The 17 Best Things to do in Denali National Park
Are you visiting Denali National Park and looking for the the best things to do? Good news, I’ve got you covered! I’m Trinidad, and I’ve been traveling around to different National Parks like a madman for the past seven years. I’ve also worked as a hiking guide, raft guide, climbing guide, and more. For the past three years, I have been guiding hikes in Denali National Park during the summers and have even started my own guiding company (Northern Epics).
In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of tourists, travel agents, locals, and other experts. Through my conversations with them, as well as my own personal experience, I’ve compiled a list of the best things to do in Denali National Park for any traveler.
I’ll dive into it here, mentioning the pros and cons of each, as well as other good alternatives that I’m aware of. There are free things to do in Denali National Park, and there are very expensive things to do in Denali National Park, and I’ll go over both options in this article.
1. Go Deeper Into Denali National Park!
One of the things that makes Denali special is that it isn’t set up to cater to the hundreds of thousands of visitors that pass through each year. Instead, they prioritize conservation above all else. Because of this, the National Park only has one road (the aptly named Denali Park Road) and this road is only accessible to milepost fifteen by private vehicles.
Fortunately, there are several options to go past this point, and I’ll go through all of them here. The easiest and most popular option is to take one of the buses, but I’d like to highlight a few other options before I get into that.
Bike The Park
Bike Denali allows you to rent bikes and take them into the National Park. The pricing is going to depend on how long you’re renting for, but there are options ranging from a few hours to multiple days. Many choose to take their bikes into the Park on one of the buses and use them to explore past the Pretty Rocks landslide. If you’re into a longer ride, you can also ride out past the Savage River, where passenger vehicles normally have to stop.
Early/Late Season Private Vehicle
You may also be able to get deeper into the Park in a private vehicle if you’re coming to Denali in early or late season. Most years, the road is plowed and driveable by late April, and the buses don’t start running until May 20th. Between the time the road is first plowed and the buses start, passenger vehicles can go up to thirty miles into the Park. That’s double the usual fifteen during the summertime! The same is true from mid-September and October 15th, so if you’re going during either of those times, make sure you’re ready for a beautiful drive!
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to go the full forty-three miles in that the buses can drive to. Even when it’s open, passenger vehicles can only get to the Teklanika River at mile thirty. On the bright side, the Teklanika River is beautiful, as is rest of the drive on the way there.
Tundra Wilderness Tour ($144.00)
The Tundra Wilderness Tour is one of the buses that goes deeper into the park, and it’s the first choice for most travelers. Instead of just getting a bus ride, the Tundra Wilderness Tour offers guests a fully guided experience, complete with a history of the Park Road, information about the wildlife, and a rundown of the geography in Denali. While the entire tour is five and a half hours, there are restroom breaks offered every ninety minutes, so you’ll never be too far removed from that lovely porcelain throne.
The Tundra Wilderness Tour goes as far as possible on the Denali Park Road, which is to mile forty-three as of 2024. While the entire Park Road is ninety-two miles long, it is currently cut off by a landslide at mile forty-five. Because of this, buses will only be able to get to mile forty-three until 2026.
With its easy accessibility and existence as one of the only ways to actually see most of Denali National Park, it’s no surprise that this tour is the most popular in the entire Denali area. However, it also has its fair share of downsides, and I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t tell you about them. Many complain about the cramped and claustrophobic nature of being on a school bus for five hours, as well as the fact that the windows themselves can be difficult to see out of.
One traveler on TripAdvisor noted, “The views of the park are spectacular. But, the bus tour itself is horrendous. It is a school bus, extremely claustrophobic, > 50% of the views are obstructed by bus components or people around.” Not exactly a glowing review.
I remember sitting down at a bar on one of my first days in Denali. The guy sitting next to me struck up a conversation and complained for forty minutes straight about how much of a disappointment the Tundra Wilderness Tour was. Since then, I’ve heard the same story countless times.
Despite its reputation, the Tundra Wilderness Tour is still one of the only ways to see the Park. If you stick around in this article I’ll tell you what (in my opinion, and that of most travel experts I’ve talked to) is a far better way to experience the Park, offering all the good of the Tundra Wilderness Tour with very little of the bad.
East Fork Transit Bus ($33.25)
This option is by far the most affordable and fastest way to get to mile forty-three in Denali. You don’t get the narration that you do on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, but you can get off and go hike around if you want to. Freedom is not an option on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, and it’s where I think the East Fork Transit bus really shines.
I’ll go deeper into what I think the best way to utilize it is later in this article in the hiking section. All of the buses going into Denali are operated by Aramark, and can be booked either by calling 1-800-622-7275 or making a reservation online.
2. Take a Denali Flight Tour!
There is no doubt that the best way to see the Mt. Denali is from the air. That should come as no surprise, given that the mountain rises 20,310 feet from sea level, and 18,000 feet from its base. While the view alone makes a flightseeing tour worth its weight in gold, the benefits don’t stop there! Depending on the option you choose, you can have wildly different experiences that range from incredible vistas of Mt. Denali to drinking straight out of an icy river on top of a glacier!
