In reading about camping in Denali NP, the NPS website says they cannot accommidate Rvs over 40ft. and that one should use a campground outside the park. Is that a hard and fast regulation?My motorhome is 43ft. Does that mean I'm out of luck for Teklanika Campground or am I OK? I know that the toad stays at the park entrance.Called the park and left a message and have not heard back yet.

I have stayed at two different campgrounds in Denali. I did not see any sites that were big enough for a rig your size.

One of the problems you might have at TEK campground. Is "First In, First Choice" of sites. When we were there, I saw some smaller rigs taking some of the larger sites.So while there are sites that you'll fit in, they might not be open on the day you arrive.

There are at least a half dozen spots at Tek that will accommodate your rig. As previously mentioned, just because they are there doesn't mean they will be available. Be prepared to see someone tent camping in a spot that would handle a 45' RV. It happens! Another consideration is the narrow passageways at Tek. You will almost be certain to get some scratches down the side while navigating through Tek. The pine trees aren't very forgiving!The good news is most people only spend three or four days at Tek so if you plan on staying 6 or 7 you will likely get a large spot after a day or two. We have never had a problem but we arrive at Tek no later than 9 a.m. You can park at the entrance to the campground and walk around checking availability. Every site has a reservation sheet that identifies when the occupants are departing.If you are interested is seeing animals Tek is the place to stay. Buy a one day pass on the shuttle bus and that is good for standby seats the entire time you will staying at Tek. The money you will save on bus passes alone will pay for your camping.

We've stayed at Teklanika and Riley Creek with our 40' motorhome in huge sites. Your additional 3' would not have made a difference in the sites we had. However, as stated, you can't choose your site beforehand and if you drive to Teklanika and there are no sites big enough for you then you can't stay. You need to stay in a site. There is no overflow area.The road was plenty wide for us and it would be for you, also. We got no scratches!We reserved 5 nights at TEK and started our drive in when the rangers allowed us early morning so we got there early.We were a little early for our TEK reservation so on a whim we boondocked nearby outside the park in a lovely spot. We drove into Denali early morning and easily secured a huge site for 5 additional nights in the front campground, Riley Creek. Our days were full for the 10 total days. There's a lot to do in the front part of the park, also. We saw 'THE' Mountain 7 of 10 days and every one of the big animals - more than once.We only made reservations about 2 weeks prior when we could better judge when we'd be there. Teklanika and the July 4 weekend were the only reservations we made for the whole summer. We did a lot of boondocking and dry camping.Also, take the school bus tour which is way better than the 'fancy' bus tour. The school bus drivers are very knowledgeable and are experts at pointing out the animals in the distance and they'll stop to let you take photos. The only thing is that you have to bring your own lunch. :) Staying at Teklanika purchase the TEK bus pass and you can ride as often as you want and as far as you want. There were times we just went out for a couple hours or near sunset. We got off the bus and walked the road some distance and picked up the next bus coming by. It is sooooo quiet and the vastness is overwhelming when you're out there by yourself.If you're planning the summer, try to route it so you'll get to Denali around mid to late August. Many RVers will be heading back at that time so your chances are better.One thing, they will not measure you.

WE-C-USA wrote:One of the problems you might have at TEK campground. Is "First In, First Choice" of sites. When we were there, I saw some smaller rigs taking some of the larger sites.So while there are sites that you'll fit in, they might not be open on the day you arrive.That is pretty much the problem. Been to Tek 2 times. Arrived early afternoon first time & managed to squeeze into a site & keep the truck off the road. A couple sites down was a site well over 60' long. I paced it out.It was occupied by a VW Westfalia bus. There were plenty of available smaller sites nearby.Second time we got lucky & had a site where we did not need to unhitch.A little thought & consideration would go a long way towards full use of the CG. Maybe max vehicle length limits for sites, as done at Bryce Canyon, would help those with the larger units.Until that happens, get there early so you don't find that a truck camper is occupying that 45' site instead of the 25' site next to it, that you don't stand a hope of getting into.

RV Length in Denali NP Campgrounds | Good Sam Community

MORSNOW
Navigator II
Dec 13, 2016
PA12DRVR wrote:
Otherwise known as Glitter Gulch. As a long-time Alaskan who first visited the area by flying in from Paxson (no Parks highway back then), I really don't like Glitter Gulch.

That being said, I drove to Squarebanks this weekend and Glitter Gulch was entirely tolerable going through on Thursday and back again on Sunday. ;)

That's it. You are correct, it is sooooo much more tolerable driving through in the winter.
PA12DRVR
Explorer
Dec 12, 2016
MORSNOW wrote:
Probably referring to the Denali Village just north of the park entrance. You all know, the tourist trap village.

Otherwise known as Glitter Gulch. As a long-time Alaskan who first visited the area by flying in from Paxson (no Parks highway back then), I really don't like Glitter Gulch.

