Alaska’s largest city of approximately 300,000 residents, Anchorage is located in south-central Alaska. Flanked by Cook Inlet, the Gulf of Alaska and the snow-capped Chugach Mountains, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. Denali National Park is 240 miles north of Anchorage and can be reached by car, train, or bus.
We highly recommend traveling by rental car to maximize flexibility. Advance reservations are essential due to high demand. Consider the rental-by-owner option, Turo, for additional availability. Given summer road construction and traffic delays, we recommend allowing five hours for the drive.
Day 1: Land at the Ted Stevens International Airport and overnight at Parkside Guest House, our bed & breakfast located near downtown.
Day 2: Depart Parkside Guest House and start your drive to Denali National Park. Reach the park entrance in time for dinner and overnight at Tonglen Lake Lodge (two-night minimum; non-consecutive nights accepted for Camp Denali guests).
Day 3: Arrive at Camp Denali’s year-round office one hour before your flight time. Our staff will welcome you, show you where to park, weigh your luggage, and help you securely store any excess luggage. Meet fellow guests and relax in our comfortable office while awaiting your flight to Camp Denali.
Days 4-5 or 4-6: Spend 3 or 4 days at Camp Denali hiking in the tundra, canoeing on Wonder Lake, or biking along the park road. Enjoy meals featuring fresh greens grown in our on-site greenhouse and Alaska-grown meat, poultry, or seafood. Round-out each day by participating in our evening programs featuring one of our Special Emphasis Series speakers or one of our naturalist guides. You can find a more specific Camp Denali itinerary here.
Day 6 or 7: Depart Camp Denali for your return flight (~35 minutes) to the park entrance. Pick up any luggage stored in our office and retrieve your rental car. Overnight again at Tonglen Lake Lodge and fit in some local-area activities:
Day 7 or 8: Drive back to Anchorage and spend another night at Parkside Guest House and/or catch your outbound flight.
Spend a day or two exploring the greater Anchorage area!
Anchorage vicinity: Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art; hike up Flattop on the edge of the Chugach or bike or walk some of the 20-mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
South to Girdwood along Turnagain Arm: Drive to Girdwood to look for beluga whales in Turnagain Arm and stretch your legs enroute at Portage Lake or the Alaska Wildlife Center.
North to Palmer: Drive to Palmer and take a local hike in the Chugach with Revel Treks and Tours, or check out the Mat-Su’s agricultural bounty at the Alaska State Fair (August-September). Farm-to-table dining is genuine in this hotspot of Alaskan agriculture. Try Turkey Red, Feather and Flour, or 203 Kombucha.
For restaurants within walking distance of Parkside Guest House, see our host’s recommendations.
If you’re looking for the most scenic and hands-free experience, we recommend booking tickets with the Alaska Railroad, which operates daily during the summer season.
Once at Denali National Park, the rail depot is located ten miles north of the Camp Denali office. While most hotels provide courtesy transportation between the rail depot and the hotel, to reach the Camp Denali office on your departure morning, you must arrange transportation with Sheep Shuttle. Exceptions to this are Deneki Lakes B&B (transportation included) and Denali Cabins (transportation to Camp Denali Office provided by our staff).
Day 1: Land at the Ted Stevens International Airport and overnight at Parkside Guest House, our bed & breakfast located near downtown.
Day 2: Depart Parkside Guest House by 7:10 am and taxi or Uber ~5 minutes to the Anchorage train depot. The Denali Star train departs at 8:20 am and arrives at the Denali train depot at 3:40 pm. Spend the night at Deneki Lakes B&B (transportation provided). Or stay overnight at McKinley Creekside Cabins (two-night minimum; non-consecutive nights accepted for Camp Denali guests). Be sure to arrange a pick-up with Sheep Shuttle for a drop-off at Camp Denali’s Office.
Day 3: Arrive at Camp Denali’s year-round office one hour before your flight time. Our staff will welcome you, weigh your luggage and help you securely store any excess luggage. Meet fellow guests and relax in our comfortable office while awaiting your flight to Camp Denali.
Days 4-5 or 4-6: Spend 3 or 4 days at Camp Denali hiking in the tundra, canoeing on Wonder Lake, or biking along the park road. Enjoy meals featuring fresh greens grown in our on-site greenhouse and Alaska-grown meat, poultry, or seafood. Round-out each day by participating in our evening programs featuring one of our Special Emphasis Series speakers or one of our naturalist guides. You can find a more specific Camp Denali itinerary here.
Day 6 or 7: Depart Camp Denali and fly back to the park entrance. Pick up any luggage you might have stored from our office.
Day 7 or 8: Secure transportation to the Denali train depot. Spend the morning exploring the nearby Denali Visitor Center, walking area trails, or visiting Denali’s Sled Dog Kennels. Check in at 12:00pm for the 12:30pm train departure to Anchorage, arriving Anchorage ~8:00pm. Taxi or rideshare ~5 minutes to Parkside Guest House for your overnight stay.
Day 8 or 9: Depart Parkside Guest House and return to Ted Stevens International Airport for your flight home.
Using Parkside Guest House as your Anchorage basecamp, take the Coastal Classic Train to Seward to explore Kenai Fjords National Park.
You can shorten your trip by a day by riding the Denali Star train north but returning south via Park Connection Motorcoach. This has the advantage of a same-day return to Anchorage following your Camp Denali stay.
The Park Connection Motorcoach is fairly expedient and the least expensive mode of transportation between Anchorage and Denali National Park. The bus operates daily throughout the summer season with 6:30am departures on the Denali Express (June 3 - August 31) and 1:30pm departures on the Park to Park (May 17 - September 14) both from the Dena’ina Civic Center downtown.
When booking accommodation at the entrance area to Denali National Park, for convenience we recommend an accommodation along the bus route. Nearby Deneki Lakes B&B is our top choice and will pick you up at the Denali Cabins bus stop. Denali Cabins is most convenient to the Camp Denali Office. Accommodation at any of the other hotels along the bus route requires that you book transportation to our office the following morning with Sheep Shuttle.
Day 1: Land at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage; taxi or rideshare to Parkside Guest House, our bed & breakfast located near downtown.
Day 2: Depart Parkside Guest House around 6:00 am and taxi or rideshare ~5 minutes to the Dena’ina Civic Center to catch the Park Connection Motorcoach. The morning bus departs at 6:30 am and arrives at Denali National Park around 12:30 pm. Overnight at Deneki Lakes B&B, Denali Cabins or other accommodation along the bus route in Denali. Remember to pre-book morning transportation with Sheep Shuttle if you’re not staying at Denali Cabins or Deneki Lakes B&B.
Day 3: Arrive at Camp Denali’s year-round office one hour before your flight time. Our staff will welcome you, weigh your luggage and help you securely store any excess luggage. Meet fellow guests and relax in our comfortable office while awaiting your flight to Camp Denali.
Days 4-5 or 4-6: Spend 3 or 4 days at Camp Denali hiking in the tundra, canoeing on Wonder Lake, or biking along the park road. Enjoy meals featuring fresh greens grown in our on-site greenhouse and Alaska-grown meat, poultry, or seafood. Round-out each day by participating in our evening programs featuring one of our Special Emphasis Series speakers or one of our naturalist guides. You can find a more specific Camp Denali itinerary here.
Day 6 or 7: Depart Camp Denali and fly back to the park entrance. Pick up any luggage you might have stored from our office. A same-day bus connection can be made at Denali Cabins, departing at 2:55pm and arriving in Anchorage at 8:30pm. Overnight at Parkside Guest House.
Day 7 or 8: Depart Parkside Guest House and return to Ted Stevens International Airport for your flight.
