage. While four hours isn’t too long of a journey, much of Alaska’s other popular destinations are hours south of Anchorage on the famed Kenai Peninsula, like the Russian River, Kenai River, Exit Glacier and the towns of Seward and Homer. Because of this, fitting in a Denali National Park trip can be out of the way and requires a lot of driving.
- You must take a Denali bus tour in order to travel more than 15 miles into the park. Private vehicles are not allowed very far into Denali National Park. The Denali bus tours use regular school buses and are all day excursions lasting anywhere from 6.5 hours to 12 hours roundtrip. This, in addition to the 8-hour roundtrip drive to get to the park, makes for a lot of time spent in a vehicle. **See UPDATE at the beginning of this article.
- On a Denali bus tour, only 33% of people see Denali’s mountain peak on an average day, as Denali is often covered in clouds. If you do see it, it’s frequently just a quick peak and then the clouds roll in again.
- As far as viewing Denali National Park wildlife, 80-90% of park visitors see bears, sheep and caribou, but often from a distance.
- There aren’t many formal hiking trails in Denali National Park. Most of the hiking done in Denali is off-trail on your own.
(Interested in hiking other areas of Alaska? Click for a list of 5 of the best hikes in Alaska that are unique, scenic and 3 hours or less!)
Is Denali National Park a disappointment?
During our two times visiting Denali National Park, we were able to view a clear Denali mountain peak once briefly from one of the bus stops, but it quickly clouded over again. It was nice to say we saw it, but it really wasn’t the grand view that we thought it would be, as it is very far in the distance.
Denali National Park’s wide open panoramas are spectacular, as is the whole state of Alaska. Stunning Alaskan wilderness awaits you in many parts of the state, not just the national park.
The only wildlife we saw on the Denali bus tour were dots far out in the landscape that the bus driver said were probably bear and moose. Peering out the window of a school bus for 8 hours just to unsuccessfully catch a glimpse of a bear or a moose can make for a long, uncomfortable and disappointing day. Talking with others since then, we realize many people have high expectations that don’t get realized.
Wildlife Viewing Alternatives
On the other hand, we’ve had many exciting wildlife encounters in other parts of the state.
- We watched a bear stroll around downtown Girdwood (a city half-hour south of Anchorage.)
- A bear crossed our path while driving to Homer, a beautiful, coastal city on the Kenai Peninsula.
- We saw many bears while staying in the super scenic town of Cooper Landing.
- A bear crossed in front of our car driving through town.
- We watched a bear alongside Skilak Lake Road, a premier wildlife viewing area.
- We caught a glimpse of four grizzlies splashing and playing in a river as we safely drove alongside the water.
- A moose was walking through the parking lot of our rental cabin in Seward.
- Climbing Flattop Mountain we saw a moose in the distance.
- Dall sheep are all over and fun to see climbing the steep rock walls along the Seward Highway.
(If you’re traveling along the Seward Highway, make sure to check out these 7 scenic stops not to miss on your drive!)
Viewing Denali Mountain Peak Alternatives
The town of Talkeetna, 1.5 hours north of Anchorage, is physically closer in distance to the Denali mountain peak than Denali National Park’s main road. We were able to see the famed mountain peak from a view point in town – much more accessible than driving 8 hours roundtrip to Denali National Park.
There are a few different vantage points throughout Talkeetna for catching a glimpse of the mountain peak. Some areas have web cams set up so you can keep an eye on the clouds and the weather to know just the right time to get to the lookout. Talkeetna is a cute town worth a short visit. It has a historic village center and is more accessible to viewing the Denali mountain peak than fitting in a Denali National Park trip.
(If you make your way to Talkeetna, check out their local brewery. You can read about Alaska’s hopping beer scene here: Tapping Into The Alaska Craft Beer Scene.)
