You can arrive at Denali’s front door via a variety of transportation methods. You can fly into Fairbanks or Anchorage then continue your trip via car, train, or bus. Or, you can drive instead of fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks and take the train or bus from there to the park. Or, you can just drive on straight to Denali. The park is 240 miles (386 km) north of Anchorage and 120 miles (193 km) south of Fairbanks.
On the road to Denali National Park and Preserve / Rebecca Latson
The park entrance is located at Mile 237 on Alaska Highway 3 (also called the George Parks Highway). If you use GPS, it’s recommended you apply the park’s latitude and longitude: 63.728443, -148.886572. You should note that locations near and within the park are referred by mile marker as measured from the park entrance (e.g., the Denali Visitor Center is at Mile 1.5 on the park road, meaning it is 1.5 miles from the park entrance).
There are commercial airlines to Anchorage or Fairbanks, and you can even fly your own plane to the park. To do that, however, you should be familiar with pilot information for reaching Denali.
Plan to hoof it? Denali’s mountaineering headquarters are in Talkeetna, about 100 miles (161 km) north of Anchorage and 140 miles (225 km) south of the park entrance.
During the summer months, a variety of private bus and van services operate daily from Anchorage and Fairbanks. Contact a travel agent or search the web for available companies operating along Highway 3.
Traveler's Note: If you plan on taking a winter trip to Denali (September or October through April), be aware the park road will completely close at Park Headquarters (Mile 3).
Once you arrive at the park, there’s only one road leading straight through it, east to west. Personal vehicles are only allowed 15 miles (24 km) into the park, to Savage River. The park’s advice regardless of whether you are traveling by personal vehicle or not, is to take one of Denali’s free or fee-based transit systems to venture farther. There is free shuttle service to the entrance area, dog sled kennels, and other stops along the park road up to Mile 15. Fee-based transit (narrated and non-narrated) only goes as far as Mile 43 due to the Pretty Rocks Landslide blocking the rest of the park road.
Free And Fee-Based Transit Within Denali
If you opt to leave your vehicle at the Denali Visitor Center, you’ll need to decide which transit to embark upon for your explorations beyond Mile 15. You have three options, according to Denali Park staff.
Non-narrated transit buses
Cheaper than tour buses, and more flexible in that you may disembark and re-board anywhere along the road, these are called transit buses. Transit bus drivers aim to help you experience the park on your own terms. These buses stop for wildlife viewing, restroom stops and beautiful scenery, just like tour buses.
Read more about non-narrated transit bus options
Narrated tour buses
Your driver is your narrator on the tour buses, and they will provide a detailed and captivating program to accompany your journey along the Denali Park Road. Tour buses make the same restroom stops as the non-narrated buses, and of course will pause for views of wildlife and scenery. All tours offer either a snack or full lunch.
Read more about narrated tour bus options
Free buses
Three types of free buses operate on the publicly-driveable portion of the Denali Park Road. These enable visitors without vehicles, or those who wish to leave their vehicle behind, to travel between various facilities, trails, campgrounds and day-use areas. All of these are free, and none require reservations.
Still undecided? Click here to investigate in greater detail not only which bus tour to choose, but also see the recommended itineraries and understand Alaska state law regarding child restraint information.
Traveler’s Note: The suggested itineraries you see in the link above do not include services or itineraries offered by lodging tour businesses. You can read about those on the Lodging In Denali page.
While you won’t be using much fuel to get from Denali’s entrance to Mile 15, if you are driving to this national park and preserve, you’ll need to be aware of where to gas up or charge up.
There is a summer-only gas station located one mile north of the park entrance, along Highway 3. Year-round gas stations are in Cantwell (30 miles / 48.3 kilometers south) and Healy (11 miles / 17.7 kilometers north).
If you are piloting an electric vehicle (EV), there are two chargers, plug types CCS1, CHAdeMO, J-1772 at Mile 214.5 Parks Hwy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755, USA.
You cannot take your personal vehicle past Mile 15 (Savage River) within the park, but you can take a bus to see more of the incredible scenery in Denali National Park and Preserve / Rebecca Latson
