DENALI PARK, Alaska – A portion of the road through Denali National Park and Preserve opens to visitors Saturday after being closed for the winter.
Denali Park Road, the only vehicle route in the park, shuts down each year by Oct. 15 and reopens as conditions allow in the late winter and spring. Saturday, the road opens to the Mountain Vista Rest Area at mile marker 12. Travel is allowed by private vehicles and commercial vehicles with permits.
Visitors should expect to encounter snow and ice on shaded sections of the park road and are encouraged to check the weather before arriving at the park and to come fully prepared for changes to access on short notice.
Mid-winter offers enjoyable conditions for visiting the park, as there is good snow coverage for winter recreational activities coupled with longer days. The Mountain Vista Rest Area is an ideal location for viewing Mount McKinley as well as heading out further into the park via snowshoes, skis, or dog sleds (dog musher trailhead is located just past the Mountain Vista Rest Area, near the road gate). The area has vault toilets and picnic shelters, but other amenities—including additional picnic tables—may be under snow. Park facilities further west, including the Savage River Campground, remain closed until later in the spring.
Travel beyond park headquarters (mile 3) will be weather dependent as plowing the road further west will be a lower priority during and after a snowstorm. Visitors are encouraged to call the park information line at (907) 683-9532 for updated road and weather information.