Option 1: Denali Air airplane tour
This tour offers you the best chance of seeing Mt. Denali. Denali Air’s customers see the mountain more often than anyone else, and the company’s close proximity to the Park, as well as frequent flight times, mean that you can take full advantage of a good weather window. Denali Air’s pilots are also very knowledgeable, and will be filling you in on everything you’re looking at as you fly over the National Park.
Option 2: TEMSCO Glacier Landing
Working as a hiking guide in Denali, I had the opportunity to be a part of several heli-hiking tours with TEMSCO. I can say that flying in a helicopter is an experience not to be missed. The increased visibility as well as the maneuverability of the chopper make it completely different from an airplane flight!
A TEMSCO glacier landing is much more interactive than most flightseeing tours. Instead of just flying around Denali, you will get to land on a glacier and experience first-hand what it’s like to live in a place like Alaska. Unlike a flight with Denali Air, TEMSCO’s tours are all in helicopters, which gives the pilots much more freedom to land wherever they want.
The lower portion of the Yanert Glacier, with the Yanert River winding through.
3. Hike in the Park!
This is my personal pick for the best thing to do in Denali National Park, and it’s where my real expertise lie. I’ve been hiking my whole life, and have hiked hundreds of miles in and around Denali National Park. In fact, I love it so much that I started a company for it!
Despite this, I’m aware that hiking is a bit of a controversial topic. You either love it, or you hate it. A hatred for hiking is understandable, but I would urge you to stick around for this section. Remember when I said I’d tell you a better alternative to the Tundra Wilderness Tour? Well, it’s here that I’ll reveal my secret.
Dom Dematteo has a huge smile on his face after learning all about tundra spaghetti, one of the many lichen species in Denali.
While I wholeheartedly believe that no one needs a guide to go for a hike, there are some frequently overlooked aspects of a hiking tour that I think make more valuable than most people are aware of. Hiking guides are the most knowledgeable guides you’ll find anywhere in Denali. They do a brilliant job of painting a picture of the past, present, and future of Denali in a way that will help you understand the Park on a deeper level.
Just as a deeper understanding of architecture will help you appreciate buildings more, understanding how Alaska’s natural world works will help you appreciate the time you spend in the Great State even more. You’ll be recognizing things your guide pointed out on your tour for as long as you’re in Alaska.
Now for my alternative to the Tundra Wilderness Tour. The bus tour has two main selling points; education about the area, and access to the National Park. Here’s the thing - you can get a better, more immersive, and more engaging education about the flora, fauna, geology, geography, history, etc. of the Park on a hiking or walking tour than you can on the bus. Then, once you’ve achieved that part of the equation, you can take the East Fork Transit bus deeper into the Park.
The East Fork Transit Bus allows more flexibility than the Tundra Wilderness Tour, leaving you free to get out and walk around with no set schedule. Use your knowledge from the hiking tour to gain the same appreciation of the landscape that you would get on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, but with none of the downsides.
If a hiking tour isn’t your thing, but you still want to go on a hike, there are plenty of options for that as well. Taking a hike unguided is definitely one of the best free things to do in Denali National Park! I’ll make a quick rundown of some of my favorite trails here, but you can also check this guide to trails in Denali.
Savage River Trail
Northern Epics guide, Jade Weaver, looks upstream on the Savage River.
Distance: 1.7 miles
Evelevation Gain: Negligible
This trail starts at the terminus of where passenger cars are allowed to drive in the National Park. This means that you can access it with your own vehicle! The Savage River Trail is a mellow hike that follows the Savage River. The river is beautiful, and the grade is not very steep. Expect a couple of bridges to help you cross the river.
Savage Alpine Trail
Hey! That’s me walking on the Savage Alpine Trail!
Distance: 4.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,414 ft
This is easily one of the best hikes in Denali National Park. The Savage Aline trail is as strenuous as the Savage River Trail is mellow. It’s is a point-to-point trail, meaning it doesn’t end at the same place it starts. If you want to hike the entire trail without a shuttle, plan to hike the same distance on the way back. This trail is my favorite easily accessible hike in the entire Park.
Starting on the other side of the river from the Savage River Trailhead, the Savage Alpine Trail climbs straight up past several rock formations, affording views across the Denali tundra. On clear days, you can expect incredible views of Mt. Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley) and the many striking peaks around it. My only complaint about the Savage Alpine Trail is that it never goes up to the ridgeline.
I’m a sucker for a good ridgeline hike, so when I was hiking this trail for the first time, I split off from it and went up to the ridge myself. It was as gorgeous as I was expecting. After soaking in the view for an hour or so, I decided to take a different way down. I planned to go off-trail down the other side of the ridge and link up with the Savage River Trail. This ended up being a *bad decision*.
As it turns out, that part of the Savage River Trail is on the other side of the Savage River. I had to wade across a nearly chest-deep freezing river, trying desperately to avoid getting swept downstream into the class IV rapids below. In short, stick to the trail. It’s really pretty even if you never get up to the ridge.
Rock Creek Trail
A private group hiking the Rock Creek trail in Denali National Park
Distance: 4.6 miles (full loop)
Elevation Gain: 400 ft.
