If you’re planning a trip to Denali National Park in central Alaska, you’ll almost certainly ride one of its buses at some point, which are necessary to access the majority of this 6 million-acre park.
But with a mix of narrated tours, transit buses, and free shuttles, it can be tricky to know which one to go with. In this guide, we’ve broken down all the Denali bus options so you can quickly decide what works best for your budget and travel style. Let’s dive in!
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ℹ️ About Denali Buses & Park Road
Denali National Park is accessed by a single 92-mile (148-km) road, and while you can drive the first 15 miles yourself (up to Savage River Trailhead), only buses are allowed beyond that point. This system helps protect wildlife and preserve the park’s backcountry, while giving visitors safe, reliable access to remote areas.
🚧 2026 Road Update! Due to the Pretty Rocks Landslide, Denali Park Road will only be open up to Mile 43 (East Fork) in 2026, even for buses. You can check current conditions here.
🚍 3 Types of Denali Buses: Narrated, Transit, and Free
All Denali buses are run by the National Park Service or its authorized concessioners. Below we’ve listed the three main types of buses you’ll encounter in the park. Click on the name to jump down to a corresponding section with more info.
- Narrated Bus Tours (Tan): Tan buses run guided tours focused on the park’s history, wildlife, and landscape. They’re best for visitors who want a learning experience and don’t need to hop on and off. All are paid tours.
- Transit Buses (Green): Green buses provide hop-on, hop-off transportation for hikers and independent travelers. Special buses are available for campers with extra gear. These are paid, but cheaper than narrated tours.
- Free Shuttles (Green or Tan): Free shuttles operate within the first 15 miles of the park, making stops at campgrounds, the sled dog kennels, and some trailheads. They’re ideal for quick trips or short hikes and don’t require a paid ticket.
🚌 Denali National Park Buses: Ultimate Breakdown
Below, we’ve made this quick guide to all the narrated bus tours, transit buses, and free shuttles in Denali National Park. Click on the bus name to jump down to a section with more information and how to book, if applicable.
| Bus Name | About |
|---|---|
| Tundra Wilderness Tour | $144.75/adult, $65/child – 5-5.5 hours – Narrated tour – Wildlife & Scenery Focus – Mile 43 & back |
| Denali Natural History Tour | $116.75/adult, $51/child – 4.5-5 hours – Narrated tour – History-focused – Mile 17 & back |
| East Fork Transit Bus | $33.50 – 4.5-hours – No narrated tour – Hop-on, hop-off – Mile 43 & back |
| Camper Bus | $33.50 – Same as East Fork – More space for gear |
| Savage River Shuttle | Free – 2-hours – Hop-on, hop-off – Mile 15 & backfree |
| Riley Creek Loop Shuttle | Free – Entrance-area transport |
| Sled Dog Tour Shuttle | Free – Transportation to sled dogs |
1. Denali Narrated Bus Tours
Since our last visit to Denali National Park, there are two narrated bus tours available in Denali National Park—the Tundra Wilderness Tour and the Denali Natural History Tour. Both of these tours are held in tan-colored buses to set them apart from the green transit-only buses. Below you’ll find a bit more information on each.
🎟️ Annual & Lifetime Pass Owners! The narrated bus tours include the $15 park entrance fee in all adult tickets. So if you have an annual or lifetime pass, you can be refunded at the Denali Bus Depot or Riley Creek Mercantile.
Tundra Wilderness Tour
The Tundra Wilderness Tour is a narrated 5 to 5.5-hour tour of the park that focuses on maximizing scenic views and wildlife spotting. This is the longest and most thorough guided tour that you can go on in Denali National Park! You can plan on seeing bears, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and more during the drive.
As you make your way down Denali Park Road, listen to a narrated history of the park and its unique ecosystem by your naturalist driver. This tour’s current turnaround point is at Mile 43, Murie Cabin, where a well-known naturalist, Adolf Murie, lived and worked. This is the more popular of the two narrated tours as it’s the longest and most thorough!
This tour currently costs $144.75/adult and $65/child under 16. You can book your ticket online here or by calling 1-800-622-7275.
