Two other transportation options are principally booked through private tour companies, while a fourth system is a camper bus that transports backcountry permit holders into and out of the park. The fifth transportation type is a private service that takes visitors to private lodges in the Kantishna region. The first of these destinations is the Toklat River, a distance of 53 miles and duration of 6 hours. The second is the Eielson Visitor Center 66 miles into the park an 8-hour round trip. Wonder Lake is the third destination, requiring an 86 mile and 11-hour round trip.
Tickets are available at the visitor center or through advanced reservations.
We examined visitor satisfaction with the three VTS trips as part of a larger study of all the transportation options within the park. A survey examining visitor attitudes toward the transportation service was conducted in the park during the summer of 1996. Researchers boarded VTS buses before departure from the visitor center, explained the need for the study, and asked visitors to complete the 8-page survey on their return trip. In addition to these questions, visitors were also asked if they had visited Denali or other national park sites before their current trip. The questionnaire also asked for demographic information such as age and gender.