Best Tent Camping near Denali National Park & Preserve, AK

Backpacking in Denali National Park and Preserve in the wintertime is rough. Do not try it unless you know what you are doing. Everything in the area pretty much shuts down during the winter months! Do not expect a warm Irish coffee after the backpacking trek through the snow. On the plus side, everything is free! If you can get yourself out there you can go as far as you would like. I only got 1-2 miles from the sled dog kennels as my toes thought it was too cold to venture further. There are limited water supply areas and if you do want them you must be willing to trek a few miles in deep snow to get to them. I should mention that there’s lots of snow during the wintertime just one more time. Be prepared! i visited in October but for some reason can not change it to the proper month.

BUT you also get the chance to see the northern lights so it’s a win.

P.s. these units are very very different during the summer months and very accessible to tourists!

My dad and I camped in B-20 for 2 nights. It’s was a great site, close walk to bathrooms, close to the water supply to refill water containers, the Mountain Vista Trailhead, and just perfectly placed. We camped in a tent under constant daylight and got down to 40s between 3-5am. You can pick up whatever wood you see on the ground but can’t cut fresh stuff. It was my first time staying in this campground.

Every winter we travel to unit 13 to camp, fill our caribou tag and ride our sleds. This country is so big that you can have your own private playground and campground. Winter camping is limited to the parking lot unless you have appropriate gear to winter tent camp but summer camping is endless. Like any place in Alaska, be BearAware and protect yourself but understand you are in their country out here so take all the necessary precautions.

This campsite was in the Savage River Campground in Denali National Park, just outside the bus station for the park transit and close to the bathrooms. We had a great tent site and firepit with a large picnic table. You can hear the river flowing and it can lull you to sleep despite the near constant daylight. This site was peaceful and the Mountain Vista Trail was a short walk away.

I camped here a few years ago when I was on an Alaska trip with my grandma.  We were moving around a lot and this campground was just what we needed for one night.  We took the shuttle bus in, since that's the only way to get there, stayed for a night and then moved on. There aren't many sites in this place, maybe 10 or so but they are spread out and nice. Only tent sites with no hook ups. Be prepared because there is no drinking water here so you need to bring your own or some way to purify it. You can't make reservations, its only walk ups.  

We did one little hike while we were in the area which ended up being really nice. I would definitely recommend checking out horseshoe lake trail if you need an easy hike and want some nice views. I think it was about 2 miles without much elevation gain. 

Although we didn't stay here for very long, just passing through Denali, it was a good experience and I would recommend the campground.

This is a great campground to visit Denali. The campsites are pretty close together but with enough trees to not feel too crowded. Denali offers a bus to take you from the campground to the various sites within the park. There is also a bus that will take you farther into the park, you can get on and off the bus as you want, this allows for hiking or even backpacking into the heart of the wilderness. Wildlife has the right of way and they take every chance to keep the animals wild. I used a tent site so don't know about the RV sites but there is power at the restrooms and at the laundry/shower site and a lot of people use them to charge their devices. Wateer is available at the restrooms. They have a nice little store that offers sandwiches, drinks-including alcoholic and ice cream.

In the late Spring NPS starts trying to plow the road to Kantishna, Riley Creek is free till around the 10th of May or the season opening weekend. Minimal services are open, even outside of the Park so go prepared...

You can drive in to mi 30, Teklanika, many people take Mtn bikes and ride the road in from there.... after the Park opens you can only drive in to mi 10 and have to take a bus to go any further...

Riley has several paved loops, large parking spots at each site (easy 2x vehicles, some trailers) level tent sites and a heavy wooden table, round fire rings w/grate.

Water and bathroom facilities for each loop, trails to the nearby Visitor Center, Train Depot, etc thru the campground which is gently rolling, wooded terrain, nice amount of elbow room around each campsite...

Some May's it's 80 degrees and blistering sun, this year it was in the low 40's, mixed rain/snow....

After the Fall road lottery the road again opens to Teklanika but snow could close it at any time...

