Denali in May?

[Dall]

We are scheduled May 2022 land/cruise tour with Princess to Alaska.  We are scheduled to be at Denali May 16 and 17.  I’m a little, yeah maybe a lot confused on the park being open.  I’ve read that for 2021 tour buses are allowed in May 20.  If this holds true for 2022 and we arrive before that date are we able to visit the park at all?

[dfilpus]

Since the limitations on tour buses are due to road conditions, the dates on the NPS web-site are the earliest dates roads will open. They may open later, if conditions require it. 

 

The park is normally open to mile 12.5 or so all year. This encompasses the Visitor Center and the Sled Dog Kennels. Since the dates these are open are currently affected by Covid, there is no way to predict what will be the situation in 2022.

[oaktreerb]

Take a look at the nps.gov website for Denali.  You’ll see dates of opening and a map of the road into the park.  

[Northern Aurora]

Our local newspaper, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, has a reporter who lives year round in the Denali area, so we get a significant amount of Denali area news through out the year.  She reported yesterday that the park road was cleared into Mount Vista, which is 12.5 miles from the park entrance.

 

With the pandemic the park shuttle buses didn't start to operate until July 1st in 2020.  The NPS didn't open the park entrance visitor's center, but instead moved some of the interpretative displays into a large tent.  I believe the sled dog kennels were closed to visitors.

[AKStafford]

Denali National Park never closes. It's the park road that closes in the winter. The road opens up as weather allows. They just opened it to 12.5 mile, but a snow fall could close it again. 

So even if the road is open, the shuttle buses do not start running until May 20, and then only to Toklat. The run to the Eielson Visitor Center doesn't begin until June 1st. You can see the details here: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

 

Can I make a suggestion? Skip the pre-packaged tour from the cruise line and put together your own great trip using a rental car. There's nothing the cruisetour offers that you can't book independently. 

[Coral]

The shuttle buses do not start earlier than the date listed.