The first reason 2026 is a good time to visit Denali is simply because the Denali Park Road will still be partially closed. The long-running Pretty Rocks landslide warranted a closure of the park’s only road in 2021, and the road has remained closed past roughly Mile 43. With no vehicle access to the far end of the park, the usual surge of visitors can’t reach places like Eielson or Wonder Lake, leaving the western backcountry quiet. Fewer buses and smaller crowds also mean less noise, so wildlife often moves more naturally. Visitors who reach the park’s few backcountry lodges by air or on foot may find a level of solitude that’s become rare in popular national parks. The road closure has unintentionally created a window where Denali feels more like Denali used to: remote, calm, and dominated by free-roaming wild animals rather than people.
The administration is working to open oil and gas development on critically important Alaskan lands like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and reversed conservation rules governing hunting and trapping on federally managed Alaskan public lands. The repeal of the “Roadless Rule” is opening wildlands across the country to more logging, road construction, and habitat disruption, and the January 20 “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” executive order directed federal agencies to reinstate or accelerate resource-extraction projects across Alaska’s public lands. While many of these actions could be changed by future administrations, Denali’s landscapes are so fragile that they may be irreversibly different by the next federal election in 2028.
This makes 2026 feel like an unusual, contradictory moment: while the road closure makes Denali feel temporarily more wild and remote, the landscapes are under threat from current political decisions. It’s exactly why 2026 feels like a significant year to visit, especially for anyone who appreciates the awe and majesty of the last frontier.
Denali is about four hours north of Anchorage and two hours south of Fairbanks by car. Private vehicles are only allowed to Mile 15; only park shuttles can go past that. To reach the lodges at the back of the park (Camp Denali, Denali Backcountry Lodge, Kantishna Roadhouse, and Skyline Lodge), you’ll need to fly. Some lodges include transportation in the cost of the stay. You’ll likely want to arrive in Talkeetna, Denali National Park’s gateway town, at least one day before your scheduled flight, as weather conditions can greatly impact flight schedules. If you don’t feel like driving or planning logistics, you can book multi-day packages through Alaska Railroad, many of which include a few days in Denali via luxury train. 