This is one of my favorite easy hikes in Denali National Park. The trailhead is in the visitor center parking lot, so it’s easy to find and access. It’s also a good one to do if you’re worried about bears. Bears in Denali try to stay away from humans, so there are far fewer in the visitor center area than there are at, say, the Savage River.
The Rock Creek Trail is a loop, and affords some nice views here and there. It includes some gentle inclines, but nothing like the steepness seen on many other trails in and around Denali (I don’t think Alaskans have figured out about switchbacks yet.)
Antler Creek Trail
Hiking on Antler Creek trail
Distance: 7.6 miles (to the top of Mt. Healy)
Elevation Gain: 3,556 ft
The Antler Creek Trail is another steep option. If you want a mountain adventure but can’t get far enough into the Park to do the Savage Alpine Trail, this would be my recommendation. There is a parking lot for this trailhead between Glitter Gulch and Healy. When you’ve traveled about three hundred yards on this trail, you will reach an old dirt road.
Turn left on this road/trail, and it will eventually turn into a single-file trail that heads steeply up one of the ridges on Mt. Healy. Make sure you remember the place that the first trail intersects the road. It’s easy to walk past that trail on your way back. You’ll be walking along the edge of some steep dropoffs/cliffs as you ascend this ridge.
4. Go Off-roading
It may not surprise you to hear that 80% of Alaska is not accessible by road. This means that ATVs are used for more than fun in the 49th state - they’re a way of life! By taking an ATV tour in Denali, you’ll get to visit areas that most travelers will never go. There are a few options for off-roading around Denali, and while none of them actually go into Denali National Park, they all offer thrilling experiences in the same stunning landscape as the National Park.
ATV Tours
There are a few choices for ATV tours in Denali, with vehicle options including single person Kodiaks, one or two person Wolverines, and more, all the way up to a six rider Viking. ATVing can allow you to experience parts of the Denali landscape that would normally be off-limits in a car and too hard to get to on foot.
Jeep Tours
One of my favorite drives in Alaska is the Old Denali Highway. It was ranked number two for Drive of a Lifetime by National Geographic, and the views of the mountains, rivers, and tundra are unparalleled. The Denali Highway Jeep tour leads you along this awe-inspiring road, making it a great choice for photographers. With incredible views of Mt. Denali, Mt. Deborah, Mt. Hayes, and more, this tour is worth every penny!
Fat Truck Tours
Now THIS is an outlandish tour. I still remember the first time I saw one of these vehicles at the gas station - I had to do a double take, then a double take again! Before the bus from “Into the Wild” was moved to a museum in Fairbanks, tourists would frequently get themselves lost, stuck, or killed trying to reach it. To respond to this, the sheriff got one of these fat trucks as a search and rescue vehicle. Since the bus was moved, there hasn’t been much need for its original purpose. Now he takes travelers on tours to show off what the fat truck can do!
5. Go on a Denali Survival Tour
Chris McCandless, in front of the bus that he lived and died in, only miles from Denali National Park.
The history of survival in Denali is long and storied. From the five different Athabaskan groups who inhabited Denali National Park (Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Dena’ina, Ahtna, and Tanana) to newer stories like that of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Denali has drawn survivalists from around the globe for centuries.
These days, with the growing popularity of TV shows like Alone and Life Below Zero, most people have witnessed some level of survivalism in the arctic. While many of us would love to get a taste of what it’s like to live off the land in Alaska, in most cases we don’t want to spend the weeks, months, and years it would take to seek out and learn the skills. Let alone the take time required to fly up to Alaska and actually put those skills into action.
That’s where the survival tours from my company, Northern Epics, come in. I wanted to let my background in survivalism help other people who wanted to get a taste of what survival in Denali was like without having to experience any of the negatives. Working with other survival experts, I structured the tours as a combination between a hiking tour and a survival workshop.
The tour starts as an off-trail hike. As you meander through the thick peat moss boreal forest, your guide will teach you all about the plants, animals and terrain that surround you. When your guide gets to a suitable spot, they stop the group and survival workshop portion of the tour begins. Your guide will teach you authentic Alaskan survival skills, and tell you survival stories from the area. The skills you learn will be those used by the indigenous Athabaskan peoples to survive and thrive in Denali’s harsh conditions. You’ll learn how to build shelters, pick safe locations, identify and forage edible plants and berries, and much more.
This is me talking about the importance of mountain avens to the alpine tundra ecosystem, and the plant’s uses to us.
At the time I’m writing this, these are the only tours of their kind in Alaska. There are a few other survival camps and workshops in the state, but those are all long, multi-day experiences, and many only happen a few times per year. Those camps are great in their own way, and are definitely the better option if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of survival, but many Alaska travelers don’t have time to spend a week out in the woods playing with sticks and rocks (as fun as that is!)
The spots for these tours are limited, so they may well be sold out by the time you read this, but it’s worth checking to see if there are any availabilities for the time you’ll be in Denali! You can check availability for the four hour tour here and the eight hour tour here.
