Alaska’s Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge: A must-see lodging option on an Alaska cruise

Autumn starts early in the interior of Alaska. After watching the first dusting of snow of the season on the peaks of Denali National Park from my window seat on a motorcoach last August, I descended and took a deep breath of fresh mountain air before entering the great room at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

The large stone fireplace drew my eye to the vaulted ceiling and rustic pine tree-inspired chandelier. Under the carved wood mantelpiece, people were playing cards, while others drank coffee from the café next door to the general store, which sold everything from rain jackets to postcards. (As my tour director, Sylvie, joked, you can’t go 100 yards in Alaska without going to a gift shop.)

Although this cozy space is located just a mile from the main entrance to Denali National Park, it is not part of any park-owned lodge. This is the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, a private retreat owned by Princess Cruises – the cruise line that is one of the leaders in Alaska vacations, both on land and at sea.

Closer to the park entrance than any other lodging option, the 666-room complex is one of the most popular places to stay in the Denali area and serves as a base for Princess ships that visit the massive national park on multi-day “cruises” that combine cruises and land tours.

Last August, I checked into the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge as part of an 11-day Princess Cruises tour that began with a three-day land itinerary through Denali before boarding the Sapphire Princess for a seven-day Inside Passage cruise.

Here’s everything you need to know about staying at what some consider the most comfortable full-service lodge near the entrance to Denali National Park.

Comfortable rooms with interesting vintage details

Set on 25 acres of forest above the Nenana River, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge organizes its accommodations into several ‘neighborhoods’ named after local wildlife. During my most recent stay, I was in the “Wolf Den,” a collection of rustic two-story log buildings housing dozens of guest rooms. It was a five minute walk from the main lodge and steps from several on-site restaurants.

The entire ambiance inside my recently renovated ground floor room felt like an adult summer camp, with cozy yet upscale classic touches, like the Denali National Park Pendleton blanket at the end of my ultra-comfy king-sized bed.

But the exterior decor was not just superficial, it was also very practical. Some of my favorite details included a built-in scrub mat at the entrance to remove mud from my shoes and hooks for wet clothes in the hallway made from railroad ties. The barometer and thermometer allowed me to check the weather without turning to my phone. The bathroom was small but functional with a walk-in shower, heated faux wood floors, and a dark stone sink.

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Wood paneling and dark wood patterned wallpaper, featuring a topographical map of the park, provided plenty of moody texture and sense of place in the room. The art was minimal, except for a single black-and-white photo of a bull moose in the national park, hanging near the bed.

Although the navy, gray and cream color palette seemed elevated, cozy fabrics and patterns—including plaid wool upholstery, sheepskin throws, a shag rug and a coffee table fashioned from a tree trunk—added warmth to the space.

A pair of sliding glass doors overlooking the forest beyond allows in the outdoors. I can even enjoy coffee on the small private patio in the morning.

An abundance of dining venues on site

Given its somewhat remote location, I was pleased that Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge offers six in-house dining options, ranging from a casual pizzeria to an upscale restaurant serving gourmet seafood.

With delicious burgers (beef, chicken, vegetarian, and blackened Alaskan rockfish are options) and shakes, Grizzly Burger offered a casual experience in a log cabin-style dining room for lunch and dinner. The inn’s upscale dinner restaurant, King Salmon, serves rustic, refined seafood—like halibut and Asiago-crusted Alaskan salmon, accompanied by a puer rouge sauce—along with views of the mountains beyond. (If you purchase the dining plan with your cruise package, you can get a set of Alaska Birdie’s huge snow crab legs, like I did.)

Fanny Q’s is a saloon open for lunch and dinner and serves gastro pub-style snacks like jalapeño Alaskan crab and beer-battered Alaskan cod served with bites. (The inn also serves a breakfast buffet here in the morning.) In the evening, a pianist plays the night, and guests gather around the bar belting out popular tunes until late.

For more casual options, go to Lynx Creek Pizza and Pub, a rustic, wood-paneled cabin serving up thin-crust pizza and locals-favorite pitchers of beer. River Run Espresso in the main lodge is the place to go for takeaway coffee. Overall, the variety of cuisine and atmosphere offered on site meant that I never had to look far for a place to eat nor did I have to think about leaving the resort to find delicious and filling local food.

On-site amenities and activities

In addition to the main lodge, there is plenty of outdoor space for guests to relax. They offer fire pits to stay warm and Adirondack chairs to enjoy views of the river below and the Denali Mountains beyond. Do you need to go souvenir shopping? There’s no need to leave the complex for that either, since there’s a village full of wooden gift shops selling Alaskan souvenirs and art, like carved wooden moose heads and more.

If you want to explore right from the lodge, go on a scenic hike on the River View Trail over the Nenana River or take another walking trail to the Music of Denali dinner theater at the nearby Gold Nugget Saloon. Or you can walk across the street to the gift shops and restaurants there.

Smoothly organized activities and excursions

Of course, Denali National Park is only a 10-minute drive away. Princess offers an hourly shuttle from 7am to 7pm between the lodge, Denali National Park Visitor Center, Wilderness Access Center and Horseshoe Lake. The cost of the trip is $5 roundtrip per person.

To explore deeper into the park, there are several excursions you can book through Princess. Longer Princess cruises typically include a natural history tour of the park in their itinerary. This is an approximately four-hour guided bus tour in the park’s famous, restored school buses. Guests are picked up and dropped off at the lodge and make several stops within the park. It stops at the Denali Bus Depot to watch a 17-minute video about the park’s founding in 1917 and again at the 100-year-old Savage Cabin still used by park rangers in the winter.

On the day of my visit, heavy rain and the first snow of the season closed the park road after mile 15. However, the natural history tour typically continues to Primrose Ridge for a presentation on Alaska Native culture. More adventurous types can book the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a bus tour that takes you to the Murie Cabin near the East Fork River at mile 43 of the park road.

Denali bus tours aren’t the only excursion options you can book through the Princess lodge. You can also ride an ATV, hike the backcountry, go whitewater rafting, try fly fishing, or see Denali from the sky on a flight or helicopter. You can also visit the Iditarod musher’s kennel to meet sled dogs. There are many options, and you can book them all directly through Princess.

Cost and how to book

A multi-day Princess Cruise Alaska tour often includes a stay at this lodge, adding to the already amazing experience of touring Alaska. Cruises can be booked directly through Princess websitePrices start at $2,600 per person based on double occupancy for a 10-day cruise in 2026.

It is possible to book the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge independently, but since cruise guests receive priority availability, I recommend booking the entire seamless experience to ensure accommodation for the upcoming 2026 season.

Bottom line

Just moments from the entrance to Denali National Park, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is a great base camp to make the most of your time there. This full-service resort offers shuttle service to and from the park to the hotel lobby, six on-site restaurants serving local Alaskan specialties, and clean, comfortable rooms that ensure you’re well-rested for your next adventure.

For me, staying at the lodge set the stage perfectly for continuing my seven-day Princess cruise up the southern coast of Alaska, completing my amazing Alaska adventure.