What To Do in Denali National Park

Our first couple of days in Alaska were rainy and foggy. We were desperate to see what was hidden behind the clouds, but we were optimistic that Alaska would reward us for our patience. As we were driving into Denali National Park, we were blessed with an opening in the sky. The fog was lifting and we could finally see a bit of the sun! This little glimpse of Alaska’s beauty made us excited for the upcoming days. During our time in Denali, we fell in love with its vast landscape and abundant wildlife.

We wanted to share more about some of the activities to do in Denali National Park!

Whitewater Raft the Nenana River

We rented rafts from New Wave Adventures and rafted down the Nenana River, which is fed by glacial runoff. We did the Canyon Wave trip, which was 11 miles and 3.5 hours long. We felt like this was the perfect amount of time to take in the views and enjoy the chilling glacial spray as we went through the rapids. The trip contained class III & IV rapids which felt doable to both of us who hadn’t rafted in a couple years.

This was the perfect activity on our first day as it was a great way to check out all the beautiful mountain views!

Hike Horseshoe Lake

This is a 3.2 mile hike near the entrance of the park. There is little elevation gain, making it an easy and casual hike. There are many surprises throughout the hike like sighting a beaver dam, bright blue lake water, a cabin, and huge mountains. We highly recommend this trail!

Sightsee on the Wildlife Bus Tour

There is only one road that goes into the park, Denali Park Road. When originally constructed, it was 92 miles long. Private vehicles are only allowed up to mile 15 so hopping on the bus is the best way to get deep into the park.

We learned that Alaska’s “Big 5” for wildlife are: grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep. The bus tour allowed us to keep our eye out for those five, with opportunities to see much more wildlife.

The bus picked us up from the entrance and drove us all the way out to mile 43. Buses are spaced around 30 minutes apart, so you can hop off anywhere and jump on the next one that has space. As we drove through the park, the driver would stop if anyone spotted wildlife. We ended up seeing: caribou, Dall sheep, marmot, and a raven!

Hike the Road Closure

This is a 3.8 mile out-and-back hike starting at mile 43 of the road. In 2021, a section of the road collapsed near mile 45 making the west half of the park inaccessible by vehicle. We were able to hike from mile 43 to 45. Because there were no vehicles as we hiked, we had the fortune of witnessing a lot of wildlife!

The road closure taught us more about permafrost, which is frozen ground that sits underneath much of Alaska’s landscape. As permafrost melts, it becomes slushy and moves which causes landslides. At mile 45, the road finally collapsed and they are working to build it back up.

While we do wish we could have drove further into the park, we were thankful to have had the opportunity to hike and learn more about the ever-changing environment!

Find Denali’s Peak

One of the most magical experiences we had in Alaska was seeing the peak of Denali, which is the tallest peak in North America. We learned that it’s not a guarantee as the peak is often shrouded in clouds. Even more rare, only around 5% of people who visit see the entire peak without clouds.

If you get the chance to see the peak, stop and take it all in!

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Denali National Park is over six million acres of vast wilderness with so many possibilities for adventure. We hope these activities give you some ideas for how to spend your time in Denali!