park road

Except for wolves we saw just about every animal that lives in the region, close up. One grizzly walked up to the bus then stayed in front of the bus as we drove a half mile or so. The views along the way with Denali at the end are something unforgettable. Some places along the narrow road are really scary. Worse coming back than going as returning the bus rides the edge of the road with a look a long way down over the edge. But the drivers are pros with years of experience.

We've taken buses into Denali National Park numerous times and have never been disappointed. On some trips, especially the shorter ones to Savage River, we haven't seen a lot of wildlife, but the scenery is spectacular. We've been fortunate enough to see the mountain (Denali, or Mt. McKinley) many times, something that always thrills me. And the colors in the fall are brilliant. It's one of my favorite trips. Everyone should do this trip.

Denali National Park is a real must see. We took the shuttle bus into the park to Eielson Visitor Center in July. We woke up and it was snowing a little bit. So we had some special views in the park but unfortunately, we weren't able to see 'the mountain'.On our way back out of the park we got off and on several different shuttle busses. It's really great, you get off, make a little hike, return to the bus stop and you just flag down the next shuttle bus. In total we had 4 different drivers and they all shared a lot of information on the park and wildlife and they are great animal-spotters.Just make sure to take enough food with you because lunch is not provided.When you go for (even a little) walk be sure to put your food items in the designated safe-storage boxes (present at the busstops)Great experience with travel by shuttle bus, and great for your budget because it costs less than half of a tour bus ticket!

We took a bus trip into Denali park and had a great time we saw moose, brown bears Caribou and Dall sheep as well as other small wildlife saw 6 bears and 7 moose went in on a very nice day a bit cloudy but could still see a long way and then came back out in a snow storm. Cannot wait to go back

I visited in the spring, when the park road was open to cars up to a certain mile marker. It was AMAZING. The beauty in Denali is indescribable. Driving the road allows you to stop and take in all of the breathtaking views. I was initially concerned about making the trip to/from Anchorage in one day, but it was incredible and I am grateful for the experience.

The bus drivers were VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE! My husband and I learner so much just when we were driving around and taking in the incredible scenery! They were very nice and helpful and full of interesting information on everything from the park's animals to its geology!

I was working in the park as a volunteer and was lucky enough to have an all-access road pass in Denali. Drove the whole road from the visitor's center to Wonder Lake over a ten-day period. During that time, went bike riding on at least 25 miles of the road. Saw so many animals and heart-stopping views. This is not to be missed, but I'm not so sure I'd want to do it via the park busses which can be crowded and noisy. Here's what I'd recommend: Take a mountain bike into the park. Bike as far as you can into the park, depending on how strong you are. Bring plenty of gear for all weather and lots of food. At the end of the day, catch a bus back and put your bike on it. Know what to do if you see a grizzly or a moose (park has helpful videos on this though you'll forget everything they say when it actually happens.) Bike ride of a lifetime. Don't even need a car. DO IT!!

We had to get up really morning for this. We were on a tour and we did see some grizzly bears, although not too close to the bus. We also saw a lot of other animals and overall enjoyed the tour. We had great views of Mt. McKinley, which I am told one can only see about 30% of the time, so we were lucky.

I was there on 9th Sept, just the day before they close down the park for the end of the season.I took this shuttle to Eieilson to enjoy the most of the park in a day. I believe it's the best option if you only have a day.But it's rather long since you send 4hours to arrive at eieilson center and 4hours to go back.Also you don't want to get off since it's a long journey. Our bus had still room for 3, 4 people we picked up on our way. So we couldn't get off but for how long !!! Since you need some time to walk around and plan to get in a bus shortly after.I took the bus at 9.30am and saw all the animals we should see: moose, grizzly, squirrel, alaskan bird, fox, dall sheep, caribou.We also could see very clearly the Mt McKinley.Definitely the best option for a 1 day trip.If you forget to buy food and drink for the trip, there are some (not a lot) at the visitor center.

I can say I visited Denali, but I thought the 8 hour shuttle ride was tedious and long. It rained off and on, particularly at the point that we would have taken a bus to Wonder Lake on standby. We did the unnarrated tour, but we had a wonderful bus driver who was a teacher, and she talked throughout tour, which really is needed to fully understand the park. The scenery was just OK, and we did not see Mt. McKinley because of clouds and rain. This is July, mind you. I would spend more and do a helicopter tour on a clear day if I had it to do over. We took food and drink with us, since it is only available at a couple of stops, plus ther is plenty of time to eat on the bus.

Took the 7am shuttle to Eilson Visitor Center. It had snowed so the going was slow, we got turned back, but within an hour we were on our way. Beautiful. Saw bear poop in the road in front of us, mom & baby moose cross the road, and bears hunting for food. Great day. Not sure I would want to do the entire road. Heard lots of people talk @ 11 hours on school bus as being too long.

very scenic. narrow road with busy bus traffic and some scary passes with no guard rails. abundant wildlife along the way. great photo ops

We took the green shuttle bus to Wonder Lake and were priviledged to be part of the 10% of visitors to see Denali (Mt. McKinley) in its entirety... a sunny day with clear views. The tundra displayed all the fall colors, hues of orange, red, brown, gold, purple, with the backdrop of the Alaska Range and the magnificent snow-covered Denali. We saw bears, moose, artic squirrels, a red fox.... The tour buses, that cost more, do include narration by a park ranger, but the tour buses also include narration by the driver, that was more than sufficient for us. Before going I had read that there was no food available - to bring your own - which is partially true. There's nothing once you get on the bus but the Wilderness Access Center does have a variety of snacks and even some ready to go sandwiches, which were good and quite fresh. While we did have some snacks, we didn't find anything open on the way in for sandwiches and were pleased to be able to get something more substantial to take along.

The Denali Park is a must see at least once in a lifetime. The mountains, the plaited rivers, the tundra vegetation and the animals makes for a really great experience. Take the shuttle bus rather than the tours because they travel the same path as do the tours, but for half the price. Remember to stock up on food like sandwiches, fruit and sweets. Water is available inside the park but there is no food so carry a picnic with you. Lots of places to sit down enjoy your picnic and enjoy the sights. Mt. Mc Kinley is awesome. It must be a sunny day for you to enjoy the mountain because it can get shrouded by fog and clouds

We spent four full days at DNP and ended up booking the shuttle bus for two different days. The first to Eielson Visitor Center (about 8 hours round trip) on the first day. We looked ahead and the weather was supposed to be beautiful two days later and decided to book that day for the full ride into Katishna (12 hours round trip). Both days were great in their own way. The fall colors were amazing. We say several grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, an eagle and ptarmigan. We could not see Mt. McKinley the first day but had full beautiful views two days later on the second bus trip. Just breathtaking. We also saw (& heard) migrating sandhill cranes at Wonder Lake during the second bus trip. As mentioned in other reviews, pack your own water and food for the day. The rest stops seem enough. It is nice to have some extra time at Eielson to stretch your legs and walk around a bit. You can take another bus back if you want extra time there. The views after Eielson VC are amazing and worth the extra time to go further into the park. However, if Eielson is all you have time for; it is still worth doing at least this one. The road is tight in some spots with hairpin turns. We had great drivers both days (Craig and Sheryl). They were informative about the area and animals and seemed proud of this beautiful place. We felt it was worth doing the bus ride twice as it seemed like two totally different experiences. However, we had the time to do so. Even the weather changed as it snowed in the mountains in between. The same walk around Eielson the second trip was with a light dusting of snow on the ground. The fall colors just seemed better the second time.