That being said, I drove to Squarebanks this weekend and Glitter Gulch was entirely tolerable going through on Thursday and back again on Sunday. ;)
EsoxLucius
Explorer
Dec 08, 2016
Denali Park Village is a private development, not a census designated place, minor civil division or town. McKinley Park is the closest CDP to the Denali National Park main entrance. Healy to the north and Cantwell to the south. Denali National Park and Preserve has its own postal code, 99755. Sometimes referred to as Denali, AK 99755.
MORSNOW
Navigator II
Dec 08, 2016
Probably referring to the Denali Village just north of the park entrance. You all know, the tourist trap village.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Dec 07, 2016
TenOC wrote:
I have a 33 foot TT -- 65 feet overall. I camped at TEK. No problem. However, I do NOT suggest TEK. Do not get me wrong, TEK is a good campground. But you miss the daily (?) ride and the wildlife in the green bus ride from the welcome center to the TEK. One day when I got on the bus they were all talking about the Lynx they had seen about a mile from the TEK bus stop. I miss seeing this lynx.

I'm not sure what you mean. There is not only one Lynx in the park! We saw Lynx while visiting TEK. Animals come and go all day long. They don't appear on schedule. :) We saw a lot more animals when staying at TEK than in the front part of the park.

To answer about where is the town of Denali as someone mentioned...I'm not sure. There is a Denali Highway (Hwy 8) between Cantwell and Paxon and only small portions at both ends are paved. The rest is rough gravel. I wouldn't recommend taking a big RV on it. We drove it in the Jeep.
EsoxLucius
Explorer
Dec 07, 2016
TenOC wrote:
Blazing Zippers wrote:
2 gypsies, would you let me know where you boon docked on the way into TEK? I made reservations yesterday and am wondering where to stage before TEK.
Thanks

A few miles west (towards Anchorage) of the town of Denali there is a large paved turnout that will hold about 10 MH. I stay there 3 or 4 nights. There is also Highway 8 a gravel road that has a number of boondockign sites.

I think AK has paved turnouts for boondocking ever 10 miles of so. I was in AK for 10 weeks and I only camped in a campground long enough to dump and restock with water -- about one day a week. The view from the turnouts are MUCH better than in a campground.

Where is the town of Denali?
rag-ftw
Explorer
Dec 06, 2016
TenOC wrote:
...I can not think of any other reason to camp at TEK other than you get to sleep in an extra hour while the bus drives from the welcome center to pick you us at TEK -- but one comes to Denali to see what there is to see. So camp at the welcome center and enjoy the extra hour of riding the bus.

It has been our experience that the animal sightings from the welcome center to Tek is the occasional moose, the majority of animals are viewed betweenTek and Eielson. One major plus for Tek is you buy one bus pass and use it for the week you are at Tek. The dollar savings on bus tickets more than pays for the camping fee at Tek.

Guess that is why they have several different campgrounds at Denali. There is something for everyone.
TenOC
Nomad
Dec 06, 2016
Blazing Zippers wrote:
2 gypsies, would you let me know where you boon docked on the way into TEK? I made reservations yesterday and am wondering where to stage before TEK.
Thanks

A few miles west (towards Anchorage) of the town of Denali there is a large paved turnout that will hold about 10 MH. I stay there 3 or 4 nights. There is also Highway 8 a gravel road that has a number of boondockign sites.

I think AK has paved turnouts for boondocking ever 10 miles of so. I was in AK for 10 weeks and I only camped in a campground long enough to dump and restock with water -- about one day a week. The view from the turnouts are MUCH better than in a campground.
TenOC
Nomad
Dec 06, 2016
I have a 33 foot TT -- 65 feet overall. I camped at TEK. No problem. However, I do NOT suggest TEK. Do not get me wrong, TEK is a good campground. But you miss the daily (?) ride and the wildlife in the green bus ride from the welcome center to the TEK. One day when I got on the bus they were all talking about the Lynx they had seen about a mile from the TEK bus stop. I miss seeing this lynx.

I can not think of any other reason to camp at TEK other than you get to sleep in an extra hour while the bus drives from the welcome center to pick you us at TEK -- but one comes to Denali to see what there is to see. So camp at the welcome center and enjoy the extra hour of riding the bus.

I re-read a previous post. It implied that for bus rides the bus ticket was not good for more than one day if you start at the welcome center. I know if you get on the bus at TEK you can ride as often as you wish (I rode early AM and late PM every day) with only the initial bus ticket.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Dec 05, 2016
Blazing Zippers wrote:
2 gypsies, would you let me know where you boon docked on the way into TEK? I made reservations yesterday and am wondering where to stage before TEK.
Thanks

It didn't have a name but we had just left Talkeetna. It was on the right and a large paved area - could have been a rest area in the past. A stand of trees separated the highway from the paved area. The navigator needs to be able to scan ahead a little for a big space but there are many spots.

I just got out my old Milepost (brings back good memories) and in reading the highway markers there's a spot at MM159.3 which reads "double-ended paved turnout to west. After that heading toward Denali there are many paved turnouts listed on both sides of the highway between Talkeetna and Cantwell. When you get your Milepost you'll be able to follow these as you drive. Just pick a spot and settle in for the night. Cantwell is 21 miles from the Denali road so pick one before Cantwell. Many RVers use these turnouts.

We kept the Milepost open constantly on this trip. It's a big help. It takes some getting used to using because it will have you jumping around when highways meet but it's an excellent resource.

Since we stayed at Riley Creek first before TEK I'm not sure what procedure you will use for your toad. There was a large parking lot just beyond Riley Creek where we were told to leave the Jeep. We also dumped and filled with fresh water at the dump station at Riley Creek before driving to TEK. Be sure to purchase your TEK bus pass before your drive.

Glad you got a site at Teklanika!!

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