Camping

Park Service Campgrounds

Camping fees are listed here, but reservation fees and entrance fees may be added when you pay. Only Riley Creek Campground is open after September (water is off in winter). The rest reopen when the snow is gone in May, except Wonder Lake, which opens in June. I have noted where RVs are permitted in the description of each campground. There are no RV hookups at any campground in the park.

Car-Accessible Campgrounds

You can drive to the Teklanika River campground as long as your stay is at least 3 nights.

Bus-Accessible Campgrounds

To use these campgrounds, you'll need a camper ticket on the shuttle bus, which costs $29 for adults, half price for children ages 15 to 17, free for ages 14 and under. There are no businesses and no phones beyond the park entrance area; you must bring in everything you need. Wildlife management concerns sometimes close these campgrounds unexpectedly.

Commercial Campgrounds

There are several commercial campgrounds in the general vicinity of the park entrance, although none in walking distance. Denali Grizzly Bear Cabins and Campground (tel. 866/583-2696 or 907/683-2696; www.denaligrizzlybear.com) is about 7 miles south of the park entrance at mile 231.1 of the Parks Highway. Some sites sit on an exposed hillside, while others are among small trees. Small cabins and tent cabins dot the property as well; they range from $59 without a bathroom to $248 for a unit with a full bathroom. There are coin-operated showers. Tent sites are $21 for up to four people, with electrical and water hookups $6 more.

A campground with birch trees and attractive sites is 10 miles north of the park, in Healy. McKinley RV and Campground, at mile 248.4 on the Parks Highway (tel. 800/478-2562 or 907/683-2379), has a deli, a gas station, a token-operated laundry, and hot showers. Basic tent sites are $10, full hookups $32. The campground is operated by Denali Park Resorts, which is owned by ARAMARK; the toll-free number is their main reservation line.

Keeping Clean at Denali

The only showers within the park are at Riley Creek Mercantile, the store near the Riley Creek Campground, which also has laundry machines and other services. You pay by the shower, so there's no coin-operated timer to feed. You can also wash your clothes and shower at McKinley RV and Campground in Healy. The larger park campgrounds have the typical cold-water bathrooms found in the national parks, while others have vault toilets.