Denali Natural History Tour
The Denali Natural History Tour is a narrated 4.5 to 5-hour tour of the park that focuses more on the natural and cultural history of the park, taking you as far as Primrose Ridge (Mile 17). This tour includes several stops at spots like Savage Cabin and Primrose Ridge, with a total of about one hour spent exploring off the bus.
This tour currently costs $116.75/adult and $51/child under 16. You can book your ticket online here or by calling 1-800-622-7275.
2. Denali Transit Buses
Denali’s green transit buses are lower-cost ($33.50/adult and free for kids under 16), non-narrated buses designed for visitors who want to explore the park independently. These buses are popular with anyone who prefers to hop on and off as they please and doesn’t need the full tour guide experience.
There are two types: the normal East Fork Transit Bus and the Camper Bus for campers carrying extra gear. You can find the current Denali transit bus schedule here. There is a small tent symbol next to the special camper buses. Read more about each below.
🏕️ Staying at Teklanika Campground? Reserve a Tek Pass to use the park transit buses during your stay, even if you drive your own vehicle in, as you can only be parked at the campground.
East Fork Transit Bus
The East Fork Transit Bus runs from the Denali Bus Depot to the end of Denali Park Road and was the option we chose! Due to a rock slide, the road currently ends at the East Fork River at Mile 43 (check for updates here). In total, if you weren’t to hop off, it takes about 4.5 hours to and from East Fork, which includes breaks and wildlife viewing stops. Here’s what you need to know about this bus:
- Denali Bus Depot Departure: This bus departs from the Denali Bus Depot. You can take a free shuttle to this depot, or drive here yourself. There is a large parking lot, but it can fill up during the busy season.
- Storage Available: This bus includes overhead storage for backpacks, seatbelts, and a bike rack for cyclists. You need to store your bear spray inside your bag while on the bus.
- Hop-on, hop-off system: Along the route, you can call out “stop” to take photos or hop off entirely. Even though the ride isn’t formally narrated, we found that some drivers will point out wildlife or scenic viewpoints to passengers and are happy to chat—just don’t expect a full guided tour. If you’re ready to hop back on, just wait roadside and flag down the next green bus, which typically runs every 30 minutes.
- Buy tickets in advance: Purchase tickets in advance. Even though the system is hop-on, hop-off, you’ll still have to reserve a specific departure time.
- Seating tip: For the best views of Denali, we recommend sitting on the driver’s side heading into the park and the passenger side when heading back toward the Visitor Center.
We recommend staying on the transit bus until the end, keeping an eye out for the places you might want to jump off at on the way back. Once the bus turns around, hop off once you pass the areas you’d like to explore a bit more. As buses run until 9 PM, you have most of the day to hike.
🥾 Discovery Hike Info: If you are interested in doing a Discovery Hike, you will be given a voucher for a spot on the 8:00 am transit bus, but you will still need to pay for the ticket.
Camper Bus
Camper buses are transit buses designed for visitors traveling to in-park campgrounds or backcountry units, with extra storage space for backpacks and camping gear. Thus, a campground reservation or backcountry permit is required to book. Campers at Riley Creek or Savage River are not eligible since those areas are accessible by car or free shuttle.
Each bus can carry up to two bicycles (reserve your spot in advance) and has a small tent icon on the transit bus schedule. Camper buses typically operate from early June through mid-September, weather permitting, and follow the same route as the normal East Fork Transit Buses, stopping by Riley Creek Campground before heading to the Bus Depot and continuing on.
💡 Camper Buses are only reservable in person or by calling 800-622-7275. They are not available online, unlike the other transit buses.
3. Denali Free Shuttles
Denali National Park also offers three free ticket-free shuttles that travel down the first 15 miles of Park Road during the summer—Savage River Shuttle, the Riley Creek Loop Shuttle, and the Sled Dog Demonstration Shuttle. Below, we’ve outlined where each of them takes you.
Savage River Shuttle
The Savage River Shuttle takes visitors from the Denali Visitors Center up to Savage River at Mile 15 every 30 minutes. After the Visitor Center, this bus makes stops at Mountain Vista and Savage River trailheads, which have limited parking. You can use this shuttle to access hiking trails, travel to Savage River Campground, or just enjoy the free 2-hour ride.
