Day Hiking in Denali

We will be in Denali as part of a Triple Denali stay with Holland America in August '14. We are experienced hikers, and wish to do some short day hikes. ( Cannot access National Parks Service site due to the shutdowns). Are there some trails nearby that we can access, without another form of transportation, on our own?

Trails nearby? You still mean INSIDE the park, right?

There are a few trails near the park entrance ... see the dotted lines on this map.

http://www.denali101.com/denalinationalpark/park_Entrance_Area_Map.html

There's also a free bus with frequent runs to Savage River at Milepost 15 of the park road. It drops you off near the Savage River trail which is about an hr hike. The bus ride is an hr each way.

When the park web site comes up again, look thru the site index for the Alpenglow newletter ... it provides detailed info on walks/hikes as well as ranger-led hikes.

No need to even go into the park. The Mt. Healy trail is excellent, offers superb views and is easily accessed from the Wilderness Access Center at the park gates, which is walkable from most hotels or you can take a shuttle.

A highlight of Denali NP is to get deeper inside the park and hike on the trail-less tundra. Sure it is slower going than on the formal trails. But there are SO many more options and opportunities, plus you get away from the crowds and can do some amazing hikes. The hikes near the park entrance are OK but pale in comparison to the hikes deeper inside the park.

Please take a shuttle bus to Eielson and get off on the way back. There are lots of good hikes between Toklat and Eielson. Note that one longer hike a day is much better than multiple short hikes, since you need to wait for a bus to get from hike to hike. Also realize that hiking in the trail-less tundra is much slower than you are used to. Figure max 1 mph when hiking in Denali.

I agree that getting into and hiking in the park is superb. I usually ride out to my destination, since I usually am on the first bus out. Then I get off on the way back an area of interest at that time.

There are also Discovery hikes that I did a few years ago. These are excellent with being with a ranger. They do have physical fitness standards for these. In the park, there are essentially no trails, you don't need them. There is a trail at Eielson, and also a range led activity there.

Wait for the web site to return. All your information will be there.

You state you have 3 days at Denali? 3 overnights? Or is it 1 full day and 2 partial, since you have in transit days the other 2? HAL also does not refund their tours (at least recently they have not). Which means a TWT? Again limiting. IF you do have most of another day- I too would encourage you to at least consider a shuttle bus to Toklat, ideally Eielson. Well worth the time.

You state you have 3 days at Denali? 3 overnights? Or is it 1 full day and 2 partial, since you have in transit days the other 2? HAL also does not refund their tours (at least recently they have not). Which means a TWT? Again limiting. IF you do have most of another day- I too would encourage you to at least consider a shuttle bus to Toklat, ideally Eielson. Well worth the time.

If you have the Tundra Tour you can take it to Toklat then tell the driver you are getting off. With a Tundra Tour ticket you can hop onto a shuttle bus for no additional charge. It isn't done often, but it is possible. Then you can hike near Toklat (some decent hikes) or on the way back between Toklat and Tek rest stop, which also have some good areas to hike.

If you have the Tundra Tour you can take it to Toklat then tell the driver you are getting off. With a Tundra Tour ticket you can hop onto a shuttle bus for no additional charge. It isn't done often, but it is possible. Then you can hike near Toklat (some decent hikes) or on the way back between Toklat and Tek rest stop, which also have some good areas to hike.

Certainly correct. Only restriction- is they can not get on another Tundra Wilderness tour. I was just responding to their "3" day reference, which wasn't all that clear, but if they indeed have 3 days, I wouldn't hesitate taking an additional trip into the park.

Only restriction- is they can not get on another Tundra Wilderness tour.

Also correct, but that is why they could get on any shuttle bus for no additional charge. And of course, as with all shuttle buses once you are inside the park, boarding is on a space-available basis, but my experience is that you won't wait all that long for a bus with available seats.

With the Triple Denali, we travel there, spend three nights, then travel back. So we will have 2 FULL days in Denali. Thanks for the replies! I an researching them all.