Denali Viewpoint South

Standard rest area that allows overnight parking in a parking lot for a fee. Lots of people stop in to view Denali if weather permits. Interpretive trails and tent area also. No hookups.

We spent one night at Denali Viewpoint South, looking for a place to stop for the night on our way south from Fairbanks. Note: there is also a Denali Viewpoint North; we pulled off here and checked it out but didn't camp there.

This is a sweet little overnighter spot. It's basically a highway rest area with parallel RV spots, but since it's part of Denali State Park, there's an interpretive area and a (short but steepish) trail that leads to an incredible vista of Denali and the surrounding mountains and rivers.

There are no hookups, and there's not even really room to bring out your slides if you've got people parked on either side of you. We found it quiet at night but busy during the day. It's also right by the highway, so you will hear some noise. There are plenty of places for dogs to do their business and even some picnic tables and vault toilets. Also, we found the wifi signal to be decent for the middle of nowhere.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a safe place on the Parks Highway to spend an evening, this is a great bet. At $15, that's pretty par for the course for a lot of official overnight spots in Alaska, for what we found. And with the summertime midnight sun, you can check out the incredible vista from this spot at literally any time of day or night.