Denali is unique among the national parks of America. No park in the lower 48 states offers so complete an ecosystem unaltered by man. Grizzlys, moose, caribou, wolves, dall sheep, and numerous other animals find a home here in a vast parkland, as large as the entire state of Massachusetts. There may be other places in Alaska where the scenery is just as spectacular and where there are as many or more animals, but only in Denali does the average visitor have easy access to true wilderness.  Denali is 237 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks, via Alaska Hwy. 3, or the Alaska Railroad.

The crowning jewel of Denali National Park and Preserve is Mount McKinley, named for U.S. Senator William McKinley, who later became president of the United States. At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. If measured from it's base, about 2,000 feet at Wonder Lake, McKinley has a vertical relief even greater than that of Mount Everest. At this far northern latitude it also boasts some of the worst weather in the world. Temperatures at the summit are severe even in July, although the lowlands can be very pleasant during the long daylight hours of mid-summer.

Winters are much worse, with lows plummeting to below -95F on the mountain, and during storms the wind can gust to more than 150 mph. But in August at the base of the mountain the weather is (sometimes) absolutely perfect.

The Athabascan natives called it Denali, "the High One," This massive towering peak is the centerpiece of the Alaska Range, which arches 600 miles, seperating Alaskas coastal regions from the tundra plains of the interior.  On a clear day it can be seen from Anchorage, 237 miles to the south. The only problem is that clouds obscure the summit of Mt. McKinley more often than not, an average of 6 or 7 days out of 10. When the sky clears locals say "the mountain is out." If you are fortunate enough to be there on one of those days you will witness a view that you will never forget.

Mount McKinley is so overpowering that some visitors seem surprised to learn that there is so much more to Denali National Park and Preserve than just the mountain - as impressive as it is. The expansive landscape of Denali encompases three distinct units. They are:

Denali Wilderness: includes most of the former Mount McKinley National Park. This is basically undeveloped wilderness parkland, except for the single road which brings tourists 85 miles through the wilderness to Wonder Lake, with few amenities along the way.

Denali National Park Additions:  established in 1980. In this area customary and traditional subsistence uses are allowed by local residents. This recognizes the longstanding dependence on wildlife, fish, and plant materials for subsistence in rural Alaska.

Denali National Preserve: allows subsistence uses and also allows sport hunting, trapping, and fishing under Alaska Fish and Game regulations. There are two such perserve areas.

Denali National Park and Preserve is a vast and diverse land, rich in wildlife, and offering almost unlimited possibilities to the outdoor and wilderness enthusiast.