6. Go Rafting!
You’ll see the powerful Nenana River along the side of the highway near the Denali National Park entrance. The river is fed from the Nenana glacier, only about sixty miles upstream of where you’ll be rafting, so the water is freezing! All of the rafting companies operating on the Nenana offer their clients dry suits to keep them warm and comfortable.
Some happy rafters on the Nenana River
As an ex-raft-guide myself, I have high standards when it comes to rivers. I have gone down dozens of them all over North America, and to this day the Nenana is one of the best. The sheer volume of the river is impressive, and it can vary greatly throughout the summer. In 2023, it reached its highest point since 2013, about thirty percent higher than where the commercial rafting companies cancel trips for safety reasons. A few raft guides and I decided to get a boat together and brave the huge waves with an all-star crew.
As we flew down the river, we encountered waves that were more than twenty feet tall. Rocks that normally protruded ten feet out of the water were completely submerged. It’s still the biggest water I’ve ever rafted. That isn’t what you’ll encounter on your rafting trip, but the excitement and size of the river features is still mind blowing!
The Nenana River boasts rapids up to Class IV in difficulty, and offers the most thrilling experience Denali has to offer. While rafting is inherently dangerous, the guides at Denali Raft Adventures are experts and veterans at their craft, and you couldn’t ask for anyone better to be on the river with.
There are two runs that rafting companies in Denali offer. The Wilderness Run is easier, with rapids capping out at Class III. Most rapids on this run are Class I and II, and it’s great for kids and older folks. The scenery is spectacular (it’s called the Wilderness Run for a reason!) and you have a good chance of seeing some wildlife along the river bank.
The Canyon Run is more difficult and thrilling, with a few rapids rated Class IV, and many rapids rated Class III. This run is still beautiful, but you probably won’t be looking at the riverbanks nearly as much. The last rapid on the Canyon Run is very flow dependent, and at high flows it can become too dangerous to run, so if you schedule a Canyon rafting trip, it may get switched to a Wilderness trip for your own safety.
7. Check Out The Sled Dogs!
If you’re coming to Denali in the winter, you have to go on a dogsled tour! While these tours are available in both summer and winter, the winter snow makes the experience better. There are even multi-day dogsled tours from EarthSong Lodge that go deeper into Denali National Park itself, allowing you to see the mountain up close. The views and experiences on this type of tour are unparalleled, and I can’t recommend it enough.
There are also shorter options for dog-sledding, and ways to do it during the summertime. In the summer, the dogs pull an ATV instead of a sled. You’re still getting pulled by real sled dogs, but it isn’t quite as glorious as it could be. There is also a tour you can book where you’ll be flown out to a glacier in a helicopter, then pulled by sled dogs from there. This tour is very expensive and books up early, but if you manage to get it booked you’re sure to love it!
If you want to get an idea of what the life of a sled dog looks like, but don’t need to be pulled by one, check out the dog kennels inside Denali National Park. They offer Park Ranger led demonstrations between the months of May and September, making it easy to get a taste of the Alaskan lifestyle of dog mushing.
8. Learn and Enjoy!
Denali Visitor Center
The Denali Visitor Center is a wonderful place to learn more about the area and its history. Here, you will be able to talk with rangers and ask them questions about the Park, as well as explore an exhibit area and view a film titled “Heartbeat of Denali” that tells the story of the National Park.
There are several other points of interest nearby as well. The Morino Grill offers tasty meals to hungry travelers, and the Alaska Geographic Park Store offers souvenirs and excellent informational products about Denali, and Alaska at large!
Other Educational Options
The Denali Visitor Center isn’t the only place to learn about the Park. I know I sound like a broken record, but a hiking tour is probably the best way to learn about Denali. There’s a reason travel agencies all try to put the hiking tour at the beginning of their clients’ stay in Denali.
The other option is the Tundra Wilderness Tour. I know I ragged on it a bit at the beginning of this article, but you will learn some great information on it. The bus tour guides know their stuff, and are probably even better than some of the hiking guides when it comes to the history of the National Park specifically.
Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre
This is a fun option for some entertainment with a good meal. The cast acts out a story from the Gold Rush of Alaska, following Fannie Quigley. The entire experience is curated, from the moment you get there to the moment you leave. While it is pricey, it’s a nice way to spend a rainy evening.
9. Go out to eat!
The Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre could fit here too, but they’re known more for their entertainment than their food, so I’m going to leave them in the above category. There are a number of good restaurants around Denali, but because everything is so expensive, picking the wrong one can be very disappointing. In this guide, I will only talk about restaurants that I’ve personally been to and love so that you can take the guesswork out of your vacation.
Moose AKA’s
This is my pick for the best food in Denali. Moose-Aka’s opened as a food truck in 2015, and the food quickly became a local and worldwide favorite, allowing the owners to launch a full-scale restaurant a few years later.
They serve delicious Serbian food in an atmosphere that is fundamentally different from most restaurants in America. They create a leisurely dining experience that leaves you free to stay for as long as you want. This is much more enjoyable than the rushed dining experience at most American restaurants. They’ve been ranked #28 for places to eat in the USA by Yelp, and #7 by TripAdvisor in the same metric, so you know they’re good!