Our verdict on visiting Denali National Park
Here at Scenic and Savvy we are all about seeing National Parks! Outdoor adventures and hiking in scenic destinations are some of our favorite pastimes. Mountains, glaciers and seeing wildlife make Alaska a favorite vacation destination. Denali National Park – under perfect conditions – would be, too. However with all of the limitations we detailed in this article and from our experience, we know it would be a better use of your time if you visited more accessible areas of the state. You’d get to spend more time basking in Alaska’s vast beauty and viewing diverse wildlife, with less time in a car or school bus.
Scenic and Savvy says: Skip it!
(And if you do decide to visit Denali National Park, at least temper your expectations.)
Have you ever been to Denali National Park? What was your experience like? Tell us in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
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Totally disagree with skipping. Just returned from there and found it to be energizing and the beauty beyond any comparison. We were fortunate to see and enjoy the view of the Majestic Denali on a clear day.. DO it. It’s worth the visit. Better yet camp there and soak in every minute.
Hi Linda, Thanks for commenting. Glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Denali… and that you were lucky enough to see the mountain peak on a clear day!
We have been to Alaska 7 times – one of those being Haines. Each time we went we were blessed to see Denali with no clouds for hours at a time. I know they say most do not, but it is so worth it to go and take the chance. The view from Talkeetna is a good spot too. I will say the first time we took the bus up we saw much more wildlife than the other times, but it was still worth the trip. To get the chance to see Denali in all her Glory is amazing. We will go back in 2024 if the Lord wills.
That’s great! I hope you get to visit again in 2024! Thanks for sharing.
Visited the park six years ago with my son. We were driving from Fairbanks to Anchorage, so we camped nearby in Healy for two nights. We took the bus to Wonder Lake and back, an 11 hour round trip. We saw numerous ground squirrels, some Caribou, moose, and 16 grizzly bears, including a large sow that ran down a moose calf, about 1/4 mile from the bus. Luckily the kill was made in a willow thicket, so we did not have to witness that bloody detail. The peak was hidden that day, but visible from a viewpoint the following day as we headed south to Anchorage. You never know what you might see on your visit, but I guarantee if you do not go, you will not see anything. We had driven to Alaska from RI, so even if it were 8 hours out of our way, it was worth it. Oh, and my son has returned for three summers to work at the lodge at the end of the Denali Park Road.
I agree with you. I was there in 2012 for 16 days. Denali National Park is well worth the money & time to visit. Have some of the most beautiful wild animals you can find anywhere. I’m planning to go back.
Wow, a road trip from Rhode Island to Alaska… impressive! Yes, I imagine the quick jaunt from Fairbanks to Denali was worth it considering your trek just to get to Alaska. Sounds like the animals were plentiful during your trip! Thanks for filling us in on your experience, John.
And I disagree as well. Denali is so much more than one big mountain and thousands of animals. It is a beautiful landscape worthy of a portrait every mile. It is gracious rangers and drivers bursting with pride. It is the perfect place to find peace and freedom from the rest of the world. Denali is a feeling as much as a destination and it is worth the trip for anyone who wants to be awed.
Hi Stan, Thanks for commenting! I definitely agree with the beautiful landscape of Denali and the peaceful feeling it creates (while not on the bus.) But I’ve also had that same awe-struck feeling by the wide-open Alaska expanse while hiking Portage Pass just outside Whittier and in Cooper Landing surrounded by mountains, trees and the outrageously turquoise Kenai River. The views hiking to glaciers and up mountaintops overlooking Alaska’s vastness is incredible in numerous other areas of the state. If it’s out of the way for people to make it up to Denali and they don’t want to take an all-day bus tour into the park, I want them to know that same feeling can be had in many areas of Alaska.
Hi! I have been researching whether or not it is worth taking the trip to Denali if we only have 2 1/2 days left in our trip before flying out of Anchorage. After reading your post I got the answers I was looking for; so thanks!
I will be travelling with teens who love hiking; so I was leaning towards spending both days in Girdwood area and maybe renting a cabin. But I also didn’t want us to miss out on that awe-struck feeling of the Alaska expanse; so wanted to also squeeze in Denali if possible.
