Denali National Park & Preserve is a National Park & Preserve in Alaska. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 3 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Denali
We matched 3 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Denali. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Lakes (1)
Glaciers (2)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Denali the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 24° (NNE) at the June solstice and 149° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 336° (NNW) in June to 211° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 50° in summer but only 3° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:22 AM | — | — | 4:06 PM | 220° | 5h 44m |
| February | 8:56 AM | 10:11 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:42 PM | 243° | 8h 46m |
| March | 8:23 AM | 9:25 AM | 7:03 PM | 8:05 PM | 267° | 11h 43m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:34 PM | 294° | 14h 58m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 6:18 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:04 PM | 319° | 18h 06m |
| June | 3:53 AM | 5:37 AM | 10:34 PM | 12:18 AM | 336° | 20h 25m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 10:19 PM | 11:50 PM | 328° | 19h 18m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 7:11 AM | 9:09 PM | 10:17 PM | 305° | 16h 15m |
| September | 7:29 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:31 PM | 278° | 13h 02m |
| October | 8:53 AM | 10:00 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:48 PM | 252° | 9h 55m |
| November | 9:27 AM | 11:13 AM | 2:26 PM | 4:13 PM | 227° | 6h 46m |
| December | 10:41 AM | — | — | 3:20 PM | 212° | 4h 39m |
Computed for the park's reference point (63.2978, -151.0527); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| April | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| May | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| June | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| July | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| August | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| September | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Summer is typically cool and wet, with highs typically in the upper 50s to low 60s, and lows in the 40s. On occasion, summer highs reach the low 80s, though this is rare. Snow can fall any month of the year, so be prepared for chilly weather even in summer. Fall colors emerge on the alpine tundra in August and in the low valleys in early September. Winter generally starts in mid-September, with temps often getting down to -40 by January. Spring is a short season in April / May, with highs above freezing.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Per Person | $15.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
You can drive to Denali from Anchorage or Fairbanks, along Highway 3, which is known as the "George Parks Highway." Fairbanks is about 2 hours north, while Anchorage is 5 hours south of the Denali entrance. You can also reach Denali from either city via the Alaska Railroad, which is operated by the State of Alaska.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Climbing
- Mountain Climbing
- Dog Sledding
- Fishing
- Food
- Flying
- Guided Tours
- Bus/Shuttle Guided Tour
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Off-Trail Permitted Hiking
- Hunting and Gathering
- Gathering and Foraging
- Hunting