Denali National Park Hiking, Photography and Camping..

Hiking in Denali

Many hours of daylight     

During most of the summer, you will have at least 12 hours of daylight; in June and July there is much more.  If you take one of the earliest buses, there is plenty of daylight to do the dayhikes and still ride the bus both ways in the daylight for maximum wildlife viewing.

All 46 dayhikes in the Denali Guidebook can be done using the park bus system.  I designed the length of most dayhikes so I could ride the 6:30 AM bus to Eielson and then get off on the way back from Eielson to do the hikes. The start and finish of the three Denali State Park backpacking trips can also be day hikes.

View from Mt Galen Hike, late August.

Denali -- a great place to hike without trails.

Most of the dayhikes and backpacks in the Denali Guidebook are done without developed and marked trails because there are very few developed and marked trails in Denali National Park.

I suspect many of you are like me. Before my first summer in Denali (1967), I had little experience hiking without trails.  Since then, I have done many hikes without developed trails in Denali and in Gates of the Arctic National Park. The Denali Guidebook provides tips and techniques for hiking without trails in Denali.
     

Hiking in Teklanika River valley, late August.

Denali is a good place to start hiking without trails. It is hard to get lost in Denali. Much of the terrain along the road is open tundra or broad river valley.  From the road you can often see and judge the difficulty of routes to reach ridges and mountaintops.  During your hike the brush will rarely be so thick or high that you cannot find a spot to view some of the route ahead.

Detailed route finding instructions and map recommendations are provided for the 46 dayhikes and 12 backpacking trips described in the Denali Guidebook.

Stream crossings     

Stepping across small stream in Thorofare Pass area.

Crossing the East Fork River below Polychrome Pass.

Most streams encountered on dayhikes in the Denali Guidebook can be stepped across or crossed on rocks.  While a few dayhikes do require wading, most of these avoid streams likely to be more than knee deep. Some of the backpacking trips do require crossing major rivers.  Before attempting a major river crossing, discuss your plans with the backcountry park rangers and view the excellent stream crossing video at the Park Entrance Visitor Center.

Hiking with bears

Mom crossing a short stretch of waist-high brush on a picnic outing, July.

Grizzly sow on a wet hair day.

To date, bears in Denali have killed no one and have injured very few people. This good safety record is due to hikers and photographers practicing the hiking and food management rules and recommendations provided by the National Park Service.

     

When I started hiking with bears in Denali in 1967, I found no guidebooks on hiking in bear country.  Currently, there are several books on how to travel in bear country and deal with a threat or an attack.  Some of these books are listed in the Books and Maps section of the Denali hiking guidebook.
     

I also recommend talking to the Denali National Park backcountry rangers and watching the excellent, interactive Backcountry Simulator on hiking in bear country at the Park Entrance Visitor Center.  It covers hiking and camping procedures to avoid bears as well as what to do in the event of a charge or an attack.  You are required to view the video before obtaining a backcountry camping permit.

Permits 

Upper Teklanika backpack camp.

Permits are NOT required for dayhiking.

You must obtain a backcountry permit to camp overnight outside a campground. Backcountry permits are only available at the backcountry ranger desk in the Park Entrance Visitor Center.  Permits are issued on a first come, first served basis. The number of campers permitted in each backcountry permit area is limited. During the peak season and if you have a large group, it will be difficult to get permits for the most popular backpacking areas. Therefore I recommend you plan several possible routes, be flexible, and be in line well before the visitor center opens.

Dayhikes and Backpacking Trips     

Hiking on ridge near Polychrome Pass, July.

The terrain and vegetation offer many hiking opportunities in Denali. The 46 day hikes and 12 backpacking trips covered in the Denali Guidebook represent only a few of the possibilities.  Many of the described dayhikes can also be extended into backpacking trips.  Dayhikes in the Denali Guidebook range from about one hour to eight hours in length and 17 are rated as easy.  Backpacking trips range from two to five days.

     

View of Double Mountain from hike near  Teklanika Campground.  Early June.

Text for each hike covers highlights, distance and time required, detailed route finding instructions and maps, and cautions. Hike maps are based on U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps which are also listed for each hike. Hiking and route finding difficulty ratings are designated. (See Hike and Backpack Comparison Tables)


     

Starting hike to the eastern summit of Mt Polychrome, July.

I hope the routes described in the Denali Guidebook will provide the practice and examples to help you also try other routes! If you do, tell me about them.  (See Contact the Author.)