Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan Kostegian

← Denali National Park & Preserve · Camping

Riley Creek

144 sites · $26.50–$73.50 · Reservable + first come · RVs to 40 ft

Loading map…

Reservable + first come$26.50–$73.50 / night

Reserve a site ↗Booking and payment are handled by Recreation.gov.

🧭 Directions Apple Maps

144Sites

127Reservable

20First come

$26.50–$73.50Per night

40 ftRVs

23 tent only1 group23 walk-in / boat-in

Reservations

Summer reservations are strongly recommended. In winter (mid-September through early May each year), reservations are not necessary. The winter season starts roughly 2 weeks and a day after the Labor Day holiday. Group campsites: Independent visitors and non-profit organizations may use group campsites by simply making a reservation. For-profit businesses must apply for a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) from the NPS to use a group campsite at Savage River Campground (note: only private parties and non-profit organizations may use the group site at Riley Creek Campground). For-profits may make a group site reservation while simultaneously acquiring a permit/CUA from the NPS. To make group campsite reservations, please call 800-622-7275. Please note, the only first-come/first-serve sites in this campground are for tent camping.

Fees

Winter - Free Camping is free in winter. The winter season begins fifteen days after Labor Day each September, and lasts through early May each year.	Free
Summer - Large RV Sites Some sites can accommodate RVs up to 40' in length. These sites cost a bit more per night than the smaller sites, which can accommodate vehicles no larger than 30' long.	$59.75
Summer - Small RV Sites These sites can accommodate vehicles up to 30' long. If you have a truck and trailer, the total combined length must be less than 30' to use one of these sites.	$47.00
Summer - Tent Only The tent-only sites at Riley are first-come, first-served, meaning they cannot be purchased before you physically arrive in the park. These sites do not have parking at them, you must park elsewhere and walk into these sites.	$26.50
Group Site (Tent-only) A group site at Riley Creek Campground has space for up to 12 tents. The group site can only be used by non-commercial groups (including groups like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, etc). There are no fire rings at the site, and tents must be set up on the established tent pads.	$73.50

Season & hours

Open year-round. Camping is free except in summer, which runs from early- to mid-May until mid-September. Check-in / out is 11 am in summer. Spring visitors take note: The yearly goal is turn on the dump / fill station and water spigots in Riley on May 15 each year. However, weather can delay that date. Drinking fountains and water bottle refilling stations are at the Murie Science and Learning Center (open 9:30 am—5 pm daily). Fall, winter and spring: Only one loop of the campground is open.

Amenities

Toilets · Flush Toilets - seasonal, Vault Toilets - year round
Showers · Hot - Seasonal
Drinking water · seasonal
Trash / recycling · year round
Laundry · seasonal
Camp store · seasonal
Firewood for sale · seasonal
Ice for sale · seasonal
Food storage lockers · year round
Dump station · seasonal
Amphitheater · seasonal
Camp host · seasonal
Cell reception · year round
Internet · seasonal

RVs, trailers & access

RVs	Allowed, up to 40 ft
Trailers	Allowed, up to 40 ft
RV notes	RVs and trailers up to 40 feet long may camp at Riley Creek. Each large site can accommodate up to two vehicles (or one long trailer and a vehicle). RVs over 40' long should look to campgrounds outside of the park, as none of our campgrounds can accommodate anything larger than that. None of Denali's campgrounds have hookups.
Roads	Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Type	Limited Development Campground
Campfires	You may have fires year-round in the designated fire grates. If you cook on your fire, please be sure to totally burn off any food residue to avoid attracting animals. Please burn only wood in the fire grates. You're welcome to collect dead and downed wood, but please do not cut any standing wood, even if it is dead.
Wheelchair	Several sites are designated as wheelchair-accessible. Several campground restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Pathways between campsites are generally well-compacted gravel, with very moderate grades.
ADA	Ranger programs occur in summer and can be presented with American Sign Language if you request it in advance. Area pathways and restrooms are wheelchair accessible (see wheelchair access section for more details).
Also	All campgrounds have recycling collection containers for aluminum cans, glass, plastic jugs and bottles (#1 and #2), and plastic containers #5.

Getting there

Mile 0.25, Denali Park Road, Denali Park, AK 99755

Take Highway 3 from Fairbanks or Anchorage to reach the park. At Mile 237 on the highway, turn west into Denali. Drive a quarter-mile and look for signs on your left for Riley Creek Campground.