After reading your post, I am leaning towards staying in Girdwood area and making stops on the way to Kenai to Exit Glacier., We plan on hiking Portage Pass and hoping to have time to do some hiking in Cooper Landing. Which trails would you recommend in Cooper landing that are maybe no more than 2-3hr hikes?
Jennifer, We really liked hiking the Russian River Falls trail in Cooper Landing. You can see salmon trying to swim upstream during a salmon run. Really cool to see. We detail more Alaskan hikes in this article: https://www.scenicandsavvy.com/5-best-hikes-in-alaska-unique-scenic-3-hours/ (They’re not all in Cooper Landing, though.) For Cooper Landing area trails, here is a good article: https://www.alaska.org/destination/cooper-landing/parks-and-trails.
Have fun hiking in beautiful Alaska!
We were there 5 years ago with a group of 105 people from Wisconsin. We were very fortunate to see Denali all day. We saw Dall sheep, moose, caribou, a grizzly bear and a hole lot of spectacular scenery. Our bus trip started at 7 am which may have helped us to see more animals, because animals are most active in the cool mornings and evenings even though the sun doesn’t go down. Be sure to take a good pair of binoculars or spotting scope. When we were staying at McKinley Chalet Resort it took me 1/2 hour to spot 3 Dall sheep. That evening from the deck of my room I spoted a dozen by just glassing the moutain. The next morning I spotted a dozen again. We had a young bull moose that was hanging out on the resort grounds. I and a few others are hunters and that helped in spotting animals.
That’s great you got to see Denali all day… that’s really rare! I agree, bringing binoculars can help as you’re looking for animals. Sounds like you got to see a lot! Thanks for commenting.
Visited Alaska in August 2019. Was a package cruise/land tour. We visited Denali by bus and would definitely advise anyone to make sure and go there. It was beautiful and I can tell you I had a God moment there. It was definitely the freshest, cleanest most pure air I have ever experienced! We saw numerous wildlife. I was not disappointed and I am definitely going back.
Hi Dianne, Thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed your time in Denali!
Just went to Denali in June 2021. I have mixed feelings. I wanted the National Geographic special on wildlife, which I know is a high expectation. I did not get that on the bus. The National Park where I live you can drive through and get out at beautiful spots and take pictures. Denali just didn’t excite me on a bus. I am glad that I went but I wanted so much more.
Yes, I think a lot of people have high expectations when visiting Denali. It’s a beautiful park for sure, but you don’t always get the amazing and exciting experience you’re hoping for. Thanks for the comment, Michelle!
i’m so thinking that!!I think it depends how outdoorsy you are and how much experience you’ve had with the outdoors it would be hard to be in a bus when you’re a total hiker and have had the luxury of constantly being outside and being physical I like this gentleman’s review and get his point completely
I was in Alaska April 8 thru 13 of 2021. We were there for what is called the frozen few run. It’s a motorcycle ride from Fairbanks to Anchorage. You need to be a member of my husbands club to participate. Flying into Anchorage was spectacular! I made sure I had a window seat. I even got some great pics from the plane. I was told the weather is usually between 40 and 60 at that time. But of course with our luck, it was record cold… -20!!!! We grew up in New England so we thought we were prepared lol. We ended up waiting for Cabelas to open on the next day lol. Because it had snowed in fairbanks earlier in the week the run was “canceled ” with some reassurance on liability the guys got to ride. They ride from Anchorage to Denali before the winds picked up enough to load the bikes onto trailers. It was stunningly clear that day and the views were amazing (thru the widow of our rental mini van), I’ve never experienced such cold. Well worth it though. I went searching for the northern lights in fairbanks but they were elusive. All in all it was a great trip! I will be going back again. I will be chasing the lights around the globe. Finland is next .. too bad it must be in winter.
