Denali National Park reopens Wednesday

A media release from the Park Service says Alaska’s Denali National Park will swing the gates open this Wednesday, July 10. The park closed July 2 because of the Riley Wildfire.

Housing deemed safe last Saturday

On Saturday, July 6, the evacuation status for housing at Denali National Park and Preserve was lowered to Green – Ready status. Residents of that housing area started to return that evening.

Denali National Park reopens in full this week

At 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Park Service and Denali National Park Tours Doyon/Aramark Joint Venture will welcome visitors back to the park. While normal operations start up, one exception will be the Riley Creek Campground and Day Use Area. These will remain closed because of ongoing firefighting and support activities in that area. Horseshoe Lake Trail will also remain closed.

“We appreciate the hard work of the firefighters to reduce the fire threat to park facilities,” said Brooke Merrell. Merrell is superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve. “We extend our deepest appreciation to Denali Borough, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Morning Star Baptist Church, Tri-Valley Community Library, Neighbor to Neighbor, and Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief who sheltered and fed many of our evacuees. The support and cooperation with our community partners through this challenging incident has been amazing.”

Tours, buses, campground reservations back to normal

As the park gets back to normal operations, visitors can look forward to exploring the Denali Visitor Center. They can enjoy dog sled demonstrations, and embarking on a tour or transit bus adventure deeper into the park. Tour and transit bus and campground reservations can be made by visiting Reserve Denali.

“We understand the impact that the fire closure has had on our staff, community residents, local businesses, and visitors,” adds Merrell. “Thank you for your patience.”

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