Panorama Pizza
This one is a local favorite. They’re about fifteen miles south of most of the hotels in Denali, so you can only get there with a shuttle or a rental car, but it’s worth it! Named after the mountain that towers above it (Panorama Peak), Panorama Pizza provides great views and greater pizza for a spectacular dining experience.
They also have a full bar, if you’re into that kind of thing. Expect there to be a smattering of locals on any given day, but if you really want to experience the summer culture of Denali, go on a Wednesday. Wednesday is karaoke night at Panorama Pizza, and if you want to see what your guides, housekeepers, servers, etc. do in their free-time, just swing by to get a taste of seasonal work.
Sled Dog Food Truck
Are you on a budget, or limited on time and want a quick bite? This is the place for you. Located outside of Sled Dog Liquor, this little red food truck has an eclectic menu full of everything from burgers to burritos to Indian curry! While it isn’t the best dining in Denali by any means, it is the only truly affordable option anywhere near the Park, and the food isn’t bad. You have to order from inside Sled Dog Liquor, then pick up your food at the truck and either take it to go or eat it at the picnic tables outside.
Chinese Express (Thai and Chinese Food To Go)
There are a few options for Thai food in Denali, and while they’re all good, that’s not why you’re here. You’re here for the best. Located on the far north end of the Denali boardwalk, Thai and Chinese Food To Go is my personal favorite. They have 4.6 stars on Yelp, and for good reason.
Any Denali traveler who wants a change from the typical “cruise ship food” should check this spot out. Their sticky rice dessert is my favorite post-adventure dish in Denali. I’ve spent far too much money on those tasty treats!
10. Go Fishing!
Fishing on the Brushkana River
The fishing in Denali isn’t as good as many other places in Alaska, but there’s still plenty to be had. The most common fish you’ll find in Denali is the Arctic Grayling. Grayling are beautiful fish with a large dorsal fin, making them look a little bit like a miniature sailfish.
While there aren’t many fish in the Nenana River, there are several tributaries, especially along the Old Denali Highway, that have a thriving population of Grayling. I’ve personally fished in the Brushkana River a few times, and experienced success every time. Northern Epics’ head guide, Jordan, is an avid fly-fisherman, and he touts the Brushkana as his favorite fishing spot around Denali.
It should be noted that the Brushkana is a long ways out the Old Denali Highway, a dirt road that connects to Cantwell about twenty minutes south of the Denali National Park entrance. Because it is a dirt road, most rental car companies will not allow you to take their rentals out to Brushkana.
If you don’t have a way to get out to the Brushkana, Seattle Creek, or the other good tributaries on the Old Denali Highway, or you didn’t bring your fishing gear, it’s not the end of the world. Denali Fly Fishing Guides has you covered. They offer fully equipped fly fishing tours around the Denali area. They take you to all the best spots so you don’t have to worry about doing research and getting your rod through airport security. Fly fishing in Denali is a lot of fun. You can’t beat the views, and Grayling are aggressive and fun to catch.
11. Take Some Stunning Photos!
There’s no better place for a photographer than Denali. Between the monolithic mountain itself and the stunning reds, greens, yellows, oranges, and purples that populate the landscape in the fall, taking photos in Denali is a dream come true.
During the summer in Denali, sunset lasts for four hours, so you have plenty of time to get that perfect sunset shot. The weather tends to be better in the morning than the afternoon in Denali, so take that into account when deciding when you’re going to go out and take your photos.
If you didn’t bring your camera, Denali Photo Guides has you covered. They will be happy to teach you how to get the most out of your phone camera, or offer you a rental camera with a zoom lens! They also know the best spots to capture the magic of Denali.
It can be hard to do justice to a landscape like Denali with a photo, but it is possible. If you don’t want to hire a guide to help you take your photos, I’ll list out a couple of my favorite easily-accessible spots for snapping some great shots.
Old Denali Highway
With views of Mt. Denali, Mt. Hayes, Mt. Deborah, and many more, the Old Denali Highway is an obvious favorite. Despite the fact that it’s a dirt road, it is well maintained and navigable by any vehicle (although many rental car companies don’t allow their cars on it.) I would recommend budgeting as much of a day as possible to exploring it and finding the best vantage points, as there are a lot of them.
Rock Creek Trail
The only grainy photo I could find from my phone of the best Rock Creek viewpoint.
I mentioned this trail earlier in this article, but it gets another mention here. It starts out of the Denali Visitor Center parking lot and provides an excellent viewpoint after only about a half mile of hiking. This overlook offers views up the Nenana River valley, with the jagged Mt. Fellows on the left side and the gentle slope of a glacial moraine on the right. If you decide to continue up the trail, you won’t get many more views, but it is a nice hike!
Savage Alpine Trail
This one was also listed earlier in the hiking section, but as a recap, it climbs steeply up the Mt. Healy ridgeline at the furthest point of access for passenger vehicles in the Park. You’ll get a stunning view of the Denali tundra to the south, with the Savage River winding slowly through it, while the other side is dominated by forested slopes that drop down to a canyon where the river gets narrower and wilder. While the trail is steep, you don’t have to go very far to get good views and photos, so just about anyone can take advantage of it for photography purposes!