Contact

800-622-7275 · denali_info@nps.gov

Other campgrounds in Denali National Park & Preserve

Igloo Creek7 sites · $26.50 · Reservable + first come · No RVs Sanctuary River7 sites · $26.50 · Reservable + first come · No RVs Savage River32 sites · $47–$73.50 · Reservations · RVs to 40 ft Teklanika River53 sites · $48.75–$59.50 · Reservations · RVs to 40 ft Wonder Lake28 sites · $9.50–$16 · Reservations · No RVs

About Riley Creek

Riley Creek is a fairly wooded campground, with some screening between sites whenever possible. Most of the campground sites are open to either tent campers or vehicles / RVs. The proximity of Highway 3 means there is occasional traffic noise, but also means campers have all the conveniences and amenities of the park entrance area, and businesses outside the park, close at hand. Trails leading from the campground connect to the Denali Visitor Center, which is the central hub of trails in the entrance area.

Photos

a man lighting a campfire, and a woman pulling gear out of a car — Up to two vehicles may park at a Riley Creek Campsite, as long as the total vehicle length doesn't exceed the campsite's max (either 30' or 40'). · NPS Photo

an empty campsite in a spruce forest — A typical site in Riley Creek Campground. · NPS Photo / Zach Johnson

two people spreading a tent out on a gravel pad — Riley Creek Campground has some tent-only sites, though most sites are open to RVs. RV sites are split into <30' and <40'. · NPS Photo

three women at a picnic table near a tent — Riley Creek is open to RVs and tent campers. · NPS Photo

Campsites

Site-by-site details (sizes, hookups, shade) for this campground are coming soon.

Conditions at camp

🌤️ Forecast

Wed, Nov 11

Tonight

15°F

Mostly Cloudy

Thu, Nov 12

Day

30°F

Mostly Cloudy

Thu, Nov 12

Night

14°F

Mostly Cloudy

Fri, Nov 13

Day

23°F

Partly Sunny

Fri, Nov 13

Night

10°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sat, Nov 14

Day

20°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sat, Nov 14

Night

12°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sun, Nov 15

Day

24°F

Partly Sunny

Source: National Weather Service (weather.gov)

🔥 Wildfires nearby

No active fire perimeters nearby. ✅

Source: National Interagency Fire Center (WFIGS)

🗓️ Typical weather

Summer weather is typically cool and rainy, with highs averaging in the upper 50s F and lows in the upper 40s F. Warm weather can occur, with max highs around 80 occasionally possible. Snow can fall any month of the year, particularly from late August through early May. Midwinter temperatures can reach as cold as -40, though typical winter lows are around -20.

Rules

Quiet hours are between 10 pm and 6 am. Generators may only be operated from 8 am to 10 am, and 4 pm to 8 pm. Keep all food and scented items (e.g., toothpaste, sunscreen, ice chests/coolers, etc.) in your hard-sided vehicle, if available. If you are tent-camping without a vehicle, use the food lockers found throughout the campground. Label and date your items in the food locker. Keep a clean camp and wash your dishes immediately. Fire. Fires are allowed only in established grates. Wood may be purchased at the Riley Creek Mercantile. Use of power saws and cutting of live vegetation or standing deadwood are prohibited. Do not leave your campfire unattended. Do not cook on fire- use foil, and immediately dispose of it after cooking. Pets. Pets are welcome. Dispose of pet feces in garbage cans. Secure pet food in your vehicle or a food locker.

Trails near camp

🥾 Riley Creek Campground Trail 1 mi
🥾 McKinley Station Trail 2.1 mi
🥾 Denali Bus Depot Trail 0.1 mi
🥾 Jonesville Trail 0.3 mi
🥾 Denali Bike Trail (Front Country Multi-use Trail) 0.2 mi
🥾 McKinley Station Extension Trail 0.5 mi
🥾 Roadside Bike Trail 2.1 mi
🥾 Denali Bike Trail 0.5 mi
🥾 Denali Visitor Center Area Trails 0.1 mi
🥾 Visitor Center - Murie Center Cutoff Trail 0.1 mi
🥾 Spruce Forest Trail 0.1 mi
🥾 Roadside Hike Trail 0.5 mi

Campground information from the National Park Service. Confirm current status with the park before you go.