Denali Park Tickets: Your Top 5 Passes Compared

Denali National Park, with its massive landscapes and spectacular wildlife, that’s a place folks dream to visit. To see it, you will need a ticket, that’s just how it works. I’m planning a trip to this park soon, and I can help you understand the pass options. We will touch on all that matters, how to save money, and ways to skip crowds, that type of thing.

1. Denali National Park Entrance Pass: The Classic Choice

The Denali National Park Entrance Pass, it’s like, your bread-and-butter option. If you’re aiming for a single visit, this might just be your guy. It’s valid for seven days, that’s almost a whole week, and gives you admission to pretty much all the park has waiting. You could explore the visitor centers, that’s always interesting, hike certain trails, or drive along the first 15 miles of the Park Road, that could be awesome.

The thing you’ll want to keep in mind, and it’s very crucial, is that this pass does not cover extra stuff like bus tours or campground fees; in that situation, you’re digging in your pocket again. Very quickly though, if you’re making plans for any special activities, you need to book them separately. Getting your entrance pass beforehand through Recreation.gov, it avoids some lines when you arrive, it appears. Also, remember, things are looking pretty when the weather is good, maybe aim for a summer visit for amazing views.

Read our full review: Denali National Park Entrance Pass Full Review and Details

2. The “America the Beautiful” Pass: Your Multi-Park Ticket

Have you caught wind of “America the Beautiful” Pass? What if you were thinking about popping over to multiple national parks within a year? This, just might, is the way to go, as a matter of fact. For around $80, so the price of dinner for two, it gives you admittance to every single national park and federal recreation area for a whole year. A steal of a deal for frequent travelers, if you are, it certainly could be.

That aside, consider that buying the pass would pay for itself if you’re just checking out three or more parks within that year, that tends to be the case. The sheer economics might be compelling. Keep it top of mind though: It doesn’t cover any extra fees such as camping, tours or permits. Like I’ve said though, if you’re really wanting to do Denali along with some other big hitters such as Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, in a way, this is an economic pick, very cost-effective pick that is.

Read our full review: America the Beautiful Pass Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (America the Beautiful Pass)

3. Denali Backcountry Permits: For the Adventurous Souls

You are searching for a real wild thing? Is that the situation? The Denali Backcountry Permits are nearly your golden pass into that untamed area. They’re required for every single overnight trip away from established campgrounds, and for doing your thing in the wilderness, if you will.

Getting these isn’t just some formality, anyway. The park’s way to control impact, and keep you, arguably safe. Now, the cost tends to be fairly minimal, around $10 per permit, even if that number shifts with the season and regulations. That said, getting one of these takes a little thinking ahead, and a dash of planning. Now, they’re issued in person at the Backcountry Information Center; so you better go directly. Making certain to prepare an itinerary for what I have heard can be a very intense interview with a ranger, but these permits unlock possibilities if remote trekking is your thing.

Read our full review: Denali Backcountry Permits Full Review and Details

4. Road Lottery and Advanced Road Access

Thinking about going for the Road Lottery? Did you get the lottery bug? It is like an infrequent drawing, providing a lucky bunch to do something others often can not: drive the whole Denali Park Road by themselves. You can enter the lottery ahead of the summer season, maybe a little late for that right now, and winning enables you to secure a permit for a exact day.

It should be at the top of your head that a permit typically hovers around $25, kind of reasonable to control what happens in the Park. Besides that, that said, winning means a whole other side of Denali presents itself: amazing views without those packed tour buses, at least somewhat. You will definitely want to think about going to Denali late in the season when they open up all traffic to see how this looks, if having more personal autonomy resonates with you.

Read our full review: Denali Road Lottery Full Review and Details

5. Bus Tour Tickets: Sit Back and Relax

So, tours by bus: they can be your stress-free path in exploring Denali’s interiors, you realize? I do hear mixed talk on how valuable it is to see nature through such a controlled thing; at any rate, these bus trips provide a chance to reach remote sections in the park without needing a private car.

Bus trips usually range somewhere in the vicinity of $40 to over $200, very based on how far you expect to drive and assuming you like narrated tours or the shuttle kinds. You could look at the Kantishna Experience assuming you desire some immersion: that does entail getting into the far side of Denali. Very fast though, I am quite sure seats sell very soon, mainly during summertime, getting things booked really ahead of time, at the beginning of the trip, seems wise.

Read our full review: Denali Bus Tour Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Denali Bus Tour)