Makenna 
Camping in Denali National Park
If you’re traveling to Denali National Park, and want to stay within the park limits, your best and most affordable option is to camp. Within the park boundaries, lodging is limited to a handful of privately owned, remote wilderness lodges in the Kantishna area, which lies at the end of the Park Road. These lodges are not operated by the National Park Service, and currently due to the Pretty Rocks Landslide, the only way to get there is via plane. Not a camper? No worries, there are plenty of options for lodges and hotels just outside the park boundaries. When we went to Denali, we wanted to get the full experience, so we rented an RV in Anchorage and camped. In this article, I will outline all the camping options that are offered in the park, and provide a review of the campground we chose, Riley Creek.
Campgrounds
Camping in Denali National Park could not be easier. It is affordable, fun, and allows you to be right in the park for easy access to all park features. The park offers 6 campgrounds spaced throughout the park. They have varying amenities and services at each, which I discuss below, and include a table at the end for easy reference. It should be noted that none of the campgrounds offer electrical hookups.
Riley Creek Campground
Riley Creek Campground is the first campground you will encounter on Park Road, and it is right at the entrance to the park. This is the campground we chose, but more on our experience later! Riley Creek is the largest campground Denali National Park offers, with 142 total campsites, and is the only campground in Denali that is open year-round.
They allow both RVs and tents to camp here, with 20 tent-only sites, and 122 RV or tent sites. Riley Creek has all of the amenities that you would expect at a campground. There are paid showers, paid laundry facilities, a camp store for basic needs, restroom facilities throughout, and a dump station that also has potable water. Camping here in Denali National Park will be the most glamorous it gets. It is the only campground with showers, a camp store, laundry facilities, and a dump station.
Savage River Campground
Savage River Campground will be the second campground in Denali National Park along the Park Road, located at mile marker 14. It is only open in the summer, from mid-May to mid-September. This campground is much smaller than Riley Creek, offering only 32 sites, and allows both RV and tent camping. It offers flush toilets and vault toilets and has a potable water filling station.
Sanctuary River Campground
The third campground along Park Road is Sanctuary River Campground, situated at mile marker 22. If you choose to camp here, it is only accessible via the park bus system and you must have a special camper bus ticket to take you to the campground. This is a very small campground, with only 7 campsites available to tent campers only. The only amenity it offers is vault toilets. Campfires are not permitted at this campsite, so be sure to pack a camp stove for all your cooking needs!
Teklanika River Campground
Moving along, the next camping available in Denali National Park is the Teklanika River Campground, at mile marker 29. Both RVs and tent camping are permitted here, however, if you are camping in an RV or plan to drive your vehicle there, there is a 3-night minimum requirement. Teklanika campground has vault toilets and potable water for your use.
Igloo Creek Campground
Igloo Creek Campground is the 5th of Denali National Park’s camping choices. Another very small campground with only 7 tent sites, it is located at mile marker 35 and is only accessible by bus, similar to Sanctuary River. Fires are also not allowed here, so don’t forget that camp stove if you want a warm meal. This is a more rustic campground, with the only facilities being vault toilets.
Wonder Lake Campground
Wonder Lake Campground is currently closed, due to the Pretty Rocks Landslide obstructing the road that allows access. Whenever that bypass opens, hopefully, the campground will as well. It is deep into the park, almost at the end, at mile marker 85. Tent camping only here with 28 sites, flush and vault toilets, and potable water all available.
| Type of Camping | Number of sites | Fires allowed | Showers | Laundry | Restrooms/Vault Toilets | Dump station | Potable Water | |
| Riley Creek | RV or Tent | 142 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – seasonal |
| Savage River | RV and tents | 32 | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes – seasonal |
| Sanctuary River | Tents only | 7 | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Teklanika River | RV and tents | 53 | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes – seasonal |
| Igloo Creek | Tent only | 7 | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Wonder Lake – TEMPORARILY CLOSED | Tent only | 28 | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes – seasonal |
Our Camping Experience
About Riley Creek Campground
Like I mentioned earlier, during our time at Denali National Park, we camped at Riley Creek Campground. I have nothing but good things to say about it! It was very large, with three separate loops – bear, wolf, and caribou loops. Upon arrival, the check in process was easy. We were provided a map of the campground, our permit to display, and information on the rules and policies.
Campsites are first come first serve, so get there early if you want to have more options! Bear loop is closest to all the campground amenities, including the camp store, laundry facilities, and bathrooms/showers. Caribou loop is furthest from these amenities, however it is nearest to Riley Creek, and you can walk down to the creek from some of the campsites. Check in and out are both at 11:00 am, so if you check in early you still will have most of the day to explore.
Something I really enjoyed was the space between sites. We had plenty of space around us, and were surrounded by trees. It was so nice to have our own little slice of land in such a beautiful place.
Campsite Amenities
Each campsite is equipped with a place to park an RV (except tent only sites), a tent site, firepit, and picnic table. There are restroom facilities located midway through each loop, as well as food storage lockers for bear safety. An amphitheater is another neat touch, where a ranger leads talks each day.
Riley Creek has two shuttle stops located within it, with a schedule of each shuttle posted there, so we had no issues getting around the park. While we did not use the laundry or shower facilities, I did peek my head in to look around, and found them to be clean and orderly.
Our Only Difficulty
The only difficulty we encountered while camping at Riley Creek was finding a level spot. If you’ve never been camping in an RV, this may not make much sense. But if you have, you’ll understand the importance of being level! We were total RV newbies, and were only provided four wooden blocks to aid us in leveling. This was very difficult for us, so we did our best to just find a level spot. That way we wouldn’t have to worry about using the blocks. We had to try out several of the campsites to find one that was mostly level.
Cost
Our time camping in Denali National Park was short but sweet. We stayed two nights at Riley Creek Campground, costing us $77 total. On future trips, we would not hesitate to stay here again!
Reservations
To make reservations at one of the campgrounds in Denali National Park, it’s very easy! They are all made through an outside vendor, Doyon/Aramark Joint Venture. I recommend making your reservations early, particularly if you want to stay at one of the smaller campgrounds. They fill up fast, and you don’t want to miss out on staying inside the park! Reservations can be made as early as December 1 of the preceding year. You can find the website here to make reservations, or call 1-800-622-7275.
Final Thoughts
Denali National Park offers several camping options that should appease to all camping travelers. In this post I discussed the different campgrounds offered throughout the park, as well as a detailed review of our time at Riley Creek campground. I hope this post answers any questions you may have about camping in Denali National Park. And maybe it will inspire you to take your own camping adventure to Alaska’s first national park!
If you would like to know more about Denali National Park, read my full guide here!
