The application period for the annual Denali Road Lottery opens May e/NPS

The application period for the 2017 road lottery program at Denali National Park and Preserve will open May 1. The road lottery takes place in September and allows up to 400 cars per day to be on the western portion of the park road, which is usually closed to most private vehicles.

2017 Lottery Details

The dates for this year’s road lottery are Sept. 15, 17, 18, and 19, with Sept. 16 designated as Military Appreciation Day. The non-refundable application fee will be $15 this year, compared to $10 in recent years. The change is due to a price increase from the contractor running www.recreation.gov.

More than 12,600 lottery applications were received in 2016. Winners of the lottery must then pay a $25 permit fee to drive the park road. Road lottery entries can be made online at www.recreation.gov beginning at 12:01 am (Alaska Daylight Time) on May 1 until midnight (AKDT) on May 31.

How to Apply

The lottery entry and drawing are handled by www.recreation.gov. Information about application status or use of the website should be submitted to rec.gov online or by calling (877) 444-6777. Applications by mail are no longer accepted.

Everyone who submitted a road lottery entry will be notified about their entry status. Those who are selected will also receive an email confirming the day of their permit, with additional information on how to obtain the road permit and prepare for their visit to the park.

If You Are Drawn

Permit holders for the road lottery must pay the park entrance fee of $10 per person (for visitors age 16 or older) on the day of their permit unless they have a federal recreation pass such as the Denali Annual Pass, America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (Annual, Senior, Access, or Volunteer) or the free U.S. Military annual pass. Additional information on these passes is available at this site.

Road lottery permits are transferable prior to use, i.e. the person awarded the permit can give it to someone else if they are not able to participate that weekend. The person transferring the permit must provide the original notification and a short note explaining the transfer to the new permit holder, who must bring that documentation to the park when they check in for the road permit. Once picked up, permits are not transferable between vehicles.

Additional Lottery Information

Read up on additional information about the road lottery, such as vehicle restrictions, info on bringing pets, and other rules and regulations.

The possibility of inclement weather in September is always a factor. Some years the road has only been partially open because of snow. Participants are encouraged to contact the park for updated road and weather information the day before or the morning of their permit.

The Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River campgrounds will be open during the road lottery and Military Appreciation Day period, weather permitting. Campsites are not included in the road permit, but can be reserved in advance via www.reservedenali.com or 800- 622-7275.

Information on campgrounds and accommodations outside the park is available through the Denali Chamber of Commerce at www.denalichamber.com or 907- 683-4636.