Denali gears up for a big summer

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A male willow ptarmigan feeds on catkins along the edge of the park road in Denali National Park on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. The ptarmigan are in breeding season in the park. The willow ptarmigan is the Alaska state bird. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News)

Spring's warming days bring more and more visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve, particularly for this year's centennial celebration. Last week, 13 green shuttle buses began hauling visitors down Denali Park Road as far as Teklanika, leaving from headquarters every 30 minutes until 11 a.m., when they depart hourly.

Starting June 1, the buses will turn around at Eielson Visitor Center, Mile 66 of the park road. A week later, they'll travel all the way to Wonder Lake.

[Slow down and take in Denali]

May is also the time to apply for one of the coveted permits to drive your own vehicle the 92-mile park road in September. The deadline to apply for a permit is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 31.

[Apply for Denali Park Road permit here]

This year, 400 a day will be allowed on the park road Sept. 15-19, with Sept. 16 reserved for active-duty military and their families.

Despite a nonrefundable $15 application fee, competition is fierce for the permits. Some 12,600 applications were submitted last year — down a bit from nearly 18,000 applicants in 2003.

Permits don't guarantee drivers will reach Wonder Lake, however. In some early-snow years, the road past Savage River (Mile 15) has been closed.

[Calendar of Denali centennial celebration events]

Even if you're not lucky enough to secure a permit, visitors can join the park's centennial celebration 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 10 for its SummerFest. Food, birthday cake, musical performances, children's activities and more are planned.