Looking for an adventure where you can explore Denali National Park and then fall asleep in your tent? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Denali National Park. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Igloo Creek Campground is a seven-site backcountry campground. Sites can only be booked upon arriving in the park. This campground is surrounded by low mountains. The area is thickly forested, with the Denali Park Road about one hundred yards away from the campsites. Food lockers are available for campers to store all scented items, not just food. Campers reach the campground by bike or by using the park camper bus.
Wonder Lake Campground is closed until further notice.
With up-close views of North America’s tallest peak, Denali National Park Wonder Lake Campground is the closest campground to the mountain, providing visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is located in a remote area, surrounded by pristine wilderness and offering visitors a chance to connect with nature in a way that is becoming increasingly rare. The campground offers a range of activities nearby such as fishing and wildlife viewing. It is also the starting point for many popular hiking trails, including the 20-mile McKinley Trail. Denali National Park Wonder Lake Campground is a special destination that offers visitors an unforgettable glimpse of Alaska's natural beauty.
Visitors may not drive to this campground. It is only accessible for campers via specialized park buses. Be sure to book a camper bus ticket in addition to paying your campground fees.
$16 / night
$50 - $90 / night
Traveler
Nice place in between Denali state park and Denali national park. There are toilets and trash cans only. Although, it is infested by mosquitoes and not very well maintained but clean. There are about 10 RV sites, and a few tent sites. You'll have to make your own path to the river, grass is high. Watch out for bears.
Ranger
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.
RangerMy 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.
TravelerSavage 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
Ranger
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.
Guide
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.
RangerSavage River is an amazing location in Denali National Park offering details of the river during the winter period. The river does not completely freeze leaving cracks that provide a new perception to the pristine conditions. Drive across the bridge and take a photo opportunity with the jaw-dropping scene.
Traveler
requires a road permit and you to park your car or rv and stay until stay complete. near a glacial river and one hour into Denali National park. has pit toilets and water. ranger talks posted. great for families. near bus stop to take camper bus farther into park. no marked trails but you can hike along river or road.
ScoutRiley creek is near the Denali National Park entrance. It’s also a short walk to the merchant store where you can shower or get basic essentials. Try to shower earlier in the day for cleanest showers. Showers coat $4. You must get a token from the cashier. The campground is very nice. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Tons of trees for shade and hammocks.
TravelerThis campsite is stunning. It’s easily accessible, the last campground in Denali National Park by motor vehicle (the others you need to take a bus from the station at the visitors center near the entrance.) Make sure you book your tours in advance, the earlier the better! You could spend a day hiking around the savage river which is located at the end of the camp site. The site is walkable, quiet, and clean.
Legend
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.
Guide
Unit 34 is another backcountry site in Denali National Park. It is plagued by marsh and thousands of mosquitos, but if you have mosquito gear and get up the mountain as quickly as possible you should be fine. You only have to hike a mile or two to get out of site of the park road. You will need to hike more to get out of the mosquitos and near a water source though. The mountains nearby make a perfect camping spot as you can climb your way out of mosquito hangouts and into the beautiful view of the mountain.
Ranger
Wonder Lake campground is the furthest campground in Denali National Park. About 85 miles from the entrance. It is only accessible by bus which takes about 4.5 hours to get there but definitely worth it. The bus ride alone has some of the most spectacular scenery around. Not to mention you get views of North America's highest peak. The campground has everything you will need but be sure to use the HUGE bear storage room where everyone has to store their food both day and night. The bears are everywhere so use it. Overall, it's absolutely beautiful and if you plan to camp I highly recommend this one.
TravelerDenali National Park is truly the pristine wilderness setting for a National Park. It has only one road in and that road is only paved the first 14 miles. You can only get past mile 14 by buying a ticket for a bus ride in. There are different busses you can take but if you want to get to Wonder Lake Campground, you'll need to go to mile 85 of 90. It is worth the ride! See "The Mountain" as close as you can get by road. Camp under the Midnight sun. Catch the alpenglow and possibly the northern lights. Watch out for mosquitoes. Above all, enjoy your stay at the end of the Park Road.
TravelerThis 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.
LegendCamping 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)
LegendA perfect Campground for your stay in Denali National Park. Beautifully wooded sites allow for you to hear nature and feel like part of the wilderness. Nightly Ranger talks add to your experience and education of the park. Walking trails help you explore the area and also connect you with the Mercantile, showers, and laundry. Picnic table and firepit with little leveling required in our site. Limited generator times but we didnt mind as it helped keep things quieter and let us hear the nature around us. Shuttle bus service is available to help get around the park. Treated as a first come first serve for site choice, check in then go select the site you like best. You are able to reserve online and it is highly recommended as they fill up quick during the summer months.
TravelerIn 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...
Guide
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!
RangerWonder Lake Campground is one of those campgrounds that you may be surprised by. We were! First Wonder Lake is the last campground on the long and only road in Denali National Park. The bus stops by several campgrounds during the long 5.5 - 6 hours bus ride to wonder lake, but don't be tempted by a shorter bus ride. Wonder Lake is the only campground that you can actually see Denali from and is well worth the extra bumpy few hours on the bus to get there.
Once we arrived we were surprised to see bathrooms with flush toilets, potable water easily accessible and large walk-in bear storage areas along with picnic tables in a common area and at each campsite. All of the campsites face Denali and will have a view of the Alaskan Mountain range as long as it is not clouded in. Unfortunately for campers, we were told the mountain is only visible about 20% of the time. We were lucky enough to be the 20%, but I would recommend reserving a few days to give yourself a better chance of seeing the great views the campground has to offer.
There is a short path behind the common area that leads to Wonder Lake. The lake is also a great spot to view wildlife and if you are into fishing i recommend bringing a fishing pole. The fish in the lake are very active and will bite on anything since there are very few people who actually fish in the lake. The nice thing about fishing in Denali is that you do not need a permit or license to actually fish. There is also a great, and one of the few, hiking trail called the McKinley Bar Trail that is well worth the hike is the mountain is out. It is a pretty flat and well marked trail that is only about a quarter mile from the campground entrance.
The entire area is very buggy and you will want to bring mosquito nets or very strong bug spray at the very least.
One of the other things that we wish we would have known is that with the large bear lockers and picnic tables you don't have to skimp on the food packing. There were a couple of campers that actually brought an entire large yeti cooler with them and they ate like kings the few days they were there We had packed light, but wish we would have known about the ample storage area so we could of had at least one nice dinner instead of a couple of Clif Bars.
All in all I would rate Wonder Lake my favorite non back country campsite that I have visited as long as you can see the mountain. If you can't it is still a great spot just not as awe inspiring.
GuideYes, 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.
RangerThis 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!
TravelerI'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.
LegendLoved 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.
Traveler
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.
GuideLarge 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.
GuideWe 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.
Tent camping near Denali National Park offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Alaska's stunning wilderness, with various campgrounds providing access to breathtaking views and outdoor adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Denali National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Denali National Park is Igloo Creek Campground — Denali National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Denali National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Denali National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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