National Park Service officials say the Denali Park Road is now open to private vehicle traffic as far as Mile 30, the Teklanika Rest Area, and will remain open, weather permitting until transit buses start running for the season on May 20.
The road had been closed even to Teklanika earlier, due to unusually high amounts of snow that fell over winter months. Snowfall even during summer months has closed the road many times, until it could be cleared, even in the middle of June.
Meanwhile park visitors are continuing to enjoy winter recreation activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but warm weather and longer days are changing conditions rapidly from winter to spring. Park officials said visitors should expect to encounter snow, ice and mud on some portions of the road, particularly in shaded sections.
The road crew reported that some of the drifts are as high as 15 feet along the road. Moose, bear, Dall sheep, ptarmigans, and golden eagles have all been spotted along the first 30 miles of road.
Weather conditions can change rapidly at this time of the year, and the road may open and close several times. Visitors are encouraged to contact the park for updated road and weather information.
Park information is available on the web at nps.gov/dena or by calling 907-683-9532, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Stay connected with “DenaliNPS” on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr. Or download the free NPS app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
