transit bus tour denali

Denali Park Bus Tours

Travel with a driver-guide for an in-depth look at Denali National Park’s unmatched scenery and wildlife.

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Denali tundra wilderness tour, denali natural history tour.

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The National Park Service has begun construction of a bridge to bypass an ongoing landslide on the Denali Park Road. During construction visitors will have access to 43 scenic miles of the Park Road. For more on available park bus tours, please check the Park Road information page.

Guided bus tours into Denali National Park combine storytelling of the area's rich history with information about the plants and animals thriving inside the park. Here you'll find info, availability, and reservations for all bus tours running within the park.

The Tundra Wilderness Tour is the classic Denali bus tour. This tour travels 42 miles along the Park Road to the East Fork River, a sweeping glacial wash and one of the park's most iconic landscapes. Wildlife sightings are quite common during this five-hour tour, with grizzlies, caribou, Dall sheep, and moose regularly spotted from the Park Road.

The Denali Natural History Tour travels 17 miles to Primrose Ridge. This tour's focus is on the history of the park, with two interpretive presentations along the way focusing the cultural traditions of the park's human inhabitants.

While Denali National Park's shuttle buses head into the park on a regular schedule, they do not offer the fascinating narratives delivered by professional drivers on park tours. If you are interested in learning more about the park's history and wildlife, a guided tour is the best choice.

We always recommend that guests plan at least two consecutive nights in Denali National Park to allow for a full day to explore the park. Park tours do fill up quickly, so reserve early. Buses pick up passengers at many Denali Park hotels , making it easy to access your tour. Guests on all tours should remember to bring a camera, water, snacks, warm clothing, and sturdy shoes for stops along the way.

Fully narrated bus tour with a turnaround point at the historic Murie Cabin deep inside Denali National Park. Learn More >

Explore the natural history of the Denali area, from its indigenous native cultures to the founding of the national park, on this guided half-day bus trip. Learn More >

A Guide to the Denali Transit Bus: Comparing the Transit Bus and the Narrated Tour Bus

June 12, 2023.

Denali National Park is an incredible six million acres of mostly undeveloped and protected land. The park is home to the highest point in North America, wildlife, high alpine tundra landscapes and many mountain peaks.

Here are some things to know about Denali:

• Mount Denali has an elevation of 20,310’.
• Denali National Park is larger than the entire state of New Hampshire and has only 92 miles of road.
• Glaciers cover one sixth of Denali.
• Denali is located four hours north of Anchorage.
• Most of the trails in Denali are unmaintained. You are encouraged to spread out and explore where you wish for most of the park.

Table of Contents

When to visit denali national park, the denali tour bus vs the transit bus, what to expect on the denali transit bus, the wildlife in denali national park, seeing denali mountain.

Note that an ongoing landslide inside the park will impact bus service through 2024 and buses can go no further than Mile 43.

Summer is the time when the vast majority of visitors go to Denali National Park. Transit bus service into the park typically begins on May 20 each year, but the buses do not go down the entire road until June. The summer season ends in mid-September.

If you visit in the spring or fall, buses will not be available and services will be limited, but this can still be a great time to see wildlife and explore certain parts of the park.

Typically, each year in September Denali hosts a “Road Lottery” for permits to drive private vehicles on the Denali park road. Visitors can apply to win the permit to drive as far as they can. An extra fifth day of the lottery is dedicated to active duty military service-members and their families. Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled for 2021 due to a landslide.

In the winter, vehicle access is limited but you can explore the park by skis, snowshoes or even dog sled.

This blog post is based upon my experience of visiting Denali in August and taking the Denali transit bus.

Denali National Park is unique in that there is only one road that goes into the park. This is especially wild when you consider that the park is larger than the size of New Hampshire.

The road through the park is 92 miles long, but private vehicles are only allowed to drive the first fifteen miles of the road. After the first fifteen miles, the road becomes unpaved and only park buses and authorized vehicles are allowed.

The national park offers two different types of bus journeys into the park. There is a narrated tour bus and non-narrated transit bus.

Narrated Tour Bus

• Costs $114 for the Natural History tour and $141.25 for the Tundra Wilderness Tour in 2023.
• Includes lunch.
• Bus driver is a trained naturalist and narrates the trip.
• Not set up for passengers to disembark and re-board.

Non - Narrated Transit Bus

• Costs $32.75 per person in 2023.
• You can be dropped off for hiking or to take a different bus back at any time.
• The bus stops for wildlife.
• The bus driver is not required to narrate the bus ride, but is often knowledgeable about the park.

Which bus is for you?

The non-narrated is best if you are interested in disembarking for a hike or a picnic, or if you would like to see the park with more flexibility and at a more affordable price.

The narrated tour is best if you have no interest in hiking and would like to learn as much as possible about the park.

When should you book Denali bus tickets?

The narrated tour bus was sold out by the time I went to book, which was two months in advance of my visit in August. If you know you would like to do the tour in 2022, reservations open on December 1, 2021.

The Denali Transit Bus was an amazing way to see the park, spot wildlife and learn a little bit along the way. I took the bus to the Eielson Visitor Center at Mile 66, which was the furthest destination offered in 2021.

The round trip bus to mile 66 lasts 8 hours, and can extend if you decide to disembark and explore. Due to time constraints, I got on the last bus of the day which left the depot at 2pm. This meant that I stayed on the bus the whole time without any hiking. I would recommend getting an earlier bus time and giving yourself time to hike or have a picnic along the way.

If you plan to hike from the transit bus, you will wait on the side of the road for any other green transit bus to pick you up. Be sure you check ahead of time when the last bus is expected so that you don’t end up stranded. Whether you are hiking or just enjoying an overlook, know that the transit buses do not wait around and count everyone. They follow a schedule whether you’re there or not, so don’t delay in getting back on the bus.

The Bus Itself

The buses are almost exactly like the old school buses that I rode to school growing up. The windows didn’t all stay shut and there is no restroom on the bus. However, they do have individual seats instead of bench seats, heating and air conditioning and overhead space for your things. While the leaky windows made for a cold trip, the transit buses are very sufficient for exploring the park.

What to Bring on the Denali Transit Bus

You will need to bring your own food and drinks on the bus as there are no services available along the way. You should also bring layers on the bus and depending on the weather, consider bringing a blanket.

If you plan on hiking, you should definitely carry bear spray but you will be asked to put it in your pack for the bus trip. There were signs I liked that said “There are no bears on buses so there is no need for your spray to be accessible.”

Finally, I recommend bringing a zoom lens and/or binoculars to enjoy spotting and photographing wildlife during your trip.

The Journey

The bus takes about four hours each way between the bus depot and visitor center. After the first 15 miles, the road becomes unpaved and the bus travels about 20 to 25 MPH. While the road is unpaved, I found the bus ride to be pretty smooth for the most part. My bus route stopped three times for restrooms each way, plus another stop for an overlook without restrooms.

The entire route has amazing scenery. You will begin in a forested area but soon go above the treeline and into the tundra. As you reach higher elevations, the mountains surround you in all directions and vast valleys open up with streams criss-crossing in all directions. A portion of the ride involves driving on a windy road built into the mountains. If you are very afraid of heights, this might not be for you.

Some highlights of the trip scenery included:

• A great view of the Teklanika River at the Teklanika Rest Stop.
• Polychrome Pass, where you ride on the edge of the cliff along a colorful mountain face rich with yellows, oranges and pinks.
• The Polychrome Overlook, our only stop without a bathroom, located right after driving through the pass. You can see reddish mountains framed against a vast valley here.
• An incredible view of glacier run off and the surrounding mountains from the Eielson Visitor Center.

When Glacier ice melts, silt is carried down downstream, giving the streams a milky-color described as glacial milk.

At Mile 53, there was a small gift shop at the Toklat River Rest Stop. In addition, there were moose and caribou antlers that you could pick up and use in photos! Finally, if you have taken an early bus and have spare time, the Eielson Visitor Center has a couple marked trails with great viewpoints on both sides of the road. These would be good short hikes if you have time!

While the scenery was amazing, I found the wildlife to be the best part of the Denali transit bus experience. I saw four out of five of the “big five” mammals commonly spotted in Denali: moose, caribou, dall sheep and grizzly bears (the fifth that I didn’t see was a wolf).

The transit bus stops for wildlife and everyone is asked to remain quiet while watching the animals. The animals have gotten used to ignoring the buses and the park service does not want them to hear people nearby and become interested.

Grizzly bears are very active towards the end of the summer as they consume berries to bulk up for winter. I saw a gigantic grizzly bear less than 100 yards from the road devouring as many berries as it could with urgency. I also saw another smaller grizzly bear running.

Throughout the journey, I saw at least a dozen caribou. The herd of caribou in Denali is the only barren-ground caribou herd in North America that is not hunted. Currently, there are about 1,750 caribou in the park.

It was from a huge distance, but we also saw dall sheep up high on a mountain. These animals tend to stick to the ridges and steep slopes of the high mountains.

Moose tend to hang out near the lower elevation areas of the park near forests, lakes and marshes. I saw three moose during my last hour of the bus ride. They were along the paved road, so in an area accessible by car. These creations are so fascinating to watch and it’s amazing to see the sheer size of them!

As a bonus, we also saw a porcupine during the tour. Other small mammals you might spot include marmots, pike and foxes.

The great thing about wildlife is that you can see them no matter the weather! Since I visited on a particularly foggy day, seeing the wildlife was a highlight of the park.

One thing I did not see during my trip to Denali was Mount Denali. While the summer months are most accessible to visitors, they are also the wettest months of the year, meaning you are even less likely to see the mountain. It turns out that only about 30% of visitors see the mountain. The more time you can spend in Denali, the more likely you are to see the mountain, as the weather is always shifting quickly.

At the Eielson Visitor Center, there is a daily sketch showing when Denali has been visible in the past month.

Overall, I highly recommend the transit bus for exploring deeper into Denali National Park. However, there is a lot more to explore in Denali in addition to the bus. Check out my blog post with the best things to do in Denali to continue planning your trip !

Stay tuned, I will have another blog post that covers where to stay and other things to do during your trip to Denali National Park.

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Travel Alert : Due to the Riley Fire in Denali National Park and Preserve, all bus tours and campground reservations have been canceled through 7/5 and refunds will be provided. We will resume reservations on 7/6. Please click here for more info and updates.

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General Denali Questions | Transit Buses | Campgrounds | Tour Buses

General Denali Questions

• Why are the buses school buses and not motorcoaches?
• How long does it take to drive to Denali from Anchorage/Fairbanks?
• What is the weather like in Denali?
• Can I drive into the park?
• I am traveling with children. What are the car seat requirements?

Transit Buses

• What is a Transit bus?
• Do I have to specify my departure time for a Transit bus?
• Do I need to pick up physical tickets before board the bus?
• Do Transit Bus ticket prices include the park entrance fee?
• Can I pick up the bus from Mile 15 (Savage River)?
• How long is the bus ride?
• Are there any hiking trails beyond Savage River (milepost 15)?
• Where should I sit aboard the bus?
• How does “hop-on/hop-off” work?
• It is raining. Can I change my tickets to tomorrow?

Campgrounds

• Do I need advance reservations to camp?
• Do I need to check-in?
• How does campground site assignment work?
• Is there a limit on how long I can camp?
• Do campground prices include the park entrance fee?
• Do campgrounds have water or power hookups?
• Are generators allowed?
• I am camping at Teklanika Campground. How do “Tek Passes” work?
• Can I combine campground camping and backcountry camping?
• What is a Tour bus?
• How do I know my departure time?
• Do Tour Bus ticket prices include the park entrance fee?
• Can I catch the bus from Denali Bus Depot even though I said pick up from a hotel?
• Can I purchase same-day tour bus tickets?
• How do I book a tour while traveling with others?
• How long are tour buses?
• Is there any hiking involved on a tour bus?
• Do I need a physical ticket?

Q. Why are the buses school buses and not motorcoaches? A. Motorcoach buses are rear-engine buses. These types of buses do not perform well on the gravel/dirt Denali Park Road due to the dust and dirt. School buses perform much better and keep to the historical and traditional transportation method.

Q. How long does it take to drive to Denali from Anchorage/Fairbanks? A. The drive to Denali from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Denali is along Alaska Highway 3 – known as the Parks Highway. It is a two-lane highway with incremental passing lanes and passing zones. Allow four (4) hours to drive from Anchorage to Denali. Allow two (2) hours to drive from Fairbanks to Denali. These times are driving times without stops. Please add additional time for sightseeing and other excursions, if desired.

Q. What is the weather like in Denali? A. A general answer is always “partly cloudy, chance of rain.” The weather can change quickly and often in the mountainous environment. Dressing in layers is recommended for all conditions at all types of year.

Q. Can I drive into the park? A. Yes, but only to Savage River (milepost 15). This section of park road is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – weather permitting. Very limited parking is available at Savage River. The free Savage River Shuttle departs every 30 minutes for those who wish to leave their vehicle at the Denali Visitor Center or Denali Bus Depot. Those schedules can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/courtesy-shuttle-buses.htm . Those visitors wishing to see more of the park may chose a Transit or Tour bus.

Q. I am traveling with children. What are the car seat requirements? A. Child seats are required by law aboard all buses inside Denali National Park and Preserve. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to provide these child seats. Alaska state car seat laws can be found here: https://www.iihs.org/topics/child-safety#restraint-use and hovering over the state of Alaska.

Q. What is a Transit bus? A. Transit buses are the famous “green buses” in Denali. They are non-narrated, do not provide food or water (bring your own), and allow visitors to “hop-on/hop-off” (see below).

