National park · Alaska

Denali National Park & Preserve

Home to 20,310-foot Denali — the highest mountain in North America — with archaeological evidence of human use stretching back more than 11,000 years across its six million acres of Alaskan wilderness.

Entrance
$15 per person
Hours
Open 24 hours daily All Park Hours
Established
February 26, 1917
Region
Alaska
Denali National Park & Preserve
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain (US National Park Service)
The Denali National Park & Preserve patch

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History

Denali National Park and Preserve is home to Denali, the highest mountain in North America, and has a rich history of human habitation dating back over 11,000 years. The park's establishment marked a significant step in the conservation movement in the United States.

Key events

  1. The park was originally named Mount McKinley National Park until it was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980.
  2. In 1967, a deadly mountaineering accident occurred on Denali, resulting in the deaths of seven climbers during an intense blizzard.
  3. The park was designated an international biosphere reserve in 1976, highlighting its ecological significance.
  4. Christopher McCandless's story, which gained fame after his death in the park in 1992, has turned the abandoned bus where he lived into a pilgrimage site.

Trails

  • Savage River Loop 1.7 mi · Easy
  • Horseshoe Lake Trail 3.2 mi · Easy
  • Mount Healy Overlook 4.5 mi · Hard
  • Triple Lakes Trail 9.5 mi · Hard
  • Thorofare Ridge Trail 1 mi · Moderate

Plan your visit

Hours · All Park Hours

Open 24 hours, every day

Denali is open 24-hours a day, although services are limited after-hours (generally after 4 pm in winter or 6 pm in summer). There is no gate at the park entrance. Please note that camping is only possible either in designated campgrounds (with a valid reservation) or in the rest of the park with a free backpacking permit.

Entrance fees

  • Per Person $15

Fees and hours as of May 2026. Check current details on NPS.gov

When to go

  • Summer. All facilities open, up to 22 hours of daylight, peak wildlife viewing
  • Spring. Bears emerge, baby animals, wildflowers bloom
  • Fall. Fall colors, fewer crowds, Northern Lights possible
  • Winter. Cross-country skiing, dog sledding, Northern Lights

Wildlife

Grizzly bearsBlack bearsMooseCaribouDall sheepWolvesRed foxesGolden eagles

Nearby patches

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