So You're Visiting Denali in April...

April can go either way - winter or spring - and is a "risky" time to visit Denali National Park! If you're planning a trip to Denali in April, here are a few things you should know beforehand.

Here's a list of things we will cover if you want to jump to that info!

• Alaska in April

• Denali National Park Access

• Seasonal Tips

• Average Daylight

• Dining

• Fun Activities and Extras

  
  

Alaska in April -

What is the typical weather in Denali National Park during this time? April, on average, has a high of 34°F and a low of 9°F. But you can anticipate a wider range of temperatures depending on the winter! Some winters, temperatures "soar" to 50°F or drop to 0°F or below.

Can I see the Northern Lights at this time? Perhaps. April can be a possible time of year for Northern Lights - it's right at the tail end of our aurora season as the daylight hours increase. We use this site from the University of Alaska Fairbanks to help track how visible the aurora might be on any particular night.

Where can we go to view the Aurora/Northern Lights?  If you're looking to experience them in the Denali area with a little bit more open skies - head to Otto Lake or Stampede Road where the skies are open and there is little light pollution. There are some fabulous opportunities for photographing them.

Denali National Park Access - 

April is still "off season" in Denali.  We are dancing the line between winter and spring this month, and the weather really can go either way! There will not be many tours running, nearly all restaurants are still closed for the winter, there will likely still be snow and colder temperatures! April is fantastic for a chance of seeing the northern lights, taking winter/spring hikes, going cross country skiing, driving farther out into the park before the bus system starts and you’ll get to experience our area more like a local than like a tourist. It will still take a little creativity to still achieve all of the items on your Denali National Park bucket list.

The Park Road is likely to be open to mile 13, and even potentially more.  There are still plenty of things to do in the area before mile 13, but snow and ice conditions typically make maintaining the Park Road in the winter months a chore. So whatever mileage the road is currently open to, be flexible! A late winter storm could close the road back to mile 3 or mile 1.5 on a moments notice. BUT - especially in late April, the road could be open quite a distance giving you beautiful winter drives!

Can we still go hiking in Denali in April? Absolutely!! The weather is unpredictable this time of year, and trails may not yet be cleared when you go. If they are full of snow, you are still able to hike them. Trails in Denali are not maintained everyday to snow conditions, so you might be the first hiker breaking trail on a maintained path! Make sure to have good hiking boots or snow boots and solid winter gear. You can also stop by the Denali National Park winter visitors center to borrow - for free!! - snowshoes or ice cleats from the park service. You'll just need your national parks pass or Denali pass to show them in exchange for borrowing these items. If you are visiting in later April, there's a good chance the trails will be clear of snow, except for in areas where it's quite high or is shaded by trees. In that case, come prepared for both mud and snow hiking - but it can still be done.

Seasonal Tips -

You need to make sure your rental car can "plug in".  When checking out your rental car, make sure to ask if it has been winterized. If you are going to be traveling the Parks Highway (that's the highway to get to Denali from either Fairbanks or Anchorage) your car needs to have a block heater that can be plugged in every night. April can be a cold month and this is a must for winter travel - and your car rental company might try to skimp out on this necessity. This is also a good thing to ask if you check out a car privately from a site like Turo. Also, back roads around Denali can be rather precarious as the roads melt and freeze and have new snow throughout the month.

What winter tours are available?  Looking to go white water rafting, ziplining or on an ATV in Denali in April? Sorry!! You're out of luck! Most of these tours close in accordance with the Denali National Park official season, which typically runs from May 15 until September 15. For up to date information about visitor information, visit the Discover Denali Winter Visitation Page where local business share their availability. At the time of this publication, it looks like there several dog sled tours and a Fat Truck Tour. To see all winter tours, click here.

Average Daylight -

We are well on our way to the land of the midnight sun! April's average daylight grows rapidly this month. Around April 1, the sunrise is at 7:20 am and sunset is 8:54 pm. By April 30, the sunrise is at 5:42 am and sunset is at 10:20 pm on April 30.

Dining -

Restaurant options are considerably more limited in the Denali, Healy, McKinley areas in the spring months. Many restaurants close up for the winter beginning in mid September and will not reopen until early-to-mid May. There is likely to only be one or two restaurants available, but Healy does have its own full service grocery store, and there are several food options there even if your lodging does not have a full kitchen. You can see what restaurants are listed with our local chamber to be open in the spring months here.

Fun Activities & Extras -

There are no annual public events in our Denali communities in April.  But there are plenty of local activities going on. You can see the Denali Chamber of Commerce's live community calendar here.

What other questions do you have about visiting Denali in April?

Enjoy this post? You can see the other months in our series here:

(I am still growing this series but will update links as I have them created!)

January ~ February ~ March ~ April ~ May ~ June ~ July ~ August ~ September ~ October ~ November ~ December