Camping in Denali National Park & Preserve

A 2-hour drive south of Fairbanks, Denali National Park protects Denali, the largest mountain in North America, and the area surrounding it. Spread out over nearly 9,500 square miles, this park attracts hikers, birders, and camping enthusiasts in the summer months and is a popular spot for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the wintertime. Features include six campgrounds and three nature centers, and rangers give talks and lead hikes and sled dog demonstrations during the peak season. Most of the park is closed to private vehicular traffic, so visitors must join a narrated tour or hop on a transit bus to get from point to point.

• Best for families: Riley Creek Campground offers convenient access to the highway and a nearby general store.
• Best for views: On clear days, Wonder Lake Campground offers views of Massive Mount McKinley.
• Best for wildlife-spotting: The Teklanika River Campground is a great place to go to spot hares, squirrels, and—if you're lucky—moose or caribou.

1. Denali has its own online reservation system, where campsite bookings go live on December 1 for the following year.
2. RV camping is only available at Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River campgrounds. No park campgrounds have electrical or water hookups.
3. You won't be able to book a specific campsite; rather, campers choose sites upon arriva. Some campgrounds have campsite "types”—if you book a specific type, you'll need to choose an unoccupied site of the same type when you arrive.

Denali is open throughout the year, though most people opt to visit in the summer months, when the bulk of facilities are open. The summer bus service through the park runs from May 20 until the second week after Labor Day. The Denali Visitor Center is only open in the summer months, but the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station and the Murie Science and Learning Center are open year-round.

• Private vehicles are only allowed in a small section of the road, and most of the park is only accessible on foot, by bicycle, or by hopping aboard one of the green transit buses (or by booking a tour on a narrated tour bus).
• Pets are allowed in campgrounds and on the main road, but not out in the wilderness. 
• Visitors can collect dead wood ground or purchase bundles at the Riley Creek Mercantile. Fires are allowed in the Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River campgrounds, but are prohibited at Sanctuary River, Igloo Creek, and Wonder Lake.