Ride Denali Park Shuttle Bus, Alaska

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On a clear day, this 8-hour shuttle bus trip into the park offers outstanding views of Denali and the Alaska Range, and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Destination/Service: Toklat River (Mile 53) Eielson Visitor Center (Mile 66) Wonder Lake (Mile 85) Kantishna (Mile 92) All non-narrated buses, called transit or shuttle buses, are designed to move people around within the park. They make regular restroom stops and wildlife-viewing stops, just like the narrated tour buses.Unlike tour buses, however, you're not limited to staying on the bus in which you originally started. Thus, this is the type of bus you want to take if you're interested in a day hike, or just want to experience the park on your own terms rather than as part of a tour group.If you get off your initial bus, you can flag down any other non-narrated bus going in your desired direction - i.e., farther into the park, or back towards the entrance. Re-boarding is on a seat-available basis, so you may wait anywhere from five minutes to an hour or more for a bus with ample seating. You'll recognize them at a distance, as non-narrated buses are green, whereas narrated tour buses are tan.Trips on these non-narrated buses are informal. The drivers provide basic park and safety information, assist you in spotting wildlife along the road and answer questions, and make restroom stops - but they do not provide a formal talk or program. Prepare for Departure The Wilderness Access Center is the starting point for nearly all non-narrated bus trips. There is ample parking at the center, though the lots do get somewhat full, so arrive at least 20 minutes early to make sure you can park and walk into the building. Bring food and beverages with you. No food or drink is available once you depart the Wilderness Access Center. Rest stops occur around every ninety minutes throughout the trip. Stops usually last 15 minutes, though they might be longer or shorter if you are ahead / behind schedule. The stop at your turnaround point will generally last 30 - 45 minutes. As mentioned above, non-narrated buses are green. Narrated tour buses are tan-colored, and will not stop to pick up hikers. Tickets are priced based on destination. There are over twenty non-narrated buses each day in mid-summer, all of which go to a pre-specified place on the road, where they turn around and travel back to the entrance of the park. There are four such destinations from which to choose: Toklat River, Eielson Visitor Center, Wonder Lake and Kantishna. These stops are explained in more detail lower on this page.

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