“Denali,” or “the Great One” in Athabaskan native tongue, was the ancient name for Mt. McKinley, North America’s highest mountain, 20,320 feet tall, which is located in the Alaska Range. Mt. McKinley National Park was established there in 1917 and in 1976 was designated an International Biosphere Reserve. In 1980 the original park was designated a Wilderness Area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve, which encompasses over six million acres and a complete sub-arctic ecosystem for research and study. It is the home of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth.
LOCATION : In south central Alaska, 240 miles north of Anchorage; 125 miles south of Fairbanks. Nearest town is Healy,
GETTING THERE: private plane, R V, car, or Alaska Railroad (800-544-0552) from Anchorage or Fairbanks in summer.
THE PARK: Entrance fees are $5 per person or $10 per family, good for seven consecutive days. Depending on the weather, the main visitation season is from May 1 through September 15 (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.), although the Denali Park Visitor Center is also open in winter (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Wheelchair accessibility is available at Park Headquarters, the Visitor Center, and most campgrounds.
From the Visitor Center car travel is only permitted for 14.8 miles into the park to the Savage River bridge. For the protection of the ecosystem, if you want to travel farther and to visit the Eielson Visitor Center, (about 66 miles into the Park where you can see Denali on a clear day), you must use the shuttle and tour bus, operating June through September, weather permitting. Fees vary according to the length of the trip.
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS for shuttlebus and camping are very important and can be made beginning in February (1-800-622-7275 or 907-272-7275). FAX (907-264-4684) beginning in December.
There are no trails, but if you are adventurous there are numerous day hikes and backpacking arrangements the Park Rangers can suggest. Your time at Denali Wilderness must include the all day wildlife search and exploration of the park interior by shuttlebus (some with wheelchair lifts) mentioned above.
Plan an overnight stay at lodging nearby because the bus trip to the interior is about eight hours and is fascinating, but tiring. Contact Chamber of Commerce at Healy 907-683-4636, (12 miles north,) for lodging and information about other activities in the area, such as horseback, rafting, golf, flight seeing, and in winter snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing (no equipment rentals available.)
The only lodging within the park is Denali Park Hotel open May-September at 800-276-7234, which also handles bookings for activities, including a popular dinner theater.
CAMPING: Campers must have reservations for one of the seven campgrounds within Denali, or a special permit for Wilderness backpack camping, or the rare permit to climb Denali Mountain. For reservations and information call 800-622-7275 or 907-272-7275 after February. It is advisable to have reservations in advance.
Only Teklanika Campground has a three night minimum. Morina, near the rail depot, is for people without vehicles. Sanctuary River, Igloo Creek, and Wonder Lake are shuttle bus accessible only. Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River are open to private vehicles including RV’s ( but no hookups). Riley Creek is the only year-round campground.
There are dump stations within a few miles of the Park and two camping facilities in Healy: McKinley RV & Campground (907-683-2739) and Denali RV and Motel (907-683-1500).
FOOD & SUPPLIES: Restaurant, snack shop, and small convenience store are near the entrance, and others, including gas stations, are within a few miles of the park and are open all year.
PARK ACTIVITIES: Day hiking and bicycling are popular. Be sure to attend the excellent ranger-naturalist programs. A weekly list of programs is posted and is on the Web at http://www.nps.gov/dena/ each summer. Skiing and dog mushing are available in winter.
With advance registration ($150) mountaineering is possible, and you must read in advance the related information “Mountaineering: Denali National Park and Preserve” at the above web site. Back country camping permits are free and can be obtained at the Visitor Center no more than one day in advance and a bus ticket of $15 must be purchased.
Professional photographer permits are available to qualified applicants. Each year during a four day period in late September 400 private cars are allowed to travel the park road per day. These are selected by lottery.
CLIMATE: Layered clothing is always recommended, along with good rain gear and hiking boots. Summers are generally cool and damp with average highs in mid 60’s, but can become surprisingly warm. Nights are cold. In winter temperatures fall to -40F and below. Specialized gear is absolutely necessary for mountaineering and winter visits.
Mosquito repellent is necessary in midsummer. Remember there are weeks in summer with only a few hours of semidarkness, and in Winter, only a few hours of light.
For more information see the web site, or call 907-683-2294, or write Denali National Park & Preserve, PO Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755
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