We took this bus from Mountain Vista to Savage River to hike the Savage River Loop, then hiked the Savage Alpine Trail back to the Mountain Vista parking lot. In our experience, this shuttle arrived exactly on the posted schedule for Westbound seats, and it was pretty empty in the early afternoon. We think this bus is the best free alternative to the paid, narrated bus tours!
Riley Creek Loop Shuttle
The Riley Creek Loop Shuttle takes visitors between the Riley Creek Mercantile, Riley Creek Campground, Denali Bus Depot, Horseshoe Lake Trailhead, and the Denali Visitor Centers every 30 minutes. This shuttle can be both a green or a tan bus, so keep your eye out for the placard that says “Riley Creek Loop.”
Sled Dog Tour Shuttle
The Sled Dog Tour Shuttle runs 3 times a day, 40 minutes before the sled dog demonstrations. Multiple buses come to shuttle visitors from the visitor center to the sled dog area. These buses arrive 20 minutes before the demonstration and stay 20 minutes after, giving you plenty of time to visit the dogs without rushing in and out.
As there is no parking at the kennels, shuttling is your best bet. Your other option is to walk 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Denali Visitor Center via the Roadside Hiking Trail.
❓ Which Bus Tour is Best in Denali National Park?
The best Denali bus depends on how much time you have and how you want to experience the park. Here’s a quick way to decide based on what you’re looking for:
- Looking for a free, short introduction to Denali: Choose the Savage River Shuttle, a roughly 2-hour round trip that’s great for scenic views and short hikes near the park entrance.
- Looking to maximize wildlife spotting and a guided experience: Choose the Tundra Wilderness Tour, the best narrated option for seeing the largest area of the park with a naturalist guide.
- Looking for flexibility to explore at your own pace: Choose the East Fork Transit Bus, which lets you hop on and off, hike where you want, and spend more time at viewpoints—this is the option we went with.
🍎 What to Bring on Your Denali Bus Tour
A day on a Denali bus can be long, so it’s best to come prepared. Bringing the right gear and supplies will make your ride much more comfortable and enjoyable. Here’s what we brought on our transit bus ride to give you some inspo.
- Food & Water: Pack enough snacks and drinks for the day. Coolers are allowed if they fit under the seat.
- Camera & Binoculars: Bring fully charged cameras, extra batteries, memory cards, and binoculars for wildlife spotting.
- Clothing & Comfort: Dress in layers for wind and rain, wear sturdy shoes if you plan on hiking, and bring a hat, extra socks just in case, sunblock, and mosquito repellent. Small pillows or entertainment for kids can help during the longer stretches on the bus.
- Car Seats for Kids: Children under 40 pounds (18 kg) must use a car seat to ride the buses.
📞 How to Reserve a Denali Bus
For narrated bus tours and transit buses, you can make reservations online here or call 1-800-622-7275 (or 907 272-7275 for international or local Anchorage callers)—excluding the camper bus, which you can only reserve in person or by calling. The free shuttle buses do not require any reservation as they’re first-come, first-serve.
🌤️ Best Time of Year to Visit Denali National Park
Denali National Park is most popular during the summer months, when the park road is open, and bus services are running. Your experience can vary a lot depending on the season, from long daylight hours and wildlife sightings to quieter, more limited access.
- Summer (June to August): Peak season with the best weather, full bus service, abundant wildlife, and extremely long daylight hours.
- Late Spring (May to early June): Fewer crowds and lingering snow, with bus services starting to run mid-May.
- Fall (September): Cooler temperatures, fall colors, fewer bugs, and lighter crowds. Buses tend to stop running in the second half of the month.
- Winter (October to April): Very limited access, no park road buses, and extreme cold, best for experienced winter travelers. During this time, only the first 3 miles of the road are open for personal vehicles.
📰 Related Articles
- Our 7 Favorite Hikes in Denali National Park, Alaska
- 11 Best Things to Do in Denali National Park (Free & Paid)
- More Coming Soon!
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