Yes, the mosquitoes are bad, but I honestly didn’t find them to be that much worse than elsewhere in Alaska. Liberal use of bug dope and I was able to stroll around and even sit outside and read without a head net. Excellent drinking water and, surprisingly, flush toilets. Two shelters for cooking afford social time with fellow campers. The first day I hid from the rain in my tent, the second was all clouds and fog, but the third morning… well, you simply have to go experience it yourself. Humbling to say the least.

This campground is located at mile 29 of the denali park road so if you're taking the bus that's where you need to get off! Make sure you have your thermarest and sleeping mask the midnight sun is real and you'll need it to get some shut eye. Permafrost in Alaska is also real and you'll have a frozen bum if you forget your thermal rest. Also deet is essential here. This was my favorite place to camp in denali after setting up camp I scrambled up the hill on the other side of the road and watched the caribou herd for what seemed like forever. The day I left I was awakened by a moose and her calf in my camp site who were luckily non aggressive and didn't seem to care about me at all. Mean while I'm sitting in my tent having a heart attack ready to die. Anyway amazing place check it. Happy Adventuring!

I've only ever stayed the night during the shoulder seasons, and not during the prime tourist rush. The spots are decently sized and the tent spots have a tent pad that is level and root free! In the height of the tourist season it will fill up completely and feel kind of closterphobic with how tightly packed the spots are.

Igloo campground is located a decent ways into the park. We were told mosquitoes were the national bird of Alaska haha. It is no joke at this campground. Be prepared for me. Only 7 campsites but pretty close together. No campfires or communal fire pit.

Loved this NP campground. Quiet and convenient spot to park a tent/camper. Easy walk/drive to bus depot/visitors center/town. They have a mercantile store open to book buses, pay for camping, get beer, ice cream, some goodies. They have laundry and showers (need quarters). Level spots! They do not have electric etc but have a dump station and water.

Denali is awesome. Beautiful hikes, go see the sled dog demo, took a bus tour into the park past the point where no personal vehicles are allowed. 30% chance of seeing Denali. Rainy and foggy when we were there so we saw a small glimpse behind the clouds but you would never know it's this huge mountain. Also beautiful fall colors at this time. Weather changing quickly!!

There was a bear that has destroyed a tent so they had part of campground blocked off. They have three loops: bear, wolf or caribou and no soft sided tents were allowed at this time.

Savage river is a nice campsite that you can drive to in Denali National Park. It is also possible to see Denali from here. Mixture of tents and RVs

Large campground for car camping, RVs and tents. Open approximately May to September. If you're backpacking, you wouldn't really stay here. Get a permit and a bear canister and head out into the wilds away from the campground noise! Ranger programs per schedule.

We were lucky enough to get a day of reservation for a night in the park. The campsite we got was perfect. Had a spot for our tent a nice campfire area, and a picnic table. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. And the camp host was super friendly and nice.

Super clean toilets that are located close to every site. Water and sump sink located convenient to every site. You might have to look for a site that fits your tent or Rv. Reserve for 3 nights ,drive in , set up, and then let the Green Bus Drivers do the driving for 3 days. Get on and off any time. We went in August and the mosquitoes were minimal.

This is one sweet campground, though we found it a little loud at times as some groups were staying there as well. Takes RVs and Tents. There's running water, flush toilets and a great evening program each night with a ranger. We stayed a few days would hop on the bus each day (there was a fee) to where we wanted to explore and then catch the bus back when were were done. Great experience.

We were visiting Denali from California and was our first time in Alaska. We were not only blown away by the beauty of Denali, but the campground was stunning as well. Most campers had RVs which made for a very quiet campground during days and nights. That's not something we are used to in California. It was so relaxing. The only downside was that thr bathroom near our site was basically an outhouse and there was no running water anywhere. Made it difficult to do dishes, wash hands, etc. I would rent an RV next time.

