Visiting Alaska's National Parks in Winter

You can explore Alaska’s national parks at a slower pace and in different ways in winter, with snowy trails, alpenglow on the mountains, and the stillness of a crisp winter day. Despite seasonal road closures and fewer services, an afternoon on snowshoes or a walk along a quiet shoreline gives you a different perspective on a place you may already know from summer.

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali is a good starting point for a winter national park trip. Reach the entrance from Anchorage or Fairbanks via the Parks Highway, or aboard the Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Winter Train, which stops at Denali on select days throughout winter. Arrange lodging and transportation from the train before arriving, since local services are limited. The Denali Park Road closes to vehicles at mile 3 in deep winter and opens to mile 13 closer to spring, so plan your visit around the entrance area.

Start at the Murie Science and Learning Center, which serves as the winter visitor center. You can ask about trail conditions, watch a park film, and borrow snowshoes or ice grippers. Then head outside for cross country skiing or snowshoeing through the forest and along the snow-covered Park Road. Bring your own food, since the closest services are 11 miles north in Healy. You can warm up and take a lunch break at the indoor picnic area next to the visitor center.

The park’s working sled dogs are another reason to visit. Check kennel visiting hours before arriving, and remember that some teams may be away on patrol. For a ride behind a dog team, arrange a guided excursion with an operator near Denali, since the park kennels don’t offer visitor rides.

For a community celebration of the season, time your visit for Denali Winterfest in February, when the park and neighboring communities host outdoor activities and events for all ages. Check the schedule as you plan your trip, and stay overnight nearby for a chance to catch the northern lights. Clear skies, darkness, and aurora activity all need to cooperate.

Aerial views of Denali can be experienced all winter long on a flightseeing trip from the town of Talkeetna. These one to two-hour long flights explore the jagged peaks, glaciers, and gorges of the Alaska Range, with up-close views of Denali bathed in winter's alpenglow. 

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Kenai Fjords National Park

Base yourself in Seward, reached from Anchorage via the Seward Highway, for a winter visit to Kenai Fjords National Park. The Exit Glacier area is the focus for winter recreation, with cross country skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, and snowmachining.

The road to Exit Glacier closes to cars from around November through May. From the first closed gate, it’s about seven miles to the Exit Glacier developed area where a day-use warming hut offers a wood stove and benches (bring your own firewood). Pit toilets are available near the parking area, but there’s no potable water, so bring drinking water or a way to treat it. For an overnight adventure, reserve the Willow Public Use Cabin. Reaching these facilities is a substantial winter outing, so match your trip to your fitness, experience, and available daylight. Guided excursions can help with transportation and equipment.

Winter boat access to the fjords and tidewater glaciers is more limited because most commercial cruises operate seasonally. Specialized small-boat charters and day cruises are your primary option during the winter months, offering half-day winter boat tours that explore the snow-covered peaks, dramatic coastline, and year-round wildlife like sea otters, harbor seals, Dall's porpoises, and birds. The larger day cruise companies offer shoulder season cruises in March/April and October. Early season cruises in the spring offer the rare opportunity to view gray whales on their annual migration to the Arctic. 

Back in Seward, make time for the Alaska SeaLife Center and a meal downtown. A bowl of seafood chowder is especially satisfying after a cold day playing outside. 

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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Winter in Wrangell-St. Elias is for travelers comfortable with remote conditions and doing more of their own planning. From Anchorage, follow the Glenn Highway toward Glennallen, then choose your approach: the Richardson and Edgerton highways toward McCarthy Road, or the Tok Cutoff toward Nabesna Road. Check road conditions and maintenance updates before setting out. Both roads are not regularly maintained in winter, and most summer lodging, meals, and transportation are not available. A handful of vacation rentals are open year-round in McCarthy, but you will need to bring your own food as there are no restaurants open in winter. Reaching Kennecott requires additional travel on snowmachine, fat bikes, or skis from the end of McCarthy Road, since the summer shuttle does not operate. 

Ice caves form along Root and Kennicott Glaciers, but they change continually and can collapse. If they interest you, consult an experienced glacier guide about winter availability and current conditions before building your trip around them.

On the park’s northern side, Nabesna Road leads from Slana into spruce forests and broad mountain views. A lodge at Mile 28 offers winter accommodations and meals for travelers who want to spend a few days exploring. Head out for cross country skiing or snowshoeing when conditions allow, then settle in for the evening and watch for northern lights if skies are clear.

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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

A winter visit to Glacier Bay National Park centers on Bartlett Cove’s forest and shoreline. Reach the gateway community of Gustavus by plane or ferry, checking winter schedules carefully, then arrange local transportation to the park. Reserve accommodations and confirm meals before you arrive.

Explore local trails as conditions allow, leaving time to stop along the shore. This is also Huna Tlingit homeland. At Bartlett Cove, Xunaa Shuká Hít, the Huna Ancestors’ House, provides a place for tribal members to gather and sustain their connection to Glacier Bay. Contact the park ahead of your visit to ask whether the Huna Ancestors’ House will be open, as access depends on tribal use and staffing.

What About the Other Four National Parks?

Winter visits to Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Katmai National Park require careful planning. Extreme cold and remote conditions demand advanced winter backcountry skills, thorough preparation, and your own equipment. Reaching a gateway community doesn’t guarantee access to the park.

Exploring Gates of the Arctic in winter begins with transportation from Fairbanks to the gateway community of Bettles, followed by park access arranged with an experienced provider. With sufficient snow cover, skiing and snowmobiling are options for exploring the park. Flightseeing tours are available in winter, although they are weather-dependent and subject to extreme weather conditions.

Kobuk Valley is commonly approached through Kotzebue. Before heading into the park, visit the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center to explore exhibits about the region’s landscapes and Iñupiat culture and talk with a ranger. Winter travel may involve aircraft equipped with skis or an overland expedition. The park’s famous sand dunes are covered in snow.

Lake Clark also relies heavily on small aircraft. Choose your destination within the park first, then work with an air taxi to determine the appropriate aircraft and landing options. Snow and ice conditions influence access, and extra days in your itinerary give you room to accommodate weather delays. Port Alsworth is a base for a winter visit to Lake Clark, with air service and some year-round lodging. Although the park visitor center closes for winter, visitors can contact staff at the adjacent field headquarters for information. The outdoor exhibits include the Wassillie Trefon Fish Cache, a rare surviving example of traditional Dena’ina Athabascan food storage in the Lake Clark-Iliamna region. Anglers can also explore ice-fishing opportunities on Lake Clark when conditions allow.

For Katmai, King Salmon is a gateway community. Winter reveals another side of this volcanic landscape, with snow covering the higher elevations, and the famous brown bears hibernating in their dens. Since no visitor services are available at Brooks Camp, contact flight providers early to discuss a realistic itinerary, equipment, and overnight arrangements.

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Planning Your Winter Visit

Start with the outing you want to do, then build your itinerary around confirmed access and services. Check park alerts, weather, road conditions, and daylight hours shortly before departure. Leave space in your schedule for changing conditions. Pack insulating layers, weather protection, food, water, and a headlamp, even for a daytime outing. Give wildlife plenty of room, and choose guided trips for glacier travel or backcountry adventures beyond your experience.

With thoughtful preparation and a flexible itinerary, winter can reveal a new side of Alaska’s parks, and give you another reason to return.