Wow, -20 degrees! Glad you still had a good time though. Seeing the Northern Lights is HIGH on my bucket list. But I agree, it’s too bad it has to be in the winter. Have fun in Finland. Hope you get to see the lights! Thanks for commenting, Rose!
3 of us are on a 3 week road trip and Denali is in our plans and we will actually be stopping at some of the 7 stops you recommend. However if your time is limited and this is a one time Alaskan adventure then yes do the most accessible areas to see the most.
A 3-week Alaska road trip… how fun! Yes, if you have plenty of time, then it makes sense to travel up to Denali and see the park. Hope you have a fabulous time, Maria!
We took the Denali bus in late Aug 2021. It was only 4 hours starting at 10:30am because a road was washed out (we got a partial refund). But the tundra had yellow and red fall bushes – gorgeous hillsides and mountainsides. No view of the big mountain but we saw three bull moose competing.
I bet the yellow and red fall bushes were beautiful. How fun to see three moose. Thanks for commenting!
I lived and worked at Denali over 6 years (but not December or January) and can attest to the fact people visit with overly optimistic expectations. So much so that they often miss the overwhelming beauty of the park. Those who come with a checklist will often find they didn’t see what they hoped. It is a great wildlife park, but if you hit it on a hot day (70 and higher) at midday you will find many animals sleeping. Want to see the one of a kind Mountain View of the North face of Denali, June through August is the least likely of all months. If you see it from Eielson or further out, you will never forget it. It is a mountain environment where rain is most likely in the summer. It is very dry in the late fall, winter and Spring.
If you go to the Park with an open mind you will walk away with an experience of a lifetime. Get out of the bus! Anywhere.
Bob, Thanks for the comment! I agree Denali is beautiful. Travelers who are short on time visit Denali quickly and with a checklist of must-see’s – then they leave disappointed, like you said. Sitting on a bus peering out the window is not the way to see Alaska. You, on the other hand, must have had some amazing experiences in Denali having worked there for 6 years! How awesome!
Great article! Heading for Alaska next June and somehow found this through a Google search. Lots of good information for first-timers to the state.
Glad you liked our article, Debbie. I hope you have a great time in Alaska next June! If you haven’t already, check out all of our other Alaska articles. https://www.scenicandsavvy.com/category/united-states/alaska/
Thank you so much for this article! We are planning our 1st trip to Alaska (cruise + a few days of land) and was thinking of going to Denali, and your post was very helpful!
Instead of blindly recommending everyone go to Denali, you really analyze the pros and cons and set realistic expectations. There are so many scenic places in Alaska, and we will probably visit somewhere more accessible due to our limited land days in Alaska.
Thank you for the helpful info!!
Hi Viv, Yes, with limited days on land you’re better off skipping Denali. As beautiful as it is, there are so many stunning landscapes all throughout Alaska. Your time is better spent seeking out more accessible areas of the state. Thanks for the comment. Have a great trip!
My husband I are thinking of an Alaska trip in September to avoid crowds.. thoughts about that time of year?
Thank you. Kristi
Hi Kristi, I have mixed feelings about visiting Alaska in September. I guess it depends a little on if you’ll be there the beginning of the month or the end. The days get shorter, there’s more rain, and a few things close down towards mid to late September. Cruise ships still run through mid-September so you won’t necessarily avoid those crowds. I do usually recommend “shoulder season” travel to many destinations, but Alaska is one that I love visiting in the summertime. I, personally, love all the daylight, the weather, and never really feel the crowds are too bad… there’s so much room to spread out in Alaska. However, September can still be a beautiful time of year, too… it’s just a little hit-or-miss with the weather. Here’s an article that might be useful! https://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-in-september Either way, I hope you have a great time!
