Denali offers a world-class setting for photography enthusiasts. From beginner to professional, photography is one way to capture the beauty and immensity of this magnificent place. If you are involved in a commercial enterprise, please review information about our commercial filming & still photography program. Whether you are photographing wildlife or wilderness, please be considerate—for many visitors, this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Please do not interrupt other visitors as they experience the park. ![]() NPS Photo / Emily Mesner Where to See and Photograph DenaliStanding head and shoulders above the crowd, "the Mountain" dominates the landscape of central Alaska. On clear days, it can be seen from as far away as Anchorage and Fairbanks. Within the park, however, it appears and disappears as the Denali Park Road winds its way among the smaller mountains along the north edge of the Alaska Range. While clear skies are common in deep winter, with intense cold locking up moisture, summer skies are often cloudy. Veteran bus drivers in Denali say that only one in three days offers glimpses of the mountain. If you are lucky enough to catch good weather, however, you can view the mountain from many places along the park road. Viewpoints to Which You Can Drive or Take a Free ShuttleThe mountain is not visible from the park entrance—the road sits too low, and is hemmed in by other mountains. You may, however, take the free Savage River Shuttle in summer, or drive as far as Mile 15 on the road in spring and fall with hopes of seeing Denali along the way. The free shuttle service is offered from approximately mid-May to mid-September. Using the bus is highly recommended, as parking fills up rapidly at Savage River and Mountain Vista.Mile 9 is the first place where the road rises high enough, and has the right angle, to potentially see the mountain. Mile 11 features a pull-out and interpretive waysides. The Savage River area itself sits too low to see the mountain, but from the parking area at Mountain Vista (Mile 12) a short, accessible trail brings you to a good vantage point for the mountain on clear days. Viewpoints Accessed by BusAs it travels westward beyond Mile 15 (past the paved and publicly open section), the Denali Park Road offers many views of the mountain.Every bus trip in the park, from the shortest (Denali Natural History Tour) to the longest (Kantishna transit bus / Kantishna Experience Tour) will offer chances to see more of the mountain, given clear skies. The first base to summit viewpoint is at Stony Dome, located at Mile 62. You can reach this point with the Eielson, Wonder Lake, or Kantishna transit buses, or with the Tundra Wilderness Tour or the Kantishna Experience Tour. Note that in 2022, buses will not travel past Mile 43. Reflection PondOne of the most iconic and often-photographed images of the mountain is from Reflection Pond, just beyond Mile 85. The Kantishna transit and Kantishna Experience tour buses will take you past Reflection Pond.However, Wonder Lake transit buses turn down a spur road leading to Wonder Lake Campground about half a mile before Reflection Pond. Therefore, if you use a Wonder Lake bus to access Reflection Pond, be prepared to walk that distance from the campground spur road to the pond. Also, be sure to have your driver let you off the bus at the campground road/Park Road junction—you do not want to wait until reaching the campground itself to disembark, as it is a 1.5 mile spur road. It's worth noting that only a rare day at Reflection Pond offers both a clear view of the mountain, and a totally still day with no wind, for the iconic reflection photo. Very early in the morning or late in the evening offer the best opportunities, when winds tend to be calmer. return to top of page Wildlife PhotographyWhile wildlife can be theoretically seen just about anywhere in the park, the most common wildlife viewing opportunities occur during a bus ride along the park road. A few very general thoughts and tips for those looking for wildlife during their visit:
When photographing wildlife from outside a vehicle, please follow the distance regulations listed below:
return to top of page Landscape PhotographyThough Denali may be shrouded in clouds, the vast and inspiring landscapes seen from the Denali Park Road can be enjoyed in all but the dreariest weather. Mountains of seemingly every size and shape can be seen. Older, rounder ancients, called the Outer Range, march along the north flank of the road and offer an interesting contrast to the younger, sharper and, at times, intimidating mountains lying in the center of the Alaska Range. The Outer Range is almost entirely free of snow and ice by mid-summer, while the taller peaks of the Alaska Range keep their shoulders crystalline white year-round. Snow line is generally around 6,000' above sea level here. Glaciers can be spied from the road, though many are in decline compared to their size ninety years ago. They are also much smaller than glaciers seen on the coast of Alaska, which are loaded with immense amounts of winter snow - however, the Alaska Range's rain shadow prevents dramatic amounts of snowfall north of the mountains. To the inexperienced eye, glaciers on the north side of the Alaska Range often blend in with the snowline when seen high in the mountains. Glaciers at low elevations can be disguised, too, as dirt and even plant life covers them. Fall colors emerge at high elevations as early as the first or second week of August, spreading down the mountainsides and into the valleys by the second week of September. If you wish to spend significant time photographing landscapes in the park, you may wish to consider one of the many transit bus options. Transit buses allow you to disembark from your initial bus, and re-board later transit buses on a space available basis. return to top of page Photo Galleries |
Last updated: March 31, 2022