If you’re interested in exploring Denali National Park’s backcountry but are a bit hesitant to do it on your own, look no further than Denali’s Discovery Hike. We scored a spot on one of these free ranger-led backcountry hikes, and it ended up being one of our favorite things we did! Below, you’ll find info about the Denali Discovery Hike, where you can book your ticket, and everything we did and saw on ours. Let’s get into it!
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ℹ️ About The Denali Discovery Hike
Denali’s backcountry officially begins at Mile 15 of Denali Park Road. This land is completely trail-less, meaning you are supposed to “make your own trail”. Many people wander through river beds or hop off at the end of the bus route and wander around East Fork. However, many visitors (us included) are a bit intimidated by the idea of wandering around off-trail in the Alaskan wilderness.
Lucky for people like us, starting in mid-June, the NPS offers daily Discovery Hikes (commonly called “Disco” hikes) where 11 people can hike with a ranger, usually in the backcountry. The same route is never done twice within a year, and is mostly determined by the ranger of the day saying, “This looks cool, let’s check it out.” Because of this, there’s no way to know the route far in advance, but you’ll be able to find out when you sign up in person two days prior.
🚌 Frontcountry Denali Disco Hikes! There is a slight chance the Discovery Hike will be held before Mile 15 in Denali’s “front country,” although the majority do seem to be held in the backcountry.
🎟️ How to Sign up for a Denali Discovery Hike
To sign up for your Discovery Hike, arrive at the Denali Visitors Center just before it opens at 8:30 AM, two days before the day you’d like to hike. You can’t sign up on the day of, and, typically, the hikes fill up fast, so the next day’s hike will already be full.
During sign-up, rangers will brief you on the route that the ranger has chosen and whether it’s a strenuous or moderate hike (there are no easy hikes). If you’re happy with the route, you’ll add your name to the list and receive a voucher.
You must then take that voucher to the Denali Bus Depot the same day to purchase a transit bus ticket for your hike date. As the voucher gets you in for the day of your hike regardless of availability online, you don’t need to worry about the bus being sold out. Bus tickets cost $33.50 per person, and Denali requires you to show your park pass to book (our America the Beautiful pass covered entry).
🎫 Consider investing in the America the Beautiful pass for $80 like we did if you’re planning on travelling to several parks within the year.
⏰ How Long is a Denali Discovery Hike?
A Denali Discovery Hike is typically an all-day commitment. For our hike, we met at the bus depot at 7:45 AM for an 8:00 AM departure and hopped off the transit bus with our ranger at Mile 28 of Park Road. We spent roughly five hours in the backcountry before returning to the road. We would have made it back to the visitor center around 3:30 PM, but we decided to continue a bit further into the backcountry afterwards.
🥾 What to Expect (Our Experience)
Once we got off at Mile 28 of Park Road, Ranger Ryan reminded us of the 7 Leave No Trace principles. While we consistently practice LNT, it was interesting to learn how the principles specifically apply when creating your own trail in Denali’s backcountry.
The plan for the day’s hike was to summit a hill about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away from Park Road. As soon as we set out, we made sure to talk loudly and frequently shout out “Hey critter!” to let any wildlife know of our presence.
Most of the time, dangerous encounters with bears or moose come from spooking them. Bears weren’t too much of a concern, as there were no recorded examples of attacks with 5 or more people, so we felt very secure in our group of 12.
🚽 Be Ready to Use the Facili-Trees! There are no bathrooms, shelters, or amenities once you leave the road. If nature calls, you’ll need to use the “facili-trees,” so come prepared with a toilet kit.
The terrain quickly proved challenging, with unstable moss, brush, and hidden holes that made every step unpredictable. Elliot rolled an ankle and took a couple of falls. All in all, this isn’t an experience we’d recommend for anyone with mobility concerns.
Once it was time to summit the hill, the hike became a “choose your adventure.” Some of our group chose the steep but short section, while others chose less steep areas but a longer route. Summiting the hill was difficult; however, it was a challenge for each individual on the hike, and accomplishing it together gave us all a grand sense of camaraderie. Once we all made it to the top, we stopped for lunch and took in the views before heading down the backside of the mountain.