Q. Do I have to specify my departure time for a Transit bus? A. Yes. The times listed for Transit buses (green buses) are the departure times from the Denali Bus Depot. Please be at the Denali Bus Depot a minimum of 15 minutes prior to your selected departure time. You will need to check-in at the reservations desk inside of the facility before boarding your bus. Buses will not wait for late individuals.

Q. Do I need to pick up physical tickets before board the bus? A. Yes. All Transit buses require physical tickets for boarding – including those with reservations. Please proceed to the reservations desk at the Denali Bus Depot to collect your physical tickets prior to boarding. Please arrive a minimum of 15 minutes prior to your departure time.

Q. Do Transit Bus ticket prices include the park entrance fee? A. No. Transit bus ticket pricing does not include the $15 per person entrance fee. This entrance fee will be charged upon your arrival at the Denali Bus Depot. You may pay this fee in advance at https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/fees.htm . Be sure to bring the receipt with you and present it at the Denali Bus Depot reservation desk. If you have an Interagency Pass (Park Pass), please bring it with you and present it at the reservations desk at the Denali Bus Depot. We are unable to look up passholder information. Entrance fee refunds are only available in-person at the Denali Bus Depot.

Q. Can I pick up the bus from Mile 15 (Savage River)? A. Transit buses board at the Denali Bus Depot only. Exceptions are granted for individuals who are camping at Savage River Campground. Visitors staying at Teklanika campground can purchase the Teklanika “Tek” Pass which permits bus boarding directly from Teklanika Campground. The Tek Pass must be purchased before proceeding to Teklanika Campground.

Q. How long is the bus ride? A. Transit bus round trip times vary by destination. Round trip times include restrooms stops, wildlife viewing, and time spent at the turnaround location. In 2024, all Transit buses turn around at East Fork (milepost 43) which is a 4.5-hour round trip if you chose to stay with your bus for the duration of the trip.

Q. Are there any hiking trails beyond Savage River (milepost 15)? A. There are no established hiking trails beyond Savage River. Off-trail hiking is available in nearly every area of the park for those who are comfortable and prepared.

Q. Where should I sit aboard the bus? A. The trip along the only road within the park is an out and back – meaning you’ll see one side on the way in and the other on the way out.

Q. How does “hop-on/hop-off” work? A. The Transit bus system is mirrored after an urban/city bus system which allows individuals to disembark or reboard the green Transit buses within the park. This system allows visitors to explore the park on their own schedule. With a Transit bus ticket, visitors will still depart the Denali Bus Depot at their ticketed departure time. Once aboard and beyond Savage River (milepost 15), visitors can yell “STOP!” to the bus driver and disembark at an area they wish to explore. At any point along the gravel portion of the park road (beyond milepost 15), your green ticket will permit you to reboard any Transit (green) bus on a space-available basis. Visitors may have to wait for the next bus if the first bus is full (groups larger than 4 may need to split up between multiple buses). Although not required, it is recommended visitors ride their bus to their ticketed destination first. This allows visitors to see the different areas of the park so they may have a better idea where they wish to spend time on their return. When ready to reboard, stand on the road in the direction you wish to travel and wave your hands at a Transit (green) bus traveling in that direction. Present your ticket stub to the bus driver for reboarding.

Q. It is raining. Can I change my tickets to tomorrow? A. No. Tickets cannot be changed/modified/cancelled inside of seven (7) days from departure.

Q. Do I need advance reservations to camp? A. Advance reservations for campgrounds are STRONGLY recommended. It is common for campgrounds to be sold out for most of the season.

Q. Do I need to check-in? A. Yes. All visitors who are camping – including those with reservations – must check-in at the Riley Creek Mercantile prior to proceeding to their campground. Campers will obtain their campground permit during the check-in process which are to be displayed at their campground site. The Riley Creek Mercantile is open until 11:00pm daily. Be sure to arrive prior to the Mercantile closing!

Q. How does campground site assignment work? A. All campground sites are available on a first come, first serve system based on site type. The reservation agents will explain this in more detail during the check-in process. For best site selection, plan to arrive early. Check-in/out times are 11:00am daily.

Q. Is there a limit on how long I can camp? A. Yes. Denali has a 14-day maximum stay limit each season. This limit is cumulative among all campgrounds.

Q. Do campground prices include the park entrance fee? A. No. Campground pricing does not include the $15 per person entrance fee. This entrance fee will be charged upon your arrival at the Riley Creek Mercantile. You may pay this fee in advance at https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/fees.htm. Be sure to bring the receipt with you and present it at the Denali Bus Depot reservation desk. If you have an Interagency Pass (Park Pass), please bring it with you and present it at the reservations desk at the Denali Bus Depot. We are unable to look up passholder information. Entrance fee refunds are only available in-person at the Denali Bus Depot.

