Visiting Denali in 2023

So you want to visit Denali National Park & Preserve in 2023? You've come to the right place!

I sat down with Sharon Stiteler, Public Information Officer for the National Park Service at Denali National Park & Preserve, to discuss visiting this summer.

You'll learn things like:
★ The basics of visiting Denali National Park
★ Suggested itineraries for a half-day, one night, two nights, and 3+ nights in the Denali area
★ Tips on safely visiting, hiking, and wildlife encounters

Plus special information for 2023, including:
★ An update on the Pretty Rocks Landslide and the Denali Park Road closure
★ Suggestions on Denali hiking trails and some updates related to them
★ Campgrounds open this year, and the sled dog demonstrations schedule

Q&A begins at the 36:20 mark, and includes the following questions:

• If you already have camp reservations for Denali, does that include the Park Pass?
• How do you make reservations to see a sled dog demonstration?
• Any recommendations for a zoom lens for the best wildlife photos?
• Do you have to re-pay admission each time you leave and enter the park?
• Since the East Fork Transit is a hop-on/hop-off bus, are there any recommendations for places to hop-off? Are there hikes at the turnaround area?
• What's the difference between Denali flightseeing from Talkeetna or from Healy?
• What experience do I (Valerie) have with the frontcountry trail hikes and backcountry hiking?

Have other questions about visiting Denali? Here's what to do:

1. Head on over to my Alaska Travel Guide – I've got TONS of Denali articles to help you plan:
2. Visit the official website for Denali National Park & Preserve:
3. Email the team in Denali directly: DENA_info@info.nps.gov 

This episode was originally released as part of my 2023 Alaska Seminar Series; it's been edited to remove some content and clarify the episode, but I apologize for any weird cuts or irrelevant info from the original version.