Alaska Officers…
Denali National Park is closed to private vehicles and one can only tour the park, and see the great mountain up close, by paying for a bus tour.
Denali National Park Road Lottery – Each September since 1990, Denali National Park holds a road lottery and for $10 applicants can enter the lottery. Applicants can apply in May and winners are selected in June. If selected, an additional $25 permit fee is charged to the winners. Winners of the road lottery are permitted to drive into the park in their private vehicles from 6am to midnight. This year 400 Denali Road Lottery winners will be allowed to drive into Denali National Park each day on September 16, 18, 19, and 20. More information about the Denali Road Lottery can be found at https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/news/road-lottery-application-2016.htm .
Military Appreciation Day – Denali National Park, in appreciation of service members and their families, opens up the park to vehicles on Saturday, September 17, for Military Appreciation Day. This road lottery for Military Appreciation Day is open to service members stationed in Alaska. Park and military leadership worked in partnership to distribute the 400 passes for Military Appreciation Day. The permits are being distributed to all active duty personnel through their internal channels. Each unit is allotted a certain number of tickets and it is the unit’s responsibility to distribute them to the final members. A Military Appreciation Day pass will work essentially the same as a general road lottery pass, where a vehicle of people (family, friends etc.) can all accompany the pass-holder. Information can be found at
https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/road-lottery.htm .
Although Denali National Park has had the Military Appreciation Day Lottery for many years now, the Commissioned Corps has never been included in this lottery. I am excited to announce that this is the first year that the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS was authorized to participate and we were provided one road lottery permit. I do apologize for the late notice since the permit is for September 17, however, I was recently notified that we would be included, just told that AK Corps officers would be provided with one ticket, and received the entry permit yesterday.
If you would like to be included in a drawing for the September 17 Denali Road Permit, please e-mail me your request and your personal and work phone numbers before close of business Monday, September 12. This office will include your name in a drawing for the winner of the Military Appreciation Day Road Permit. My office will randomly select a name out of a hat and notify the winner in the am on Tuesday, September 13.
Please call or e-mail with any questions,
Respectfully,
CDR Martha Wanca
Western Region Commissioned Corps Liaison
Indian Health Service
Division of Commissioned Personnel Support
4141 Ambassador Drive
Suite 300 Room 311
Anchorage, AK 99508
Tel: 907-729-1308
Fax: 907-729-1312