This 120 mile section of the Parks Highway covers from Denali National Park to Fairbanks, Alaska. There are many shuttles and bus tours that travel from Fairbanks to Denali Park on this section of Highway.
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Denali National Park and Preserve Entrance. Take the Park Road to the Denali Visitor Center, the Wilderness Access Center and Riley Creek Campground. Private Vehicles are only allowed to drive 15 miles into the park without a permit. Regular shuttle buses leave from the Visitor Center and take people into The Park.
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Nenana River Bridge
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Parking Access to walking bridge that crosses the Nenana River
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Denali Raft Adventures and Denali Riverside Cabins.
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Kingfisher Creek.
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Denali Townsite. the Denali town site is only a 1 mile past the entrance to Denali National Park. The town is where you will find, hotels, restaurants, fuel, shopping and tour operators.
There are four Visitor Centers in Denali Park.
www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm
Denali National Park & Preserve Information Center is at mile 1.5 of the Denali Park Road and provides natural and cultural history exhibits, ranger programs, and screenings of the award-winning park film “Heartbeats of Denali.” 907-683-2294
The Wilderness Access Center & Backcountry Information Center, is located at mile one of the Denali Park Road. It provides information, reservations, and permits for park campgrounds, tour & shuttle buses, and overnight backcountry trips.
The Murie Science and Learning Center is run by National Park Service in partnership with Alaska Geographic and other organizations. It’s goal is to increase scientific literacy by showcasing research from living laboratories like Denali National Park.
Eielson Visitor Center, Mile 66 on the Park road. You can reach Eielson Visitor Center by shuttle bus. The center has incredible views of Denali on a clear day. It has artistic and interactive exhibits. Rangers are on hand to answer questions.
Hotels & Camping
Things To Do
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Hornet Creek.
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Parking.
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Parking.
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Fox Creek, parking.
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Dragonfly Creek.
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Moody Bridge spans Windy Canyon on the Nenana River. Winds have been clocked as high as 120 mph. It is 174 feet to the canyon floor, parking at south end of bridge.
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Bridge over Bison Gulch, small parking area at north end of bridge.
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Parking
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Antler Creek.
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Denali RV Park & Motel
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Parking.
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Parking.
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Healy. Healy is at Mile 248 Parks Highway. It is home to the state’s only commercial coal mine. Founded in 1943, Usibelli Coal Mine has a work force of about 95 employees and operates year-round. Usibelli coal is among the lowest sulfur coal produced in the world. Other environmental benefits include low nitrogen content, high calcium content and excellent performance characteristics in equipment designed to clean flue-gas emission.
For over 60 years UCM’s success in a harsh climate and remote location can be attributed to innovation in its operations. State-of-the-art equipment and modern methods have maximized efficiency. Currently, an average of 1.3 million tons of coal is produced annually, supplying six Interior Alaska’s power plants and also shipping coal to South Korea and Chile through the Port of Seward.
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Dry Creek.
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Small parking area.
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Panguingue Creek.
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Parking; Rex Dome is to the northeast, Walker and Jumbo domes to the east. Liberty Bell mining area lies between the peaks and highway.
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Parks 261 Pond. Public fishing.
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Parking.
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Rest Area. Sheltered picnic table, firepits, toilets. Steep road leads to June Creek and lower parking area. There is limited turnaround space for large RV’s.
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Bear Creek, parking.
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Parking.
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Jack Coghill Bridge to the Interior /Nenana River Bridge.
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Tatlanika Trading Co.
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Clear Sky Lodge.
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Junction to Clear Air Force Station and Anderson.
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Julius Creek.
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Large Rest Area. Picnic tables, outhouses and garbage bins.
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Fish Creek.
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A Frame Services
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Nenana Alaska Pop. 383. In 1902 the discovery of gold in Fairbanks brought increased activity to Nenana and in 1903 Jim Duke built a trading post/roadhouse here to service the river traffic and trade with the native community. From Nenana to Fairbanks it is 54 miles and takes approximately 1 hour to drive.
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Alaska Native Veterans’ Honor Bridge over the Tanana River, large paved parking at the north end of bridge.
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Parking.
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Parking
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Rest Area with picnic tables, outhouses and garbage bins.
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Little Goldstream Creek.
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Parking with view of Denali (Mt. McKinley) on a clear day.
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Short loop road on right northbound with scenic view to south.
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Parking
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Short loop road on right northbound.
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Short loop road on left northbound.
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From here to mile 345, Murphy Dome, elevation 2,930 feet, is visible. On the summit are white communications installations.
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Loop Road to parking with scenic viewpoint on left northbound.
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Loop Road to parking with scenic viewpoint on left northbound.
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Large paved parking area. Monument in honor of George Alexander Parks, former governor of Alaska. Also here is a Blue Star Memorial plaque honoring the armed forces. The Tanana River can be seen below in the valley.
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Alder Creek
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Turn-off for Ester, a former gold mining camp. Drive .4 miles, turn right on road marked Ester, and drive .2 miles to an intersection.
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Sheep Creek Road. Road to Murphy Dome (this is a restricted military site).
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Turn-off to the University of Alaska, Geist Road where there is a post office, Chena Ridge Loop and Chena Pump Road, where the old Chena Pump House National Historical Site is located. The Chena Pumphouse is one of Fairbanks’ finest restaurants.
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Bridge over Chena River.
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Exit to Fairbanks International Airport via Airport Way.
The Parks Highway crosses Airport Way and becomes Mitchell Expressway. Follow Airport Way for downtown Fairbanks and visitor facilities or continue straight ahead on the Mitchell Expressway to reach the Richardson Highway which connects to the Alaska Highway at Delta Junction.
Alaska’s second largest city and has a population of 32,000 and a Borough population of almost 100,000, including the nearby military bases. Fairbanks is the hub for Alaska’s Interior and Arctic with first-class accommodations and restaurants, museums, world-renowned concerts and performances, upscale galleries and specialty stores, historic sites, Alaska Native culture, and access to the Alaskan wilderness.
The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
The 9,000 square-feet of interpretive space features exhibits on the land, the seasons and the peoples of Interior Alaska and the Arctic. www.explorefairbanks.com
Accommodations & Camping
Things to Do in Fairbanks
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The Parks Highway/Mitchell Expressway merges with the Steese Expressway / Richardson Highway (Alaska Route 2) heading southeast towards North Pole and Delta Junction.