This campground is very well kept and scenic. It has nice size gravel areas for rv’s and a raised bed area if you have a tent. The restrooms are very clean and well located. There is a free dump station and water. There is a very clean shower & laundry building by the office. In the office is a nice selection of gifts and some groceries & delicious coffee!!

Riley Creek Campground is accessible to both tents and RVs. This is the largest campground in Denali that has a mercantile, laundry ($2/wash or dry), showers ($4.50 for 10 minutes), potable water, toilets, and dump station. There is also a free shuttle that has multiple stops including the visitor center, wilderness access center, and multiple trails within he first 15 miles of the park (to Savage River). Overall this is a convenient campground with many amenities great for all groups/types of campers.

Camping at Wonder Lake in Denali National Park, close by the tallest peak in North America, seemed like the perfect way to end our trip to all 59 national parks. It was even more than we expected.

Our first two days in the park (first day shuttling out to Wonder Lake, and second day exploring the Eielson area) were completely cloudy and rainy with no visibility of Denali. We were losing hope that we would ever see the mountain until we woke up on our third morning. We opened our tent at 4 a.m. to use the bathroom and saw Denali in all its glory. We hadn’t even known how amazing of a view we had from our tent until that final morning.

At the campground, we enjoyed walking around Wonder Lake at sunrise (around 4 a.m. in July!), cooking in the nice pavilion areas, seeing moose ramble around the campsites, and attending evening ranger programs. We also were able to catch the park shuttle to other areas of the park. (I’d recommend Eielson Visitor Center & its surrounding trails!)

You can read much more about our two days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Denali)

This is the front country campground in Denali National Park. It's really big and has a few stores and most facilities. The campsites are assigned and we found them clean with a little teeny bit of foliage between some sites. Bathrooms were clean. However, there were people driving in/out setting up, cooking, talking all hours of the night. The sun doesn't really set during the summer and it throws off A LOT of people and they forget that they don't realize that it's late at night/early morning.

We were in a tent. It may be quieter in an RV.

Within walking distance to "Glitter Gulch" and trails at the entrance to the park. We've camped there for many years and always had a peaceful nights rest. We've camped in the spring, summer and during the fall. Well maintained and sites are semi secluded. You can see your neighbors but there are plenty of trees and vegetation around to make you feel like you're secluded. Plenty of sites for tents, cab overs, motor homes and trailers depending on your preference. Fire pits available. Gets a bit busy during the peak of the season so reserve early if coming during those times. Great place to stay close to the park!!!

Teklanika Campground is a phenomenal location for camping in Denali. Accessible to both tent and RV campers at mile 29.1 on the Denali Park Rd this campground has vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits and requires a minimum 3 night stay with no access to the front of the park (without additional fees) once you arrive. Campers here purchase a Tek Pass which allows access further into the park via the bus system (the only way to get further into Denali from this campground). Our favorite feature of this campground was the Tek River which is directly next to the campground. The river bar made for excellent hiking and adventures for the whole family with plenty of animals to see. We would definitely camp here again!

My family stayed at Riley Creek in July of 2015 for 2 days and loved it so much that we decided to stay for 7 nights this summer. There is a moderate amount of traffic with camper trailers and vehicles coming and going, but it isn't unbearable. The sites are nicely maintained with nice, edged out tent pad areas. The surrounding trees provide a nice barrier between sites so you don't feel crammed into the campground. It is a great place to be for easy driving, walking, and free shuttle access to all that the park has to offer. It is a great place to stay, just make sure you make online reservations to guarantee a spot!

The mosquitos are INSANE. Just unreal. Be sure to bring a headnet, it'll help with your sanity. We enjoy taking the camper bus out and back, less excited tourists everywhere and less narration, although the drivers still look for and stop for wildlife.

The campsites are nice, but all of the tents are in view of each other so no real privacy from others. The nightly ranger programs were a really nice touch. The weather is quite variable. We had sunny days with AMAZING mountain views and driving rain downpours that felt like they'd never end and bring a chill. Glad we spent 3 days so we could see Denali. Bathrooms are nice and even flush.