12. Check Out the Windy Bridge Catwalk!
This one is for the really adventurous folks out there, and it’s a bit of a local secret. The Windy Bridge spans the Nenana River between Glitter Gulch and Healy, and is the second tallest bridge in Alaska. As a side note, the tallest bridge in Alaska is called Hurricane Bridge, and the third tallest is Breezy Bridge. Gives you an idea of what to expect when you visit Alaska! If you go whitewater rafting on the Canyon Run, you’ll see this bridge high above you just before Royal Flush rapid.
Here’s what most people don’t know - there’s a catwalk on the underside of the bridge. As a disclaimer, going on this catwalk is a dangerous activity and should be treated as such. If you are afraid of heights, going on this catwalk is NOT going to be a fun time. Suspended hundreds of feet in the air, it has guardrails along most of its length, providing much needed comfort for anyone brave enough to venture out on it.
While the catwalk itself is very solid, there are spots where the guardrails are missing for a few feet. If you’re the type of person who enjoys heights or a good thrill, this catwalk can give you an experience that you would normally have to pay for. Not to mention that looking down at the Nenana River from above is beautiful and awe-inspiring.
How to Get There
If you’re driving from the Denali Boardwalk/Glitter Gulch towards Healy, stop at the pullout on the right side immediately after crossing the only bridge over the Nenana River. From there, get out of your car and walk towards the river. You’ll find a rough trail leading down the slope under the bridge. Here, you’ll have to execute a couple of easy climbing moves up the steel girders on the underside of the bridge to access the catwalk. Once you’re up, you can go all the way across to the other side of the river, or as far as you’re comfortable with.
If you’re coming from Healy, drive towards the Denali National Park entrance, then pull off to the left when you see the first bridge crossing the Nenana River. Make sure you pull off on the side of the bridge closer to Healy. From there, follow the same directions outlined in the last paragraph to get from the pullout to the catwalk.
Safety
As with any activity at height, walking this catwalk can be dangerous and should be treated as such. With that said, there are several things you can do to reduce risk. First, don’t go on the catwalk if it’s a windy day. As the bridge’s name suggests, it can get VERY windy on and underneath it. Wind speeds in that part of the canyon frequently exceed sixty miles per hour, and can be much faster when you’re over the river than when you’re on land.
I strongly recommend that if you’re feeling any kind of wind at all on land that you do not venture onto the catwalk. If it’s windy AND rainy, that poses additional hazards, as the wind will blow the rain under the bridge and make the metal extra slippery.
This should go without saying, but DO NOT cross the guardrails. There are several spots where it can be tempting to explore by going crossing the guardrails, but don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk. I’ve been out on this catwalk several times, and I will never go off of the catwalk itself. I’m a professional guide and a rock climber, so if I won’t do it, you shouldn’t either. Lastly, if you feel uncomfortable, turn around. There’s no reason to force yourself to do something you don’t want to do.
If you follow the guidelines that I’ve outlined here, it can be a very fun and exhilarating experience. If you’re the type of person who would enjoy something like this, I highly recommend that you check it out. It’s very accessible, it doesn’t take long, and it’s a lot of fun.
13. Check Out Dragonfly Creek!
A hidden gem of the Denali area is the Dragonfly Creek trail, and it’s another addition to the list of free things to do in Denali National Park. Near mile 242 of the Parks Highway, you will see a pullout and signage for Dragonfly creek. It’s worth a stop, no matter your time frame! After a few minutes’ hike down towards the river, you’ll find pristine waterfalls. If you have a little more time, you can head up the ridge away from the Nenana river for a steep hike! I recommend doing both to get the full experience.
Hiking up Dragonfly Ridge
To hike the ridge you will need to cross the Parks highway and start up the creek before taking a trail up the ridge on the north side of the creek. This is best for experienced hikers, as there are steep sections and trails fade in and out as you head up the natural path the ridge creates. Before long, you will emerge from the tree line and revel in the open view of the landscape around you.
As you continue up the ridge, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. Dall sheep roam this area, as well as many other critters and birds native to Denali. Take in the sights, snap pictures, enjoy the exercise, and examine the natural flora before heading back. This trail can be difficult to find and easy to lose, but if you remember to follow the ridge and then go down to the creek when possible, the navigation is easy enough.
To explore the lower section, head downstream on the trail next to the creek. Before long, you will reach the top of the first Dragonfly Creek waterfall. Proceed with caution as you head down the steep path around the waterfall to a natural alcove at its base.
As you pass the top, you’ll see anchors bolted into the rock that are used for ice climbing when the creek freezes in the winter. You can stop here or continue down the creek to its confluence with the Nenana River. It enters right around the biggest rapid on the Nenana, Cable Car, and if you’re lucky you might spot a rafting trip trip hitting some big waves!
During the summer, it’s a clear stream of water encapsulated in by beautiful swirly schist rock on either side.
