Next Tuesday is your last day to apply for a permit for this year's Denali Park Road Lottery/NPS, Kent Mill

If you're hoping to snag a permit to drive the Denali Park Road in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska come September, time is running out to get your application in for the annual Road Lottery.

The public lottery entry period has been open since May 1 online at recreation.gov and will end at 11:29 pm, May 31 (Alaska time). Entries are also accepted by phone at (877) 444-6777, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Alaska time) through May 31.  Entries are no longer accepted by regular mail.

Public Road Lottery days are Sept. 16, 18, 19 and 20 (Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday).

Saturday, Sept. 17, is Military Appreciation Day, dedicated to active duty service members and their families stationed in Alaska. The permits will be distributed to military personnel through their internal channels. 

Both the Road Lottery and Military Appreciation Day offer visitors an unique way to experience the park, the opportunity to travel in their private vehicles along the 92-mile Denali Park Road. During the summer season, private vehicles are only permitted along the first 13 miles of the road; visitors who wish to explore the park’s backcountry board one of the park’s shuttle buses to traverse miles 13 to 92.  

On public Road Lottery days, 400 permit-holders may use their day-specific permits, obtained through the lottery system, to travel the Denali Park Road in their personal vehicles.

A non-refundable $10 entry fee will be charged to a credit or debit card during the online or phone application process. Permit winners will be charged a $25 Road Lottery fee to the same card at the time of the drawing in June. The $25 fee will not be refunded if the park road does not open on the day of the permit due to weather or road conditions.

Entrants will be notified of their status regardless of the results. Entrants whose names are drawn will be notified by June 18. Each permit winner will receive an email confirming the day of the permit, as well as information about how to obtain the road permit and prepare for a successful visit to the park.

Every permit holder must pay the park entrance fee ($10 per person age 16 or older) on the day of the permit unless the permit holder, or one of the permit-holder’s vehicle passengers, has a Denali Annual Pass or a federal recreation pass. Information about the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (Annual, Senior, Access or Volunteer), or U.S. Military Annual Pass, is available at this site. Federal recreation passes may also be purchased, or the one-time entrance fee paid, when collecting your permit at the Denali Park Visitor Center.

Military personnel who wish to participate in Military Appreciation Day are encouraged to visit the park’s website and scroll to the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of the Road Lottery page. Park and military leadership will work in partnership to distribute the 400 passes for Military Appreciation Day.

Oversized vehicles are restricted on certain portions of the Denali Park Road. More information about specific size limits is available on the park’s website in the FAQ section at the bottom of the page.

The possibility of inclement weather is always a factor. In the past the park road has only been partially open for Road Lottery because of snow. Lottery participants are encouraged to contact the park via the website or by phone at 907-683-9532 for updated road and weather information the day before or the morning of their permit.

The Riley Creek, Savage River and Teklanika River campgrounds will be open through Road Lottery weekend, weather permitting. Campsites are not included in the road permit, but can be reserved in advance via reservedenali.com or 800- 622-7275.

Information about campgrounds and accommodations outside the park is available from the Denali Chamber of Commerce at denalichamber.com or 907- 683-4636.

Road Lottery information is available on the park’s website or by calling park headquarters at 907- 683-9532, 9 am -4:00 pm daily.