Q. Do campgrounds have water or power hookups? A. No. There are no hookups of any kind at any campground within Denali National Park and Preserve. A dump/fill station is available free of charge to all visitors camping inside the park. The station is located adjacent to the Riley Creek Mercantile.

Q. Are generators allowed? A. Yes, but in limited amounts. Daily generator hours are 8:00am to 10:00am, 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Generator usage is not permitted outside of these times. For those individuals who require power outside of the stablished generator hours, please seek a campground outside of the park that can better accommodate those needs.

Q. I am camping at Teklanika Campground. How do “Tek Passes” work? A. Please see the “Tek Pass” section on our campground page located here: https://www.reservedenali.com/camping/camping-experience/

Q. Can I combine campground camping and backcountry camping? A. Yes and no. You cannot occupy two campgrounds at same time (such as Teklanika and Sanctuary on same day). This rule also applies to backcountry camping. Campsites cannot be left unattended overnight. For example, visitors cannot have a campsite at Teklanika Campground, then leave it unattended to camp in the backcountry with plans to return to their Teklanika campsite. Unattended campsites are subject to search and removal of items. In addition, there is no additional parking available at campgrounds. Vehicles must be returned to the frontcountry at the end of a campground stay before departing on a backcountry camping trip.

Q. What is a Tour bus? A. Tour buses (tan-colored buses) are narrated excursions into Denali National Park and Preserve. These tours include the famous “Tundra Wilderness Tour,” “Denali Natural History Tour,” “Eielson Excursion,” and “Kantishna Experience.” The bus driver provides information as you explore the Denali Road corridor.

Q. How do I know my departure time? A. When making a reservation for a Tour bus, reservations are made for a morning or afternoon departure time. Departure times and locations differ daily so a set departure schedule is not available. Assignment of actual departure times occurs two (2) days prior to your scheduled date. You will not receive an email once the time is assigned. Please keep your confirmation email which will contain information on how to retrieve your assigned departure time.

Q. Do Tour Bus ticket prices include the park entrance fee? A. Yes. Tour bus ticket pricing includes the $15 per person entrance fee. If you have an Interagency Pass (Park Pass), please bring it with you and present it at the reservations desk at the Denali Bus Depot to be refunded this entrance fee. We are unable to look up passholder information. Entrance fee refunds are only available in-person at the Denali Bus Depot.

Q. Can I catch the bus from Denali Bus Depot even though I said pick up from a hotel? A. Not all the tour buses stop at the Denali Bus Depot. Please select the pick-up location where you will be staying in Denali. If that pick-up location is not available, or you aren’t sure where you will be staying and have transportation, please select the Denali Bus Depot as your pick-up location. This pick-up location is not easy to change so please select carefully when making your reservation. Please note that not all area hotels offer transportation to the Denali Bus Depot early enough for morning departures or late enough for evening returns. Please check directly with your hotel for information on their Denali Bus Depot departure schedule.

Q. Can I purchase same-day tour bus tickets? A. It is unlikely that tickets will remain for same-day purchases. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended for tour buses.

Q. How do I book a tour while traveling with others? A. It is STRONGLY recommended that groups traveling together book tour bus tickets as a single reservation. Groups booking separately have a high likelihood of being split between buses when departure times are assigned. Groups booking as a single reservation will not be split.

Q. How long are tour buses? A. Tour bus round trip times vary by tour type. Round trip times include restrooms stops, wildlife viewing, and time spent at the turnaround location. Round trip times are as follows: Tundra Wilderness Tour = 5 to 5.5 hours Denali Natural History Tour = 4.5 to 5 hours Eielson Excursion = 8 to 9 hours Kantishna Experience = 13 hours

Q. Is there any hiking involved on a tour bus? A. There may be limited walking during bus tours. Courtesy wheelchairs are available at all stops for those visitors who may need limited assistance while off the bus.

Q. Do I need a physical ticket? A. No. The driver of your tour will have your name on their manifest. Simply provide your name to the driver during the boarding process. Please ensure you obtain your departure time 2 days prior to your scheduled date.

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Last updated: July 3, 2024

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Contact info, mailing address:.

PO Box 9 Denali Park, AK 99755

907 683-9532 A ranger is available 9 am to 4 pm daily (except on major holidays). If you reach the voicemail, please leave a message and we'll call you back as soon as we finish with the previous caller.

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