You can make a full day of exploration at Dragonfly Creek, but you can also enjoy some of the best parts on a twenty minute stop during a long drive.
14. Catch a Glimpse of Mt. Denali!
As far as things to do in Denali are concerned, this one’s pretty obvious! For many travelers, this is the main goal of coming to Denali. I hope it’s been made clear by now that it’s FAR from the only, or even the best thing to do in the National Park. With that said, I would be remiss if I didn’t try to give you the best possible chance to see it. Fortunately, seeing the mountain isn’t nearly as hard as some make it out to be.
You may have heard the statistic that only thirty percent of travelers get to see the mountain. I’ve done quite a bit of hunting, but I can’t find any legitimate source to back up this statistic. In my personal experience, corroborated by the hundreds of travelers I’ve talked to, I think the percentage is much higher. It’s still frequently obscured, though, so how do you make sure you’re in the percentage of people who actually DO see it?
The difficulty of seeing Mt. Denali comes from the frequent and violent weather that the mountain creates. Here you can see a huge rainstorm sweeping across Otto Lake.
It’s all about raising probability, and there are two ways to do that; spend more time in Denali, and get into more positions to see the mountain. Simple, right? Well, not exactly. None of the hotels in Denali (unless you fly into Kantishna) are located where you can see the mountain. In fact, the entire entrance area of the Park is hemmed in by shorter mountains that block the view of the big one.
So where can you see the mountain from? The most obvious answer is inside the Park. Taking a bus into the Park will increase your chances of seeing the mountain. You can also see Mt. Denali from the Savage Alpine Trail, which you can access by private vehicle. There are several viewpoints of the mountain that are outside of the Park as well. The aptly named Denali Viewpoint South is probably my favorite of these, and it’s situated off the side of AK 3 at mile 135.2.
Another good one that’s closer to the Park is the Old Denali Hwy. You can see Mt. Denali in all its glory for a few miles of the Old Denali Highway about fifteen minutes after leaving Cantwell. There are several other spots along AK 3 both north and south of the Park entrance as well, so the more you drive the highway the higher your chances become.
The last (and my favorite) option for how to spot the mountain is to hike to the top of any peak near the Park entrance. Once at the top, you’ll probably be able to see her, and an absolutely STUNNING view to boot! If you do one of these last few options, you’re also taking advantage of one of the few free things to do in Denali National Park, which is always a win!
Northern Epics head guide, Jordan Allen, having just summited a snowy unnamed peak in the Alaska Range
Let’s get into how long you should stay in Denali. The longer you stay, the higher your chances of seeing the mountain become, so it’s easy to say, “stay as long as you can.” Unfortunately, most travelers don’t want to spend weeks in Denali. I’ll give my opinion on the minimum number of days you should stay to see the mountain.
Given that I think the thirty percent stat is bogus, it might surprise you that my answer is three days. Of course, I think you should spend more time if you can, but three days is the minimum. If you stay in Denali for three days and make it a point to see the mountain, you will probably catch a glimpse of it at least once.
15. Check Out Glitter Gulch!
This activity is more touristy than what I would normally recommend, I know that many people love the little gift shops, art studios, and eateries sprinkled along the Denali Boardwalk, also known as Glitter Gulch. If you’re the type of person that would love spending a morning walking down a boardwalk with dozens of cute shops, bakeries, and even one gourmet popcorn place, this is probably going to be one of the best things for you to do in Denali National Park!
Glitter Gulch is a funny little community. It can’t really be classified as a town, as there are few, if any permanent residents. Even so, there are probably more people here on any given day in the summer than in either of the actual towns of Healy or Cantwell nearby. Nestled only about a mile north of the Denali National Park entrance, it’s where nearly all of the large hotels in Denali are located, as well as most of the restaurants, gift shops, and tour operators.
The smaller boutique-style shops are located on a long boardwalk, and it’s easy to spend an entire morning going from one shop to the next. Most of the gift shops are fairly generic, but there are unique souvenirs to be found if you take the time to look. Where the Boardwalk really shines, though, is in its cafes and restaurants.
The Black Bear Coffee House is absolutely delicious, as is the Denali Doghouse. Both are a bit overpriced, but that’s to be expected in Denali. One of my favorite spots along the Boardwalk is Miller’s Gourmet Popcorn. It’s owned by a local guy who loves making delicious popcorn and fudge. You can get bags of popcorn infused with all kinds of goodies, from classic caramel corn to chocolate and praline chunks.
There are too many shops along the boardwalk to go through them all here, and even if I could it would take away from the magic of popping into open door without knowing what you’re going to find. One of the best things about spending a day at Glitter Gulch is its accessibility. Since most of the hotels are so close by (only about a five minute walk,) you can easily hike straight from your hotel to the Boardwalk and start exploring!
16. Go Packrafting!
Packrafting has gained quite a lot of popularity in Denali in recent recent years, and while it isn’t as common as some of the other things on this list, I think it still deserves its spot on the list of the best things to do in Denali National Park. Packrafting is a cross between whitewater rafting and kayaking. A packraft is a small inflatable boat designed to walk the line between lightweight and tough.
