SHUTTLES, TOURS: Buses big and small explore wild country.
Denali visitors can choose between shuttle buses and tour buses. Both look like renovated school buses painted green or tan, respectively. Inside are overhead compartments and seats more comfortable than the typical bus bench seat.
Shuttle bus
Green shuttle buses offer a way to reach several points along the entire Park Road including campsites, Wonder Lake and Kantishna, the old gold mining town at the end of the road. Unlike fully narrated guided tours, the shuttles are for more independent travel and discovery of the park. However, the drivers are highly educated about Denali and provide basic park and safety information, help spot wildlife and answer questions.
Camper bus
Camper buses are part of the shuttle system, providing transportation to campgrounds and backcountry units. These buses have extra room for packs and bicycles and may only be used by those with reserved campsites or backcountry permits.
Tour bus
Three different fully narrated tours are run by Denali's concessionaire, Donovan/ARAMARK.
Denali Natural History Tour
The Denali Natural History tour focuses more heavily on education and the park's past than the other tours. It lasts four and a half to five hours and ends at Primrose Ridge, Mile 17 of the Park Road. It's better for those with limited time at Denali but goes only a short way into the park and provides limited wildlife viewing opportunities. A snack and hot beverages are provided.
Tundra Wilderness Tour
The most popular, the Tundra Wilderness Tour, runs between seven and eight hours depending upon how long wildlife viewing opportunities last. It's an odd kind of role reversal in which the passengers sit in the safety of the bus, watching the wildlife roam free. The tour, given by a certified naturalist, goes at least as far as the Toklat River, Mile 53 of the Park Road, providing extensive wildlife viewing and photo opportunities.
Tundra Wilderness tour buses have been upgraded with drop-down video screens connected to a camera that the driver can use to zoom in on wildlife for better viewing. When spotting wildlife, the tour guide stops the bus and zooms in on the Dall sheep, grizzly bears, moose and many other animals commonly seen in the park. A snack and hot beverages are provided.
Kantishna Experience
The Kantishna Experience goes all the way to the old gold mining town of Kantishna at the end of the 90-mile Park Road. This is an 11- to 12-hour tour.
Led by a certified interpretive guide and a National Park Service interpretive ranger, tour members spend time in Kantishna learning about the town's interesting history and role in Interior Alaska. The tour includes a lunch, snack and beverages.
Bus Tickets
Where: Shuttles from Wilderness Access area. Bus tours also pick up at area hotels.
When: May-September
Cost: Shuttles range from $25 to $48 and tours range from $74 to $199.
Phone: 800-622-7275, 272-7275
Web: nps.gov/dena
