Denali National Park & Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve was established as Mt. McKinley National Park on February 26, 1917. The original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve.

Alaska Natives originally named the mountain Denali, which comes from the Koyukon Athabaskan language and means "the high one" or "the tall one", though locals may simply refer to it as "the mountain." With its towering peaks and dramatic vertical rise, Mt. McKinley's weather can shift rapidly. Clouds frequently obscure the summit, making North America’s highest peak a rare and cherished sight on any Alaskan adventure.

The abundance of untamed wilderness and unique wildlife make Denali one of the greatest natural places in the world. Here, you’ll have a chance to see grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, foxes, and wolves. Many smaller animals also inhabit the park, such as arctic ground squirrels, hoary marmots, pikas (small mammal with round body & ears, no tail), and snowshoe hares. With over 150 species of birds including arctic tern, American golden plover, arctic warbler, willow, ptarmigan, and golden eagles, Denali is a bird-watcher’s paradise.