Denali National Park and Preserve is getting ready to open some facilities for an abbreviated summer season.
In a statement released on Wednesday, park officials say the Denali and Eielson Vistor Centers will open on July 1st and remain open until late September. Buses, the primary means of accessing much of Denali National Park, are also scheduled to begin on July 1st. The schedule for those buses is still in progress, and reservations are not yet open. Once bus service begins, the current plan is to operate them at half capacity to allow social distancing. The Sanctuary River and Igloo Creek campgrounds will also be open an reachable via bus.
Private vehicles are allowed to drive on the Park Road as far as the Teklanika Rest Stop at mile thirty until the first of June. Traffic to private vehicles will then be restricted. Unlike previous years, there will be a reservation system for private vehicles to use the Park Road during the summer season. In addition, the annual road lottery winners will be allowed use of the road in September as normal. Two sections of the Riley Creek Campground are currently open, and the Savage River and Teklanika Campgrounds are scheduled to open in mid-June.
There are currently no public plans to open the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.
Park officials ask that those visiting Denali follow any state health mandates as well as guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also encourage visitors to leave their pets at home.
