Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan Kostegian

← Denali National Park & Preserve · Camping

Sanctuary River

7 sites · $26.50 · Reservable + first come · No RVs

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Reservable + first come$26.50 / nightClosed now: Closed in winter

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

🧭 Directions Apple Maps

7Sites

5Reservable

2First come

$26.50Per night

NoRVs

7 tent only

Reservations

Reservations are recommended. Five sites can be reserved in advance; two sites are held for walk-ins and can only be booked in person, no more than two days in advance, at the Riley Creek Mercantile or Denali Bus Depot. Group campsites are not available at Sanctuary Campground; larger groups of 9–20 people should consider staying at Riley Creek or Savage River Campgrounds.

Fees

Nightly Fee This is the cost for one campsite for one night. Three tents and up to eight people may use a single site. You may stay up to 14 total nights in a given summer.	$26.50

Season & hours

Check-in/out is 11 am each day. You do not need to leave the park by 11 am, just be sure to have your campsite packed up by then. Open in summer only (see exceptions, below, for details).

⛔ Closed in winter: Sep 16, 2026 – May 19, 2027

Amenities

Toilets · Vault Toilets - seasonal
Showers · none
Drinking water · none
Trash / recycling · seasonal
Laundry · none
Camp store · none
Firewood for sale · none
Ice for sale · none
Food storage lockers · year round
Dump station · none
Amphitheater · none
Camp host · none
Cell reception · none
Internet · none

RVs, trailers & access

RVs	Not allowed
Trailers	Not allowed
RV notes	This is a tent-only campsite. No vehicles of any kind are permitted.
Roads	Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Type	Primitive Camping Areas
Campfires	Fires are prohibited at this campground. Bring a cook-stove for your meals.
Wheelchair	Campground paths and sites are generally flat, compact surfaces. Some areas of mud or obstacles such as tree roots may be present.
ADA	There are no ADA-specific campsites.
Also	There is no potable water at this campground. Bring a filter or boil water that you pull from the nearby river. All campgrounds have recycling collection containers for aluminum cans, glass, plastic jugs and bottles (#1 and #2), and plastic containers #5.

Getting there

Mile 22, Denali Park Road, Denali Park, AK 99755

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 Riley Creek144 sites · $26.50–$73.50 · Reservable + first come · RVs to 40 ft 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 Sanctuary River

Open in summer only (May 20 to mid-September). Sanctuary River is a heavily wooded campground, with screening between most sites. The immediate area is brushy, but nearby mountains offer chances to hike directly from the campground and gain elevation, with views of Mount McKinley to the south possible on clear days, after some strenuous up-hill hiking. Sanctuary is tent-only—you will not find any RVs or other vehicles in this campground. It is accessible only by camper bus.

Photos

a wide, shallow river flowing through a brushy forest — The area around Sanctuary River turns shades of yellow, orange and red in fall (mid-August) · NPS Photo

Campsites

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

Conditions at camp

🌤️ Forecast

Wed, Nov 11

Tonight

16°F

Mostly Cloudy

Thu, Nov 12

Day

26°F

Mostly Cloudy

Thu, Nov 12

Night

15°F

Mostly Cloudy

Fri, Nov 13

Day

21°F

Partly Sunny

Fri, Nov 13

Night

11°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sat, Nov 14

Day

17°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sat, Nov 14

Night

13°F

Mostly Cloudy

Sun, Nov 15

Day

22°F

Mostly Cloudy

Source: National Weather Service (weather.gov)

🔥 Wildfires nearby

No active fire perimeters nearby. ✅

Source: National Interagency Fire Center (WFIGS)

🗓️ Typical weather

Summers are generally cool and wet, though periods of dry, warm (~ 75 F) weather are possible. Bring a sleeping bag rated to at least 20 F. Snow can fall any month of the year, though it is rare in June and July.

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