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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > National Parks > Denali National Park and Preserve |
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PO Box 9, Denali National Park, AK 99755
Phone: 907-683-2294 or 800-622-7275
Fax: 907-683-9611
Open All Year
Overview. Dominating both landscape and imagination, Mt. McKinley soars 20,320 feet above the park. It's the highest peak in North America, and boasts one of the steepest rises in the world. In 1917 President Woodrow Wilson created Mt. McKinley National Park; in 1980 the park was expanded to its present six million acres and renamed Denali, which is the Athabaskan Indian name for "The High One," as they call the spectacular peak. Occupying an area roughly the size of New Hampshire, Denali encompasses taiga and tundra ecosystems as well as rocky, snow-covered peaks. Grizzlies, moose, caribou and wolves, not to mention many species of birds and brilliant wildflowers, make their homes here.
Visitors usually bring cameras to record their sightings of the wild denizens of Denali. When not photographing the majestic wilderness of the Alaska Range, they find myriad opportunities for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, and other outdoor activities. Denali balances the increasing demands of visitors with the environmental needs of fragile ecosystems, preserving a splendid resource that was named an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
What to see and do. Denali is large, and most visitors plan on spending at least two days exploring its possibilities. Your visit will require some advance planning because all campsites and 65 percent of the bus transportation are available only by reservation. Make your first stop the visitor center, located at the one park entrance. Open from 7 AM to 8 PM during the popular summer months, the center hosts 20-minute slide presentations throughout the day and informative ranger programs. Here you can also register for Discovery Hikes, campground sites, backcountry permits, and make shuttle bus reservations. To better preserve the interior of the park, private motor access is limited to the first 14 miles of the 88-mile park road. Handicapped-accessible park shuttle buses ferry visitors from the visitor center to interior attractions such as the Sled Dog Demonstrations, Eielson Visitor Center (open during the summer), and wildlife-watching points. You must reserve a spot on these shuttles by calling ahead at least three days in advance or two days before travel (800-622-7275) or by walk-in reservation at the visitor center. Also ask for information about entrance and shuttle fees.
If you have only one day in the park (which can stretch to 23 hours during the Alaskan summer), consider an eight-hour round trip to Eielson Visitor Center, where you can take a short guided hike, or an 11-hour trip to Wonder Lake. You can get on and off the park buses as you please, which lets you spend more time in one spot photographing or picnicking. Another option is one of two wheelchair-accessible bus tours offered by a park concessionaire. These narrated tours are generally shorter but don't allow you to disembark mid-tour. If you're lucky, you may get a special permit to drive your own car the length of the road. Each year a lottery awards 1,600 such permits. Check with the park for details. Bring your bike, but stay on the Park Road to avoid destroying the fragile ground cover. However you choose to travel, don't miss wildlife-watching opportunities such as the Dall sheep, the whitest of the world's wild white sheep. You can often spot them high up on Igloo and Cathedral mountains. Inside the Sable Pass Critical Habitat Wildlife Closure, you may see a grizzly bear or you may glimpse gliding golden eagles cruising high overhead.
If you have more time, hiking and camping are favorite activities at Denali. If you don't reserve a campsite in advance, plan on a two-day wait during the peak season. Several private grounds outside the park can accommodate you during this interval. Camper buses take you in to Wonder Lake, and Sanctuary campgrounds; Teklanika, Savage, and Riley Creek are vehicle-accessible. Taklanika Campground is available to hard-sided campers only. There is a 14-day limit to your stay. For the adventurous, the vast backcountry beckons day hikers and overnight backpackers. Topographic map-reading is essential because there are no trails through the backcountry. You will find a few developed trails near the park entrance, but these hikes are not lengthy. Veteran hikers recommend your own two feet for the best up-close views of Denali flora. Backcountry fishing is allowed without a license, but in general the fishing isn't good because the rivers and streams are clouded with suspended particles. If you venture to Denali in the winter, expect the park road to be closed. Bring your cross-country skis, snowshoes, or dog sleds for a chilly but breathtaking tour through the frozen wilderness.
Several private companies offer more exotic ways to see the park. For a birds-eye view, "flightseeing" Mt. McKinley by airplane is key. Rafting guides take you down the Nenana River, and stables offer horseback tours of country just east of the park. If you have the experience, mountaineering in the steep slopes of the Alaska Range can be stunning, but such a trip requires much advance planning and expertise. Surrounding facilities include small stores, private lodgings, and gas stations outside the park, and a railway depot at the park entrance.
Pets: Leashed pets are permitted.
Reservations and fees: Reservations may be made by calling 800-622-7275. A nominal fee is charged for reservations. A nominal entrance fee is charged that is good for seven days.
| Activities and Services |
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Archeological Sites |
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Bird Watching |
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Climbing |
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Cross-country Skiing |
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Fishing |
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Food Service |
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Geological Sites |
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Gift Shop |
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Guided Tours |
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Hiking/Nature Trails |
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Historic Sites |
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Programs/Talks |
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Self-guided Tours |
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Visitor Center |
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Whitewater Sports |
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Wildflower Viewing |
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Wildlife Viewing |
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