Most of the people who explore Denali National Park do so with the help of a bus system.
Denali has three types of bus service.
1. The green buses are known as shuttle buses and carry most of the tourists. Think of these as the "city buses" of Denali.
2. A concessionaire operates excursions known as Tundra Wildlife and Natural History tours.
3. Lodges on private land inside the park bus their guests to and from the visitors center and railroad station.
Visitors board the shuttle buses at the main visitors center near the Parks Highway or at campgrounds along the park road. The buses run at frequent intervals starting very early in the morning, with the last bus returning late in the evening.
Passengers buy tickets to ride into the park as far as Kantishna, 95 miles from the entrance. The longest trip most people take is to the Eielson Visitors Center, Mile 66. That ride is four hours out, four hours back.
Bus drivers stop when wildlife is spotted -- especially when a passenger yells "Bear!" Other wildlife seen near the road includes caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, foxes and marmots. Passengers photograph the animals and scenery, but they may not leave the bus to get closer to the animals.
The buses are much like school buses -- unadorned with restrooms. The ride over the gravel road can be slow and bumpy (and a bit scary when buses meet on the narrow curves of Polychrome Pass), although the often-chatty drivers are good drivers and do their best to make the ride smooth and entertaining.
Passengers may get off an outward-bound bus anywhere along the route after Mile 20 until they reach their ticketed destination. They can flag down any homeward-bound bus or board at a regular stop, if there's a seat available. It may take an hour for a bus to come along.
Some buses are wheelchair accessible. The need for such a bus should be mentioned when the reservations are made.
Visitors must carry their own food. The weather can vary considerably on the ride, from sunny and pleasant to windy, drizzly and chilly. Taking a cap, light gloves and a jacket is a good idea.
Where the buses go
Here are the scheduled bus stops on the Denali Park Road, how far they are from the visitor center at the entrance (near the Parks Highway), what it costs to ride the bus and why you should take boots, binoculars or a camera.
Camper pass and Teklanika pass
Campers can use two special bus tickets: the camper pass and the Teklanika pass.
Camper passes allow a backpacker to ride to any campground or backcountry unit. It costs $22.50.
Say, for example, that a camper reserves a spot at Wonder Lake. The ticket gives her a ride to and from the campground at Mile 85 of the park road. When she boards the bus at the main visitors center, the driver will ask to see both her ticket and the campground reservation receipt.
The Teklanika pass is good for Teklanika River campground users, who must make a reservation for a minimum three days. The pass is good for three rides, one of which is arranged when the reservation is made. The other two are first come, first served to any destination in the park.
Here's an example of how a camper can use it. She drives her hard-sided trailer to Teklanika (no tents allowed) and wants to explore the park. Her reserved seat is to Eielson Visitor Center, which she rides to on the first day. The next day, she lines up at the bus stop outside the campground and hops on the first bus with an open seat, this time heading to Wonder Lake, Mile 85. On the third day, she uses her last trip to visit Stony Dome, Mile 61, where she hikes on the open tundra.
Bus tickets and reservations
Tickets may be reserved by phone, mail or fax or in person at Denali's main visitors center. A word of caution: If you show up after noon, don't expect to get a seat for one of that day's buses. Seats fill quickly.
Tickets can be picked up at the visitors center, which opens at 7 a.m. between opening day May 22 and closing day in mid-September. Tickets for earlier rides will be held by the bus loading assistant. The drivers don't sell tickets.
For fare purposes, "adults" are people age 18 and old; "young adults" are 15 to 17; and children 14 and under ride for free. A seat must be booked for the children, however. (Everyone, including young children, must $2 pay to ride the Savage River bus.)
All the stops have plenty of room for riders to stretch their legs, and there's enough time to visit a toilet. In addition to the stops associated with fares, buses make a rest stop at the Teklanika River overlook, Mile 31.
Reserve a seat
To reserve seats, call:
Nationwide: 800-622-7275
Outside the U.S.: 907-272-7275
In Anchorage: 272-7275
Phone sales are made from mid-February through early to mid-September. Tickets can be purchased by phone up until the day before the ride and picked up at the shuttle desk in the visitors center. Phone hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alaska time (3 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time).
Ticket requests can be mailed to Denali Park Resorts VTS, 241 W. Ship Creek Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501. (Mail requests must be received 30 days before the travel date.)
Fax requests should be sent to 907-264-4684. Requests must be received no less than two days before travel.
In addition to the bus fare and the $4 reservation fee, there's an entrance fee of $5 per individual or $10 per family. Holders of Golden Age/Access/Eagle passports or a National Park Pass should include the number. (There's also a $6 fee for cancellations or changes.)
Fax and mail requests must include the names and ages for each passenger (youth discounts are available, and kids under 14 ride free but must have a ticket). Alternative travel dates should be included. Credit cards accepted are Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