One of our favorite things about ranger-led tours like this is that you get something new each time, as each ranger shares their own personal connection with the land. In this case, Ranger Ryan was into poetry and shared a few lovely quotes from Mary Oliver’s “Devotions,” which we loved:
- “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
- “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
The final section of the hike was affectionately named the “bog slog,” and quite a few hikers had their feet sink into the wet ground, getting their shoes wet. This is why we were advised to bring an extra pair of shoes and socks!
At the end of the hike, when we made it back to the Park Road, we decided to head further into the park while the other half of the group headed back to the Visitor Center. Your transit bus pass gives you all-day access, so you can go wherever you please once the hike is done. To travel further down Park Road, we took the first green bus we flagged down, which tends to pass every 30 minutes.
In total, our group covered 3.73 miles (6 km) with about 974 feet (297 m) of elevation gain, though distance and elevation vary every day. There’s no AllTrails map or established route since these hikes are entirely off-trail. That being said, not all of the time is spent hiking. We stopped frequently whenever our ranger wanted to explain something to us, and we were also able to take a longer break for lunch.
🌤️ Best Time to Do a Denali Discovery Hike
Throughout the hike, Ranger Ryan helped us identify crowberries, blueberries, and cranberries! Although not quite yet ripe enough to eat (this was in July), she told us they’d be ripe by the end of July and throughout August, so this would be a wonderful time to go on a Discovery Hike! Here’s a breakdown of what the park looks like each season:
- Summer (June to August): Peak season with the best weather, full bus service, abundant wildlife, ripe berries, and extremely long daylight hours.
- Late Spring (May to early June): Fewer crowds and lingering snow, with bus services starting to run mid-May.
- Fall (September): Cooler temperatures, fall colors, fewer bugs, and lighter crowds. Buses tend to stop running in the second half of the month.
- Winter (October to April): Very limited access, no park road buses, and extreme cold, best for experienced winter travelers. During this time, only the first 3 miles of the road are open for personal vehicles.
“Summer is an illusion. Winter is the reality.” -Denali National Park Ranger
💰 How Much Does a Denali Discovery Hike Cost?
The Disco Hike is technically free with park admission, but since you’ll most likely need a bus ticket, you’ll be paying $33.50 per person for the excursion. If you decide to go on a frontcountry Discovery Hike, you will be able to use your personal vehicle or the free Denali shuttle buses to get around.
🚌 Transit Bus Info! For Discovery Hikes before Mile 15 in Denali’s “front country,” you don’t need to buy a transit bus ticket.
🎒 What to Bring on a Denali Discovery Hike
Here’s everything we recommend bringing on your Denali Discovery Hike. If there are any special materials needed for your specific hike, a park ranger will inform you during sign-up.
- Packed lunch & snacks – You’ll be out for most of the day, so bring both a solid lunch plus filling snacks just in case.
- Toilet kit – There are no restrooms once you pass Mile 15 of Park Road, so make sure to pack toilet paper in one Ziploc, an empty Ziploc for used paper, and hand sanitizer. Jen carries her Kula Cloth and if you’re worried about going #2, make sure to bring a wag-back since you shouldn’t bury #2 in the tundra ecosystem.
- Bear Spray – You have to bring bear spray for backcountry travel in Denali, so make sure it’s easily accessible and not buried in your pack (except on the bus, where you need to stow it away).
- Hiking poles – Our hiking poles weren’t especially useful in the boggy terrain, but they did help on steeper downhill sections, particularly off the summit.
- Hiking boots – Waterproof boots with good ankle support are key, as you’ll be walking on uneven tundra, rocks, and soft, mossy ground. These are Jen’s favorite pair, and these are Elliot’s.
- Rain gear & layers – Alaskan weather is notoriously fickle, so come prepared for sun, rain, wind, and cold. Jen uses this rain jacket, and Elliot uses this rain jacket. These backpack rain covers have also come in handy time and time again.
- Spare shoes & socks – The infamous “bog slog” in the Denali backcountry can leave feet wet, and having something dry to change into afterward is a game-changer. Jen carried her Birkenstocks to change into on the bus ride back.
- 2 litres of water per person – There’s no reliable water source past Mile 15, so bring enough to stay hydrated throughout the hike. This 2L water bladder makes it easy to carry enough water without adding extra weight.
📰 Related Articles
- Denali National Park Buses: Everything You Need to Know
- Our 7 Favorite Hikes in Denali National Park, Alaska
- 11 Best Things to Do in Denali National Park (Free & Paid)
- More Coming Soon!
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