After a weekend of closures due to high water and erosion, officials at Denali National Park reopened all affected areas on Monday, September 1st.
Heavy rain and snow caused the park’s rivers and waterways to surge to their highest levels of the year, leading to flooding, erosion, and snow accumulation along Denali Park Road. Denali Park Road, a 92-mile route, serves as the primary and only road through Denali National Park, stretching from the park entrance in the east to the remote area of Kantishna in the west. Park officials closed the road west of the Teklanika Rest Area and suspended bus traffic past the Savage Check Station. Campgrounds, including Igloo Creek, Teklanika, and Sanctuary, were evacuated for safety.
After water levels receded, park staff evaluated conditions and deemed the road and campgrounds safe for reopening at 6:00 AM on Monday. They will continue to monitor water levels and roadway conditions closely and provide updates as needed. Visitors are strongly encouraged to check current park conditions before visiting Denali.
About Denali National Park
In 1917, Congress created this park for one main reason: to protect Dall sheep. Over time, Congress expanded the park boundaries and added other reasons for its existence, including protection of North America’s tallest mountain (Mount McKinley) and to provide a place for wilderness recreation. Today, most people arrive in Denali hoping to see the mountain, view wildlife (such as bears, moose, caribou, sheep, and wolves), and experience the vast wilderness.
Denali National Park and Preserve has just one road, the Denali Park Road, and it is the main avenue for visitors to see and experience Denali. As you begin planning a trip to Denali, it’s important to understand how the road operates.
The road is 92 miles long, and only the first 15 miles are paved. The paved section, leading from the park entrance to Savage River, is the only section that personal vehicles may drive. In the summer, the first 15 miles are open for public (non-commercial) vehicles to drive and buses provide transportation along the rest of the road. In winter, only the first 3 miles of the road are open for public vehicles, and the rest of the road is closed due to snow. Buses do not operate in fall, winter, or spring.
Related: How Denali Is Technically Taller Than Mt. Everest
