Hi all,

Headed to Denali NP early Sept. 2017. Driving up from Anchorage and have about 6 non-driving days.

Looking for recommendations for:

Non-technical peaks close-ish to the road (backpacking is fine, but clearly don't have a ton of days...)
rock climbing either in Denali NP similarly close to the road or on the way from Anchorage.

having some trouble finding info on my own- appreciate any tips!

Thanks!

You already missed the Denali road lottery, a lottery to drive the road in your personal vehicle Sept. 15, 17, 18 and 19, but during that time the road is open to all vehicles a little further than the 15 miles it is normally open. Mount Margaret is a nice little hike just a couple miles past the Savage river which is the regular end point for personal cars.

Here is a pic from Mount Margaret.

The park is HUGE - the road only gives you access to a small part of it.

That said, you can ride the buses, and they'll happily drop you off anywhere along the road for you to do a day trip or overnight trip. You'll need a permit (only available within 24 hours of your use) for backpacking. The park (other than the road itself and the obvious destinations like the Visitors Center) is divided into smaller "units" with limits like 5 people per day in each area. Come prepared with a multiple options for each day, because your first choice is likely to be full.

Very well-organized guide on the park website here:
https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm

This includes a link to the map of backcountry "units".


We weren't looking for rock climbing (our packs were already HEAVY), but here are a couple of scenic sites near the road I happen to have hiked to (early june 2003):

Wyoming Hills: Cathedral Mountain:

Our Wyoming Hills trip included a bit of brushy scrambling to exit a valley due to a waterfall that wasn't marked on the map. If we'd had a rope we might have tried a more direct route.