Denali National Park and Preserve Travel Page by karenincalifornia

Of all the National Parks I have visited, Denali National Park is the most pristine. Its size, location in the Northern latitudes, but most of all, the concerted efforts to protect the Park, have all prevented it from falling prey to over-utilization like so many other national parks in the U.S.

There are several options for exploring the park on the ground. I've ranked them below, which (in my opinion) appear in ascending order from worst to best.

1. Drive into the Park by car as far as private automobiles are permitted (15 miles).

2. Ride on one of the round trip Park bus tours (53-90 miles one way depending on bus).

3. Bicycle (as far as you can go).

4. Take shuttle to one of several destinations and do a day hike.

5. Stay at one of 3 wilderness lodges deep in the Park in the Kantishna area (90 miles into the Park).

6. Backpack into the backcountry.

We picked door number 5. We stayed at a backcountry lodge in the Kantishna area for 4 nights and had 3 full days to explore the interior of the park. It was a wonderful way to spend some time in the park, and I highly recommend this option.