These boats were designed to allow their users to hike for miles before floating down some remote river. With this as their main use, it’s no surprise that they found such a great home in Denali. There are several rivers around Denali that are great for packrafting, and get done fairly frequently.
The National Park Service posted this article on packrafting in Denali, and it’s worth a read if you’re considering going yourself. It covers what you need to be aware of, how to go about it, and how you can be best prepared for the experience. If you are well prepared, packrafting in Denali can be loads of fun.
Rafting the Yanert River with a rainbow and snowcapped mountains behind us. One of the more stunning scenes I’ve ever witnessed.
You don’t need to hike forty miles into the backcountry to packraft either. Just last summer I rafted the Yanert River after flying in on a tiny four-seater bush plane (there wasn’t a seat for me, so I sat on the raft.) While that wasn’t a packrafting trip for us, the Yanert River is usually done on packrafts. There isn’t usually room for full sized rafts on the airplane. On this trip, we had prototype rafts that were specifically designed to handle large whitewater on the difficult-to-access creeks of Alaska.
It was a fun trip, and absolutely beautiful. We saw bear prints, moose prints, wolf prints, and even followed a beaver down the river for about a mile and a half. The best, though, was when we pulled off for a short hike and found a fresh moose kill. This is the type of experience you can have packrafting, but the logistics are complicated and the potential consequences should be taken very seriously.
17. Go Berry Picking!
Denali National Park is home to hoards of berries, and almost all of them are edible! The only poisonous berry I’ve found anywhere near the Park was a banesberry near Otto Lake. This makes berry picking one of my favorite free things to do in Denali National Park.
As is the case with any foraging adventure, make sure you are one hundred percent sure about your identification of any wild plant, berry, or mushroom that you consider eating. Most of the berries in Denali are easy to identify, and tasty to eat, but the necessary precautions should still be taken. With that out of the way, I’ll go through my favorite berries and their descriptions here:
Bog Bilberry
This is the most popular and easiest to identify, as it’s a type of blueberry! They’re incredibly common throughout the boreal forest and alpine tundra, and are one of the tastiest berries Denali has to offer. They’re slightly more tart than your average blueberry, and sometimes grow in a teardrop shape. I highly recommend trying some while you’re in the area.
A bog bilberry in action
Pumpkin Berry
These little orange berries are reminiscent of a tiny, shrunken, pumpkin (hey that rhymed!) The plant is parasitic, and grows off the roots of the spruce and birch trees in Denali. The berries taste almost exactly like peas! You won’t believe me until you try one, but when you do, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Crowberry
A personal favorite of mine, these tiny black berries grow on a ground cover plant that looks very similar to like moss. They grow close to the ground, and are difficult to spot. Their small size and black color causes them to blend in with the dark green plants and mosses of Denali. The berries themselves don’t have a particularly strong flavor, though I find the mild sweetness to be quite nice. I know some people aren’t the biggest fan of these little guys, but I love them!
Lingonberry
You might know these ones from Ikea! Also known as low bush cranberry, lingonberries are one of a few true cranberries in Denali. They’re also one of the most prevalent berries in the entire Park. If you’re hiking through the boreal forest, you’ll probably be able to spot some by looking around from where you stand. As with the crowberries, lingonberries grow close to the ground on a waxy-leafed ground cover plant. Unlike crowberries, they are VERY easy to spot.
Their bright red color stands out like a sore thumb against the dark green backdrop of the rest of the plant. They ripen very late in the summer, and picking them is one of the best things to do in Denali National Park in August or September. When ripe, they are still very tart (they’re a cranberry after all,) but they also pack a punch of sweet to go along with it. The combination will have your mouth watering for more.
Cloudberry
The last berry I’ll list here is the lovely cloudberry. Cloudberries look like little orange raspberries, and they grow in the boggy areas of the Denali boreal forest. They’re hard to find, but if you succeed, you’re in for a treat! They taste almost exactly like banana cream, and I’ve guided more than one hiking tour where my clients wanted to keep hunting for cloudberries for the rest of their hike after the first taste. I always oblige, of course!
A cloudberry in action
Conclusion
I’ve heard many travelers ask, “Is Denali National Park worth it?”
I hope after reading this article, your answer is a resounding YES! Denali has so much to offer, and to be completely honest with you, most travelers never experience a quarter of it. There are activities for every budget. From free things to do in Denali National Park, to very expensive trips that only a select few will ever be able to take advantage of. There’s far more that I couldn’t include here, but even the small portion of things I’ve covered in this article will give any traveler a few weeks worth of things to do in Denali.
For most people, coming to Denali is something that they’ll only do once or twice in their entire life, so if I had just one recommendation, it would be this; make the most out of your time in Denali. Take some tours and do some things on your own. Really get to know and understand the Park. If you don’t understand it, you’ll never be able to truly appreciate it. You can spend weeks or months researching everything there is to know about Denali and it’s ecosystems, or just take a tour. Our hiking tours are the best informational tours that the Park has to offer, and I hope that by now you believe that I’m not just here to sell you something. All I want is for this vacation to be the best you’ve ever had.
