Denali National Park & Preserve guide · 2 min read
Campgrounds from Riley Creek to the Road
Riley Creek Campground lies just inside the park entrance and is the largest campground in Denali, with 142 sites.
Most of them take tents or vehicles, and RVs up to 40 feet long fit in many spots. The wooded setting provides some screening between sites, though traffic from Highway 3 can be heard now and then. Trails from the campground connect to the Denali Visitor Center, the main hub for trails near the entrance.
A small section of the third loop at Riley Creek is set aside for walk-in tent camping. Vehicles stay out of that area, so campers carry their gear to the sites, and these sites can only be booked once you arrive in the park. Farther up the road, Sanctuary River Campground at mile 23 offers seven primitive sites. It is tent-only, and no vehicles of any kind are allowed.
The Riley Creek Mercantile is a general store stocked with camping supplies and food, and it houses a shower house, laundry, and a dump station for RVs. Its restrooms and showers are wheelchair accessible. Drinking water is also available at spigots scattered through the campground. None of Denali's campgrounds offer electric or water hookups for RVs.
Savage River Campground sits at mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, among spruce trees. Its 32 sites have moderate screening between them. On clear days, a short stroll from the campground's lower edge reveals Mount McKinley. The campground has drinking water but no showers or laundry.
The Savage Alpine Trail covers 4 miles and climbs about 1,500 feet in total. Hikers can walk it point to point or out and back. It is a good way to see Denali without boarding a park bus, as long as the sky stays clear. Parking near Savage River is tight, so arriving early in the day is wise.
