With more than 6 million acres, Denali National Park and Preserve is often found on the bucket list of Alaska's visitors–and, for that matter, Alaska residents themselves. The park attracts almost half a million visitors each year, and with good reason.
The park and preserve were established in 1917 to protect wildlife living along the Alaska Range. In 1980, Congress tripled the size. Spanning 9,492 square miles, the park includes Mount McKinley (better known to many Alaskans as Denali), North America's highest peak. A trip to Denali includes excitement in many forms: the chance to see (or even climb) McKinley's peak, encounter a grizzly bear (hopefully from a safe distance) or just experience undeveloped wilderness.
Accommodations of all sorts are situated right outside the park's entrance off the George Parks Highway. Whether you stay in a hotel, cabin or tent, the many options allow for an efficient jumping-off spot for day trips into the park.
Shuttle buses offer daily trips into the park during summer months. Visitors can spend half the day and travel only a portion of the road or spend the entire day and go deep into the park. Hikers often take the shuttle buses to the head of their chosen trail; take a day, two days or even a week to hike and then hop back on the shuttle for a ride out of the park. Privately-owned lodges at the end of the road at Kantishna offer visitors a base camp for extended stays in the park.
DENALI ATTRACTIONS
Take an adventure on off-road trails with Black Dimond ATV Tours. The guides will teach you how to operate an ATV, show you the best scenic views and ensure enough fun for a pack afternoon. Advance reservations recommended.
WHERE: Mile 247 Parks Hwy.
PHONE: 907-683-4653
Feel like an Iditarod musher while viewing and participating in dog sled demonstrations at Husky Homestead, the home and dog kennel of Iditarod champion Jeff King.
WHERE: Between mile 229 and 239 Parks Hwy.
WHEN: 8 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. mid-May to mid-Sept.
PHONE: 907-683-2904
EMAIL: reservations@huskyhomestead.com or info@huskyhomestead.com
Experience the true Alaska through whitewater rafting, bike tours and rentals, cabin and campground rentals and kayak tours. Denali Outdoor Center offers a vast array of options for the adventurous spirit.
WHERE: Mile 238.9 Parks Hwy.
WHEN: Contact for reservations
PHONE: 888-303-1925
Stop by the Wilderness Access Center for a pit stop, coffee, clean bathrooms and useful adventuring information.
WHERE: 0.75 miles inside Denali National Park and Preserve on the Park Road
WHEN: 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 19 to mid-Sept.
This is the closest campground to Mount McKinley, with 28 tent-only campsites. The mountain is only 26 miles away.
WHERE: Mile 85 Denali Park Rd.
WHEN: Visit website for reservations
Denali National Park Visitors Center
This federally run facility is an informative place to begin your adventure into the park. It offers hundreds of exhibits and films on the park's history, terrain, wildlife, climate and environmental challenges. As in other national parks, Denali offers the Junior Ranger program for children ages 12 and under.
WHERE: Mile 1.5 Denali Park Rd.
WHEN: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, mid-May to mid-Sept.
PHONE: 907-683-2294
Denali Wilderness Access Center
This is the first point of access for those seeking a backcountry experience and is where bus tickets and campground permits are issued and purchased. The center's knowledgeable staff can answer questions and give advice regarding potential trips into the park. Bus shuttles depart from this location.
WHERE: Mile 1 Denali Park Rd.
WHEN: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., mid-May to mid-Sept.
PHONE: 907-683-9274 or 800-622-7275
Denali State Park is located an hour south of the national park on the Parks Highway. It offers wildlife viewing, hiking, backpacking, camping and a view of Mount McKinley and other parts of the Alaska Range. Three public-use cabins are available by reservation on the state website.
WHERE: Mile 135 Parks Hwy.
WHEN: Year-round
PHONE: 907-745-3975
Murie Science and Learning Center
This center is full of hands-on learning opportunities in paleontology, wildflower identification, wolf tracking, animal genealogy and wilderness safety.
WHERE: Entrance of Denali National Park
WHEN: Summer hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., mid-May to mid-Sept.
PHONE: 907-683-1269
This information appeared in the 2015 Alaska Dispatch News Visitors' Guide to Alaska. Contact special sections editor Jamie Gonzales at jgonzales@alaskadispatch.com.
Alaska Dispatch Publishing