There are two ways to stay overnight in Denali National Park: private lodges and public campgrounds. Five private (and very expensive) lodges are located near the end of Park Road in the Kantishna area. Six public campgrounds are spaced out along the road and administered by the Park Service.
Private Lodges
A handful of private inholdings inside Denali National Park are home to the park’s only formal accommodations. The Kantishna Roadhouse is a renovated historic lodge at the end of the Park Road with views of Denali and Wonder Lake. Meals are served family-style and the roadhouse has the only full service saloon in the park.
Camp Denali and the North Face Lodge, both run by the same owners as the Kantishna Roadhouse, are at opposite ends of Wonder Lake. Camp Denali has rustic cabins near tree line for views of Denali and the Alaska Range. The North Face Lodge is an inn-style building with guest rooms connected to a sitting room, fireplace, and dining area.
The Denali Backcountry Lodge has 42 modest cabins near Moose Creek. Skyline Lodge is the best budget accommodation for those wanting to stay inside the park.
Campgrounds
There are six established campgrounds in Denali National Park along Park Road. Private cars and RVs are allowed to drive to three of the campgrounds: Riley, Savage, and Teklanika (Teklanika has special rules for drive-in campers). Otherwise, cars are not allowed more than 15 miles into the park.
Riley Creek: Park entrance; 147 sites with private vehicles allowed
Savage River: Mile 13 on Park Road; 33 sites with private vehicles allowed
Sanctuary River: Mile 23 on Park Road; 7 tent sites
Teklanika River: Mile 29 on Park Road; 53 sites with private vehicles allowed (see the special rules for drive-in campers)
Igloo Creek: Mile 35 on Park Road; 7 tent sites
Wonder Lake: Mile 85 on Park Road; 28 tent sites
Denali campgrounds can be reserved ahead at www.reservedenali.com. The sites fill up quickly so book as far in advance as possible. Due to the small size of the Igloo Creek and Sanctuary River campgrounds, they must be reserved in person at the Wilderness Access Center (park entrance) no more than two days in advance.
Backcountry camping is allowed in Denali National Park and permits can be obtained at the Backcountry Information Center located adjacent to the Wilderness Access Center. Advanced reservations are not available and permits are issued only in person. The center is open from 9am–6pm daily during the summer and the permitting process includes an informational video and safety talk with a ranger.
Outside the Park
Many visitors to Denali stay just outside of the park entrance. The nearest towns are Healy (11 miles north of the park entrance) and Cantwell (30 miles south of the park entrance). Motels, hotels, and other accommodations are found in these towns and along the connecting highway.