Denali National Park and Preserve is six million acres of wild country with only one road, the Denali Park Road. Each May, the park offers a lottery to win the privilege of driving that special road. 400 permits per day are admitted for 4 days in September at the end of the season. If there isn’t too much snow, you can drive all the way to the end of the road to an excellent view of the mountain, the central focus of the park. Denali, the Great One, is the tallest mountain in North America. This grand mountain rules over almost 10,000 miles of wild, Alaskan land. Lucky visitors who are able to drive into the park can enjoy camping, hiking, and wilderness viewing at their own speed.
Denali National Park and Preserve is six million acres of wild land, with just one road cutting through the rugged wilderness: the Denali Park Road. During most of the year, travel into the park is allowed by shuttle, tour bus, or on foot or bicycle.
The road winds through the backcountry, carving into the foothills and for thrilling turns and unparalleled views. The terrain goes from low-elevation taiga forest to high alpine tundra to snowy mountains as you rise closer to Denali.
The daily tours drive through to the Visitor's Center at the end of the road, but the lottery allows vistors to drive personal vehicles and explore the park however they please.
Each September, Denali National Park hosts a lottery, which offers Alaskans a chance to obtain a single, day-long permit, allowing them to drive as much of the Denali Park Road as the weather permits.
The lottery is for one week at the end of the season in mid-September. The fall colors at this time of year turn the already beautiful views into truly incredible vistas.
One of the main attraction of the park is the possibility to see all of the wildlife that life in the vast protected wildlands. Brown and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, arctic ground squirrels, red squirrels, foxes and marmots all live in the park and a lucky visitor may get a peek.
Ruling over the kingdom is Denali, the Great One, North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet (6,190 m). A clear view from the end of the road will most certainly take your breath away.
To enter the lottery to drive on this incredible road, more information is available here. Have you been to Denali Park and Preserve? Share your experiences below.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
