Overview

Tundra, rivers, glaciers, and North America's tallest peak all help comprise Denali National Park, the most-visited national park in Alaska and a six-million-acre wilderness populated with bears, wolves, caribou, and an abundance of other wildlife. Established in 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park, the park was expanded several times and was renamed Denali National Park in 1980 (the mountain itself was restored to its traditional Athabaskan name, meaning "The High One," in 2015). Viewing the majestic, 20,310-foot mountain is a must-do for park visitors, many of whom tour the park via the 92-mile Denali Park Road. Far more daunting is the prospect of climbing the king of the Alaska Range, which forms the western edge of the park. In addition to bus tours to view the Denali landscape and wildlife, the classic Denali experience for visitors includes the opportunity to visit the park's famous sled dogs and hike from the Park Road across the tundra, alongside cold-running rivers, and to the very foot of the park's scores of glaciers. Camping, biking, mountaineering, and flight seeing trips to spectacular glacial valleys are among the other unique and popular attractions that park visitors can enjoy.