I agree. Don't give up on Teklanika campground. We only made our reservations 3 weeks prior as we were traveling because we could better judge when we would be closer. We stayed 5 nights at Teklanika and thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw every one of the big animals over and over again. If you stay there, get the TEK bus pass and you can ride as often as you want daily. We took one long ride to Wonder Lake and the other days we went out in the morning and toward evening. That's when the critters are out. You can also get off the bus wherever you want and walk around or along the road and then catch the next bus. They come by approx. every 15 minutes. It makes for a nice break and it's soooooo quiet in that immense space when the bus pulls away.
Even though we had reservations for TEK we got closer to the park earlier than expected. So on a whim we boondocked nearby at a lovely spot and pulled into Denali early morning. Without reservations we easily secured another 5 nights in Riley Creek campground with our 40' motorhome. There is a lot to do in the front portion of the park.
We spent a total of 10 nights in Denali and saw 'THE' mountain 7 out of 10 days for hours at a time. We had gorgeous weather mid-August.
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel