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Denali National Park and Preserve

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Misty purple mountains are reflected in a pond in Denali National Park

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Denali National Park and Preserve

The towering granite spires and snowy summits of Denali National Park and Preserve straddles 160 miles of the Alaska Range and display so much elevation they are often lost in the clouds. Dominating this skyline is North America's highest peak; Mount McKinley standing tall at 20,320 feet and one of the most amazing sights in Alaska.

But it's not just the mountain that makes Denali National Park a special place. The park is also home to 37 species of mammals, ranging from lynx, marmots and Dall sheep, to foxes and snowshoe hares, while 130 different bird species have been spotted here, including the impressive golden eagle. Most visitors, however, want to see four animals in particular: moose, caribou, wolf and everybody's favorite: the brown, or grizzly, bear. Here at Denali, unlike most wilderness areas in the country, you don't have to be a backpacker to see this wildlife - people who never sleep in a tent have excellent once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to get a close look at these magnificent creatures roaming free in their natural habitat.

Not surprisingly then, visitors come here in droves; the park is a popular place, attracting 432,000 visitors annually. Over the years the National Park Service (NPS) has developed unique visitor-management strategies, including closing its only road to most vehicles. As a result Denali National Park is still the great wilderness it was 20 years ago. The entrance has changed, but the park itself hasn't, and a brown bear meandering on a tundra ridge still provides the same quiet thrill as it did when the park first opened in 1917.

Although generations of Athabascans had wandered through what is now the park, the first permanent settlement was established in 1905, when a gold miners' rush gave birth to the town of Kantishna. A year later, naturalist and noted hunter Charles Sheldon was stunned by the beauty of the land and horrified at the reckless abandon of the miners and big-game hunters. Sheldon returned in 1907 and traveled the area with guide Harry Karstens in an effort to set up boundaries for a proposed national park. Sheldon was successful as the area was established as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917 with Karstens serving as the park's first superintendent. As a result of the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the park was enlarged to more than 6 million acres and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali now comprises an area slightly larger than the state of Massachusetts and is generally ranked as one of Alaska's top attractions.

Denali National Park and Preserve Map

Facilities
Denali is reached at Mile 237 of the George Parks and at its entrance area is Riley Creek Campground, the Alaska Railroad station, the Denali Visitor Center, the interesting Murie Science and Learning Center and Wilderness Access Center (WAC), which serves as the park's transport hub and campground-reservation center. From the entrance the 92-mile Park Road heads west through the heart of Denali, passing Eielson Visitor Center and five backcountry campgrounds including Wonder Lake Campground where on a clear day campers enjoy a reflection of Mount McKinley on the mirrored surface of the lake. The road ends at the old mining settlement of Kantishna, now the site of several wilderness lodges.

Visitors with vehicles can only drive to a parking area along the Savage River at Mile 14 of the Park Road. The rest of the Denali is reached by the park's wonderful shuttle bus system. Buses begin leaving the WAC at 5:30 a.m. with many making the run out to Wonder Lake, providing one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in Alaska. Day hikers can get off the bus anywhere along the Park Road and at the end of their trek can flag down any bus for a ride back to the park entrance. Campers have their own bus.

For many visitors Denali is the opportunity to escape into the backcountry for a truly Alaskan experience. Thanks to Denali's rigid restrictions and permits, backpackers can trek and camp in a slice of the wilderness all their own, even if it's just for a few days. The park has few trails; most hiking is cross-country over open terrain such as gravel river beds and tundra ridges.

Other activities at Denali or just outside of it include sled dog demonstration, even during the summer, rafting the Nenana River, mountain biking on the Park Road and flight seeing. In Talkeetna the National Park Service maintains its Mountaineering Ranger Station (907-733-2231) for climbers from around the world who arrive to scale North America's highest peak. In the winter activities include dog mushing, cross-country skiing, snow machining and Northern Lights viewing.

Fees
Denali has entrance fee, charged either per person or per vehicle, and is good for seven days. Camping, shuttle bus transportation and mountaineering permits require additional fees.

Accessibility
Denali is accessible by car on the George Parks Highway or via the Alaska Railroad from either Anchorage or Fairbanks. Gateway communities to the park are Healy, Cantwell and Talkeetna. In summer a variety of private bus and van services and the railroad operate daily from Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Denali is reached at Mile 237 of the George Parks and at its entrance area is Riley Creek Campground, the Alaska Railroad station, the Denali Visitor Center, the interesting Murie Science and Learning Center and Wilderness Access Center (WAC), which serves as the park's transport hub and campground-reservation center. From the entrance the 92-mile Park Road heads west through the heart of Denali, passing Eielson Visitor Center and five backcountry campgrounds including Wonder Lake Campground where on a clear day campers enjoy a reflection of Mount McKinley on the mirrored surface of the lake. The road ends at the old mining settlement of Kantishna, now the site of several wilderness lodges. Visitors with vehicles can only drive to a parking area along the Savage River at Mile 14 of the Park Road. The rest of the Denali is reached by the park's wonderful shuttle bus system. Buses begin leaving the WAC at 5:30 a.m. with many making the run out to Wonder Lake, providing one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in Alaska. Day hikers can get off the bus anywhere along the Park Road and at the end of their trek can flag down any bus for a ride back to the park entrance. Campers have their own bus. For many visitors Denali is the opportunity to escape into the backcountry for a truly Alaskan experience. Thanks to Denali's rigid restrictions and permits, backpackers can trek and camp in a slice of the wilderness all their own, even if it's just for a few days. The park has few trails; most hiking is cross-country over open terrain such as gravel river beds and tundra ridges. Other activities at Denali or just outside of it include sled dog demonstration, even during the summer, rafting the Nenana River, mountain biking on the Park Road and flight seeing. In Talkeetna the National Park Service maintains its Mountaineering Ranger Station (907-733-2231) for climbers from around the world who arrive to scale North America's highest peak. In the winter activities include dog mushing, cross-country skiing, snow machining and Northern Lights viewing.

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Services: Parks & Public Lands: Denali National Park and Preserve

Freshwater Fishing (1)

Adventure Denali

http://www.adventuredenali.com

MP 214.5 Parks Hwy.
Cantwell, AK 99729
Phone:(907) 768-2620

Type: Freshwater Fishing
Region: Interior
Community: Denali Park

Official State of Alaska Vacation and Travel Information

Denali National Park and Preserve

Plan Your Trip

Learn More

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve Map

Alaska Regional Map

Things To Do

Food and Lodging

Package Tours

Getting Around

Freshwater Fishing (1)

Adventure Denali

Cabins And Vacation Rentals (15)

Kantishna Roadhouse

Cabins at Denali

Denali Outdoor Center

Denali Ridgetop Cabins

Denali Perch Resort

McKinley Creekside Cabins & Cafe

Healy Heights Family Cabins

Adventure Denali

Crow's Nest Log Cabins

Carlo Creek Lodge

Denali Cabins

Denali Earthsong Lodge and Denali Dog Sled Expeditions

Park's Edge

Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort

Backcountry Experiences (2)

Kantishna Wilderness Trails

Alaska Adventure Company

Land Packages (2)

Alaska Railroad Vacations

Alaska Denali Tours

Wildlife Packages (1)

Alaska Tour & Travel

Restaurants And Nightlife (1)

Black Diamond Golf & Grill

Wilderness Lodges And Resorts (8)

Denali Park Resorts

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge

Camp Denali & North Face Lodge

Denali Lodges/Denali Backcountry Lodge

White Moose Lodge

Kantishna Roadhouse

Denali Earthsong Lodge and Denali Dog Sled Expeditions

Wildlife Excursions (3)

Denali Backcountry Adventure

Kantishna Wilderness Trails

Camp Denali & North Face Lodge

Flightseeing (4)

Talkeetna Air Taxi Flies Denali & McKinley

Denali Air

McKinley Flight Tours with Talkeetna Aero Services

K2 Aviation/Fly McKinley

Hotels And Motels (7)

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort

Denali Alaska Lodging

Motel Nord Haven

Totem Inn

Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge

Denali Park Hotel

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

Off-Road and Snowmobile (2)

Denali Jeep&reg; Backcountry Safari

Denali ATV Adventures

Bed And Breakfasts (3)

Valley Vista Bed and Breakfast

Denali Touch of Wilderness B&B Inn

Denali Dome Home B&B

Sled Dog Tours And Rides (1)

Denali Earthsong Lodge and Denali Dog Sled Expeditions

Campgrounds And RV Parks (1)

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort

Hostels (1)

Denali Mountain Morning Hostel & Lodge

Kayaking and Rafting (2)

Denali Raft Adventures, Inc.

Denali Jeep® Backcountry Safari