Biking Denali Park Road
Quick Facts:
Drive time from Fairbanks: 2 hours
Distance: Up to 77 miles each way
Activity: Biking/hiking/bikepacking
Biking is an amazing way to see Denali National Park! Cars are only allowed to drive to Mile 15 on the park road, so the only traffic you encounter are the park buses. We did this in May, so tourism was still slow, and we only saw a bus every 30 minutes or so. We parked at Mile 15 and biked until Mike 35, near the Igloo Creek Campground.
After Mile 15, the road is dirt/gravel all the way until Mile 92, so road bikes wouldn’t do the trick. It’s a well-maintained road all the way to Mile 43.
There was a landslide at Mile 43 that washed out the road, so until construction is completed in 2024/2025, the buses can’t go beyond that point. However, there’s a 2-mile hike to get around the landslide and continue your bike ride. I haven’t done the hike, but after scouting the first section of it, it appears you are on a gravel bar the entire time, so it wouldn’t be difficult to push your bike, and you could maybe even ride it at times. I don’t think the road is maintained beyond the landslide, but there also aren’t vehicles or buses on it. I’m hoping to get out there this summer!
You definitely have to be cautious as there’s tons of wildlife throughout the park. Make sure to maintain your distance from all wildlife. We stopped for caribou a few times. The rangers at Mile 15 require that you check in with them, and they will be able to give you updates if there are certain restricted areas.
We saw a bear walking up the river towards the bridge we were standing on. It didn’t take long for it to get within 100 yards of us, so we biked up the hill before it got too close. I always like to have bear spray with me, just in case.
This is the view from the Teklanika rest stop. It can get crowded here, so it was nice to have the place to ourselves. If biking isn’t tiring enough, you can also hike from the road. Denali doesn’t have many established trails, and they encourage walking/exploring wherever your heart desires.
As long as you get a backcountry permit or reserve a campsite, you’re allowed to camp in the park. This would make for an amazing bikepacking trip and allow you to get all the way to Wonder Lake at Mile 92.
They also have bike racks on the buses. You can buy a bus ticket (~$30/person), and take a bus one direction to shorten the bike ride. A bus will pick you up from anywhere along the road, but buses don’t have access beyond Mile 43 for the time being.
