Alaska’s Denali National Park - 2

Bus tours

If you do venture into the park by bus, you’ll need to choose from either an interpretive tour or a regular shuttle.

The Denali Natural History Tour (4½ to 5 hours) and the Tundra Wilderness Tour (6 to 8 hours) offer in-depth narration, interpretive stops and a snack or boxed lunch. Park shuttles, from five to 13 hours long, are less formal and offer more flexibility. You can hop off one shuttle, explore on your own, and then flag down another bus for the ride back, provided seats are available.

Park shuttles run about half the price of tours, and kids under 14 are free. As with everything else in the park, it’s best to make reservations well in advance, though a limited number of seats are set aside for walk-in reservations.

If you’re taking children on the bus, be sure to bring everything you’ll need to keep them comfortable. You won’t be able to buy snacks or drinks or diapers along the way.  Some kids aren’t excited about spending hours in what is basically a school bus, so suggest they join the Junior Ranger Program and pick up a Discovery Pack at the visitor center. Designed for ages 6 to 12, Discovery Packs include binoculars, a magnifying glass, a thermometer, a compass, art supplies, and suggestions for fun activities such as sound mapping and casting tracks.

Recommended length of stay

To fully experience Denali, spend two or three days at the park; that way you can take in some of the educational programs at the Murie Science Center or, with older children, join a ranger-guided Discovery Hike combining a three- to eight-hour bus ride with a three- to five-hour hike.  Hikers should be prepared for moderate to strenuous activity that may include getting wet and muddy.

By staying a few days, you can also enjoy activities offered by park vendors, including flightseeing around the mountain, whitewater rafting on the Nenana River, jeep riding along the Stampede Trail north of the park, or taking in the Denali Dinner Theater at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

If your family is up for it, tack on some extra days and go backcountry camping. You can camp at a designated site like Wonder Lake, or you can plan your own off-road adventure with the help of the park service rangers. Campers ride special buses that make flag stops along the park road. Make reservations in advance, be prepared for weather extremes, practice bear-safe cooking and food storage, and don’t venture out without good bug protection, including a head net. The bugs can be ferocious, but they’re an important part of the food chain, and it’s all part of the Denali adventure.

Contact information:

Alaska Railroad
Schedules and rates for service between Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Denali. Tel. 907-265-2494, 800-544-0552; www.alaskarailroad.com

Camp Denali and North Face Lodge
All-inclusive packages on private property at the end of the park road. Tel. 907-683-2290; www.campdenali.com

 

• Two bear cubs tough it out in front of a tourist bus in Denali National Park.

Deb Vanasse

Denali Jeep Backcountry Safari
Four-wheeling on the Stampede Trail north of the park. Tel. 800-323-5757; www.bestofalaskatravel.com

Denali Park Reservations
Reservations for buses, tours, camping and Aramark hotels. Tel. 907-272-7275, 800-622-7275; www.reservedenali.com

Denali Park Headquarters
Information about ranger-led programs and back-country camping. Tel. 907-683-2294; www.nps.gov/dena

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge
Accommodations with restaurants and dinner theater in “Glitter Gulch,” near the park entrance. Tel. 800-426-0500; www.princesslodges.com

Denali Raft Adventures
Whitewater rafting near the park entrance. Tel. 907-683-2234, 888-683-2234; www.denaliraft.com

Earthsong Lodge
Hand-built lodge near Healty, 17 miles north of the park entrance. Tel. 907-683-2863; www.earthsonglodge.com

Kantishna Air Taxi
Exclusive concessionaire for flight-seeing within the park. Tel. 907-683-1223; www.katair.com

McKinley Creekside Cabins and Café
Located 13 miles south of the park entrance, 30 units and great food. Tel. 907-683-2277, 888-533-6254; www.mckinleycabins.com