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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/directions.htm, Several municipal airports offer local service, including, Take W. International Airport Rd. Campers are encouraged to make as much noise as possible while hiking in an effort to scare away any unwanted visitors. The park offers a handful of “fee free” days during the year, where the entrance fee is waived. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Check the schedule for exact times. Often by 10am the clouds roll in so you might have a better chance at that. Looking for more help planning your next adventure? This tiny... Public Transportation to Denali National Park. This airport is a small regional airport that has NO commercial passenger service. Denali is wild, it’s beautiful, it’s out there, and mysterious. % of people told us that this article helped them. There are seven air taxi’s operating out of this airport. Cruise up the Kahiltna glacier, right over the climbers’ base camp at 7,200 feet, and wind between these peaks for breathtaking views of Denali above and the West Buttress Route below. Sure, Denali National Park and Preserve is named for the nation’s mightiest mountain, but the 6-million-acre park encompasses so much more. We are going to break down all your options for how to get to Denali National Park. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. By using our site, you agree to our. Drive, train, travel • 10h 46m. Distance from Denali Park Entrance: 14 miles, Drive time from Denali Park Entrance: 18 minutes. See tips on lodging, bus tours, wildlife, and how to increase the odd of seeing “the mountain”. Caribou / Reindeer. This tiny airport only serviced by air taxis from Talkeetna. Coming from Fairbanks, the drive takes about 3 hours. There are few animals in that area. Many consider the highlight of the park to be the presence of Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in the country. The Denali Park Road parallels the Alaska Range. Fly over the towering mountains of Denali (formerly McKinley), Hunter, and Foraker. There is a car rental company in Healy. for 1 mile (1.6 km), Merge left onto AK-3 N/AK-3 S/George Parks Hwy and continue south for 207 miles (331 km). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There are some great Denali tours from Healy or Talkeetna. for 0.8 miles (1.3 km), Continue on Airport Way via Byers Access Rd. You can take a bus from Seward to Denali National Park and Preserve via Denali Park/McKinley Village - Alaska, Denali Visitor Center, Denali AK - Bus Depot, and The Eielson Visitor Center - … Enjoying all the free National Park information and advice. There are 7 ways to get from Denali National Park and Preserve to Seattle by train, plane, bus, shuttle or car ferry. During the busy summer season there are over 50 nonstop flights to 14 U.S. States and other countries like Canada, Germany, and Russia or China from most major airlines. This article has been viewed 22,332 times. The advantage of flying to Fairbanks is that it’s a much shorter drive (2-3 hours vs 4-5 hours from Anchorage). Pack appropriate clothing. Many tourists travel to Denali from Anchorage after their Alaska Inside Passage cruises end, or simply use Anchorage as a gateway city to the park. Jennifer is a long time national park blogger and the founder of National Park Obsessed. Anchorage is a medium sized airport. Denali's entrance is at Mile 237, Highway 3. National Parks are on my Bucket List T-Shirts. Before frequenting the site, visitors will need to know how to get there. From Anchorage there are four main ways to get to Denali National Park: If you're under a time crunch, consider charter air service into the park companies like Kantishna Air Taxi can arrange special service from Anchorage to Kantishna inside Denali National Park. Best way to get to Denali National Park Flying to Denali National Park. The first step in planning any visit to Denali National Park is planning how long to spend in the park and how you are going to get there. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 22,332 times. Our Denali National Park Trip Report. The Alaskan Railroad offers year-round service to Denali National Park. There is no regularly commercial passenger service outside of the Denali flights. Join the National Park Obsessed Facebook Group here to connect other national park lovers, trade advice, or see inspiring photos of the National Parks? wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. But do what you want. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The park entrance, where the Denali Park Road meets Highway 3 (the "George Parks Highway") is 237 miles north of Anchorage, and 120 miles south of Fairbanks. What is the best way to see Denali National Park? Learn how your comment data is processed. (Yeah, I know. McKinley) and the continent’s highest peaks. Other charges, such as campsite reservation, still apply. The information contained in this site is provided with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. There are 3 ways to get from Sitka to Denali National Park and Preserve by plane, train, bus or car ferry Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. The airport is primary used by Denali National Park flight tours and private planes. Soar over the Denali National Park’s Alaska Range on this 1.25-hour flightseeing tour from Talkeetna. Flight time is 1.5 hours. Take the train from Anchorage to Hurricane. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Level: Difficult. Step 2: Start Planning Your Activities Ride a transit or tour bus on the full day Stop in the Denali Visitor Center You can drive to Denali National Park but access to the park itself is limited to the first 15 miles of the Denali Park Road. Find a list of authorized commercial guides in Denali. However, the best way is to take the train from Fairbanks to Denali. The airport is the main hub for northern Alaska air travel. Both services charge for excess baggage, so be sure that you need everything you plan to bring. will NOT go to Kantishna and waste the time. Once you're in the Denali area, you'll be able to get around using the extensive bus and van shuttle networks that are operated by local businesses. Find all the transport options for your trip from Fairbanks to Denali (Station) right here. You can take a train or bus to Denali. The trip on the railroad north from Anchorage will take you just under eight hours, or you can ride south from Fairbanks in about four. The lottery is competitive, with about 11,000 entrants for 1,600 permits, making the odds about 1-in-7 to get a permit. And awesome too!) Rome2rio makes travelling from Fairbanks to Denali (Station) easy. We visited Denali NP as part of a long trip that took us from Los Angeles to Fairbanks and then to Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, Haines and back to Los Angeles. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! Beyond mile 15, you will have to pay for a shuttle bus. Ensure you have plenty of warm clothing so you don’t freeze. There are several small operations that provide regional service to Alaska’s small towns. You can see some of Alaska’s most famous sights: Denali (Mt. All sales and percentage site revenue include a donation to help support the National Parks. Morning: Sightseeing on the Denali National Park There’s only one road entrance to Denali National Park, so most visitors start their exploration of the park at the Denali Visitor Center. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Out of the Big 5, the only ones we didn’t see was the last one. Distance from Denali Park Entrance: 243 miles, Drive time from Denali Park Entrance: 4.25 hours. These contracts and permits are issued and administered by the National Park Service (NPS). Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. See the Big 5. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Fairbanks. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. I am driving to WAC and park there. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you’ll be traveling to Alaska from elsewhere, you’ll want to fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks, rent a vehicle and drive from there to Denali National Park. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The Kantishnia Airport is located in the heart of Denali National Park. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Support National Park Obsessed by purchasing from our shop and show your support of our parks. Temperatures at Denali National Park can dip suddenly, especially at night. During the rest of year, there is weekend service and select midweek service. Distance from Denali Park Entrance: 153 miles, Drive time from Denali Park Entrance: 2.5 hours. Drive from Kenai to Spenard & Valleywood Nne. Every purchase includes a donation to the national parks and helps keep National Park Obsessed’s website free to use and producing more national park guides. For people who wish to use a GPS device to navigate their way here, you may need to input the latitude and longitude of the park entrance: 63.728443, … These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The second third of the park is boggy in low elevations, more to the north and west. A vast, unspoiled wilderness of braided glacial rivers, massive peaks, and tundra. Many travelers like to see different scenery traveling to and from the park. During the winter, Alaska Airline, Delta, and United offer direct flights to their hub cities. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge of the Parks with others and helping them learn to love the parks as much as she does. The park entrance, also known as Denali Park, is located at mile 237 of Alaska Route 3, also called George Parks Highway or simply the Parks Highway. This trail … Located in the Alaskan interior, Denali National Park consists of six million acres of largely undisturbed wilderness with a single main road running through it. Your email address will not be published. National Park Obsessed is your guide to the national parks. Denali has options for every type of visitor. There is a free shuttle running from McKinley Park to the Visitor center and free shuttles running to Mile 15. Triple Lake Trail. Cover photo credit – Joris Beugels on Unsplash. Distance from Denali Park Entrance: 120 miles, Drive time from Denali Park Entrance: 2 hours. Visitors may choose to experience it either by car or by shuttle or tour bus, all of which provide a detailed look at one of the most remote national parks in the United States. A business or an individual must obtain either a Concession Contract or a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) prior to conducting any commercial activity in Denali National Park and Preserve. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, you can take the taxi to Homer, AK, take the car ferry to Kodiak, take the car ferry to Whittier, take the walk to Whittier, take the train to Anchorage, take the train to Hurricane, then take the travel to … The Parks Highway is a scenic drive and can provides some of the best views of Denali the mountain. Help support this site by purchasing one of our National Park Shirts, Poster, and other gear. The road is closed to the public for most of the year. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Here are a few of my favorite. Exploring the world, one national park at a time. The Kantishnia Airport is located in the heart of Denali National Park. Denali National Park is Alaska’s most popular land attraction—and with good reason. Only 15 of the park’s 92 miles (148 kilometers) of road are paved, so be sure your vehicle is equipped to handle off-road driving if you choose to venture further into the park. Private vehicles can only drive the first 15 miles (24 kilometers) so booking a bus tour or hopping on the park’s free shuttle is necessary to venture deep into the park. These flights are used to shuttle guest back to their hotels after the long bus ride into Denali or by Kantishnia area lodge guests. It is located on the Parks Highway that runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks. We work to create comprehensive guides to the national parks and lands. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. You may camp a total of 14 days per year in Denali's campgrounds. **Morning:**The best way to visit Denali National Park is as part of a bus tour or by the park’s hop-on, hop-off shuttle, as private vehicles are only allowed to travel the first 15 miles (24 kilometers) of the park’s one and only road. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. There are also several local carriers who service smaller Alaskan cities such as Kodiak or King Salmon. Even though Denali National Park road is 92 miles, you can only drive the first 16 on your own! The Denali Park Road is only open to public vehicles for five days a year during the September’s Denali Road Lottery. Denali National Park only has one road entrance. Choose between full-day backcountry excursions, wildlife-focused tours, or half-day sightseeing jaunts. Denali National Park can be divided into three sections: One third of the park is comprised of rock and ice, in high elevations, mainly to the south of the park road. There is an inherent risk in all outdoor recreation activities, the reader assumes all responsibility for their own personal safety. How to Get to Denali National Park By Car from Anchorage or Fairbanks. For more information see Denali Park schedules, rates or click on a specific trip below.The Park Connection Motorcoach offers twice daily service to Denali Park from Anchorage, as well as same day service from Whittier and Seward. The Triple Lakes Trail is about 9.5 miles one way (expect it to take about 4-5 … Travel from Denali National Park and Preserve to Hurricane. Within Denali National Park and Preserve there are six campgrounds of varying size and distance from the developed area at the entrance to the park. If your biggest draw to Denali National Park is the spectacular wildlife, take a bus tour into the park. You can opt to take the train one way, and the bus the other. Trains operate daily during the summer months and you can choose from several different classes or levels of rail service. The Alaska Park Connection Motorcoach provides bus service between Anchorage and Denali. These bus provide transport to McKinley Park hotel area outside of the park. Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) is the largest airport in Northern Alaska. For example, if you are looking at entering the park from the Parks Hwy, near the Denali Visitor Center, it is about 2 hours 10 min. During the summer season, access to the full 92 mile park road is limited to bus tours and hiker shuttles. This article has been viewed 22,332 times. from Fairbanks (~125 miles), while about 4 hours 30 minutes (250 miles) from Anchorage airport. The Alaskan Railroad offers year-round service to Denali National Park. The Denali Road Lottery is the only way to drive your car into Denali National Park and is a coveted experience for most Alaskans. These dates include the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (mid-January), Park Week (late April), Get Outdoors Day (early June), National Public Lands Day (late September) and Veterans Day weekend (mid-November). 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