Denali in September | Trails Unblazed

Denali National Park in September

September is a transitional time in Denali National Park, so it’s important to do your homework before planning a trip this time of year. The difference between visiting the park in early versus late September is dramatic and could genuinely be the difference between summer and winter conditions. The summer season in Denali officially runs from May 20 – “Mid September” (second Thursday after Labor Day) and naturally, this is when the park receives the vast majority of its visitors. Once the fall season begins, services begin to shut down, the weather becomes less inviting, and visitation plummets.

best day hike in every state — View of Denali from the Savage Alpine Trail

Weather

The average temperature in September is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This may seem freezing, but again, this completely depends on what part of the month you visit. We visited the park in the first week of September and daytime temperatures were consistently in the 60’s (more consistent with August weather), while nighttime temperatures dropped into the low 20’s. We woke up every morning to frost on the tent, and by the afternoon we were wearing t-shirts again.

Towards the end of the month, daytime temps will often drop below freezing and snow is a very realistic possibility. Regardless of when you visit, it is unlikely that you will get consistent clear skies with unobstructed views of the mountain. Denali is notoriously cloudy, and standing at 20,310 feet, the Denali summit spends a lot of time inside those clouds. If you are lucky enough to get a clear day, the best view of the mountain is from Stony Hill Overlook.

Daylight

This is Alaska after all, so it’s always good to keep in mind daylight hours when you’re planning your visit. You’ll still have 14 hours of daylight in early September, with sunset just before 9:00 PM. By the end of the month, days have shortened to 11.5 hours with the sun setting just before 7:30. This is nothing like the extreme light/dark experienced in June/December, but days are reasonably long throughout the month and there is more than sufficient daylight to pack in any number of outdoor activities.

Crowds

Compared to National Parks like Yellowstone or Yosemite in the lower 48, crowds are not an issue in Denali. As a point of comparison, Denali received ~68,000 recreational visitors in September, 2017 while Yellowstone received over 640,000 in that same month. That being said, campgrounds and tour buses can often fill up in the summer, and this includes early September. It is best to book accommodation and any planned activities in advance to make sure nothing fills up.

Access

Bus and train service to Denali from Anchorage/Fairbanks ends in mid-September so you’ll definitely have to rent a car if you plan on visiting later in the month. All park bus services along the Park Road run through the second Thursday after Labor Day. Any time after this point, the only way to drive beyond mile 30 on the Park Road is through the “Road Lottery“. If your name is drawn in the lottery, you get a chance to drive your own vehicle as far into the park as weather permits for a full day, which you would otherwise not be allowed to do at any time of year. There are four Road Lottery days, all of which are in mid-September immediately after the bus service ends. If you aren’t lucky enough to win the lottery and you visit after the second Thursday after Labor Day you can still drive your own private vehicle to Teklanika River (Mile 30).

Camping/Lodging

All campgrounds in the park are open throughout the summer and require a fee to reserve a site. We would recommend Savage River Campground. Once Fall begins in mid-September, the only option for Camping is Riley Creek Campground. It is free anytime other than the Summer. If you’re hoping to stay outside the park, your options will be very limited outside of the summer season. Your best bet is Healy, a town located about 11 miles north of the park entrance.

Northern Lights

You can technically see the aurora borealis starting the second week of August, so September is very early in the season despite offering an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the lights. If you hope to see the northern lights in September, your odds will increase if you 1) go later in the month, and 2) go out in the middle of the night when the sky is darkest.

Wildlife

Wildlife viewing opportunities are far more plentiful in summer than they are in winter, so early-September is likely to offer marginally better opportunities to spot the highly sought after animals like grizzlies and wolves. Not to mention, one of the best ways to spot wildlife if from the shuttle bus that travels along the Park Road. Since the shuttle bus service ends in mid-September, this factor alone makes early September a better option.

Caribou in early-September

Conclusion

Early September is a great time to visit Denali. Temperatures probably won’t be too unpleasant during the day (although weather is certainly unpredictable), all park services will be available, and crowds won’t be as bad as they might be in mid-summer. Late September on the other hand is not an ideal time to visit the park unless you are a particularly bold traveler. Your options for accommodation will be severely limited and your ability to explore deep into the park will be impossible unless you plan on spending several days hiking in the backcountry.