I went as part of a two week trip, 6 days in Hawai’i and 8 in Alaska. We were in Alaska from September 11th to the 18th. That was about 1 week too late. Alaska has a lot of things that close quickly. VRBO messed up our reservation in McCarthy and the town was practically closed down, but we were able to rent a cabin for a night so we were very fortunate as it is very remote. As for the weather, it was fine except for the one day we were supposed to do the Kenai Fjords tour. They had to shorten it to just the bay around Seward. So we canceled and went on the 26 Glacier Your out of Whittier. Even on a very wet day, that tour was fantastic. Big catamaran style cruise ship. The Kenai peninsula would have more open later than the interior.
But, yeah, if I do Alaska again in September, it would be Labor Day week. The one big positive was no mosquitoes.
You should update this article as Google referred this article to me in my news feed, in March 2022.
I went in September of 2021. And that was about 2 weeks after the Polychrome Pass closure. The road sits on ever slumping terrain and it accelerated so much they have the road closed for the foreseeable future until they complete a bridge around the Pass. We were partially refunded since we could only go out that first 30 miles.
Working past that disappointment, we accepted Alaska for the great uncontrolled frontier that it is and got on our tour bus, anyway. We only had one day there so we tried to enjoy it. The weather was clear and cold and allowed us to see Denali. So that was a success. I got many wonderful pictures of the beauty of the park. However, besides the disappointment of only going about 1/3 the way in, we also saw no wildlife. Maybe a golden eagle, but that was it. No bears, no moose, not much of anything.
I still enjoyed it. And it was worth it for us as we were circling the interior up to Fairbanks and then down the east side and down into McCarthy and Kennicott mines.
But, yeah, if you are limited in time, the gamble that is Denali can be considered skippable since there is so much more amazing things to see in Alaska. And, yes, going as far as Talkeetna to see Denali is another great way to see the mountain.
Thanks for the update, James. I added a note to the beginning of this article alerting readers to the fact that Denali Park Road is currently closed at Mile 43. I’m glad you still enjoyed your Denali visit. It’s a bummer you didn’t see much wildlife, but at least you got to see the Denali peak.
We did the bus trip to the Visitor center in 2016. While the mountain stayed covered in clouds there were animal sitings all around us! My whole reason for the trip was to see the Grizzly and we were not disappointed. There was a huge male right next to the road. He was just strolling along. Even sat down and scratched his ear! 😍 We also got to see some momma Grizzlies with babies. No they were not next to the road. But you should always take binoculars when going out to see wildlife! We also saw Caribou, Dall Sheep, Ptarmigan, Rabbits, Fox and Moose. 2 huge male Moose at the visitor center down in the valley. I was happy we did that trip! ❤️
We went back in 2017 and did the bus trip all the way to the end. Had lunch and then I panned for gold. And I went up the river away from everyone else and collected my pay dirt!! Yes I found gold and the girl said ” no one ever finds gold”…. Because they all stay in the same spot that’s been panned for years!! She laminated my little nugget as a souvenir. That trip was full of wildlife sitings as well. Again we did not see the mountain. However we did get an awesome view of it from our hotel balcony in Anchorage. 😍 So if you want to go then go. If you don’t then don’t! No guarantees you will see anything. But you won’t be disappointed when you do see. 😍🏔️🦊🐰🐻🐏🦅
It’s great you managed to see grizzlies in Denali! We saw 4 grizzlies in Cooper Landing south of Anchorage and it was such a cool sight. And you found gold! Awesome! Thanks for the comment.
Any thoughts about taking train thru Denali?
The train doesn’t go through Denali National Park. There is a train that goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks and has a stop at Denali, but it’s not a sightseeing train that takes you through the park.
Just spent all day in the car and saw nothing. Going to Denali is weather dependent. Unfortunately, this was our only day to go, and there was a blizzard. When we try again, we will go in summer and plan to stay for a week. There were incredible views of Alaska in Wasilla during our return. Sun came out for about 30 minutes. Apparently, Spring in Alaska is unpredictable. Try the ice fishing if you come whe it’s cold. We did! It was a blast.
Yes, spring is very unpredictable. Sorry you didn’t get to see anything during your visit. Ice fishing sounds fun!