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Denali National Park and Preserve is located in interior Alaska. The Park and Preserve are two separate national park service units that are managed together. They had slightly different rules and regulations but for the most part are one in the same. The units are named for the great mountain in the park. Denali stands at 20,320 feet and is the highest mountain in North America. The park was founded to protect the Dall sheep and their ecosystem from overhunting.
Denali National Park and Preserve Profile
| Region |
Alaska Region |
| Total Size |
6,045,153 acres (9,445.55 sq miles) (24,463.87 sq km)
About the size of Macedonia |
| Preserve Size |
1,304,242 acres (2,037.89 sq miles) (5,278.08sq km)
About the size of Jamaica |
| Park Size |
4,740,911 acres (7,407.67 sq miles) (19,185.79 sq km)
About the size of Slovenia |
| Elevation |
Highest point: 20,310 (6,190 m) at the summit of Denali
Lowest point: 240 ft (73 m) at the Yentna River |
| Location |
Denali Borough and Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
| Nearby Cities |
Healy
Cantwell
Talkeetna |
| Founding Date |
Mount McKinley National Park – February 26, 1917
Denali National Monument – December 1, 1978 (a separate unit)
Denali National Park and Preserve – December 2, 1980 (combined the Denali National Monument and McKinley National Park)
|
| Visitors |
650,000 (in 2017) |
| Busy Season |
May to September |
| Visitor Centers |
Denali Visitor Center – Open May – mid-September
Eielson Visitor Center – Open June – mid-September
Toklat River Contact Station – Open June – mid-September
Murie Science and Learning Center – Open Year Around
Denali Bust Depot – Open May – mid-September
Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station – Open Year Around
|
| Park Hours |
Open 365 days (24 hours a day) – The park road is only open to bus traffic during the summer and lottery winners in mid-September. |
| Entrance Fees |
7-day Per Person Pass – $15 |
| Annual Pass |
Denali National Park Pass – $40
American the Beautiful Pass – $80 |
| Pets |
Yes but best left at home. If bringing, please review the Denali Pet Policy. |
Denali National Park and Preserve Climate
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
|---|
| Average high in °F: |
3 |
10 |
30 |
40 |
57 |
68 |
| Average low in °F: |
-13 |
-10 |
9 |
16 |
34 |
46 |
| Av. rainfall in inches: |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.9 |
2 |
| Av. snowfall in inches: |
8.6 |
5.6 |
4.2 |
3.7 |
0.7 |
0 |
|
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Average high in °F: |
72 |
65 |
54 |
30 |
11 |
5 |
| Average low in °F: |
50 |
45 |
36 |
17 |
-3 |
-11 |
| Av. rainfall in inches: |
2.9 |
2.7 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
| Av. snowfall in inches: |
0 |
0 |
1.1 |
10.1 |
9.6 |
10.7 |
Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (less than a 4-hour drive):
Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (less than an 8-hour drive):
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (accessible by air from Anchorage):
- Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
- Katmai National Park and Preserve
- Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
- Alagank Wild River
- Aleutian World War II National Historic Area
Check out nearby National Park Service Sites (accessible by air from Fairbanks):
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
- Kobuk Valley National Park
- Noatak National Preserce
- Cape Krusenstern National Monument
- Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
- Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Check out some of our favorite Denali National Park Products.
Jennifer has been obsessed with national parks as a child. This Tennessee native spent her childhood exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and traveling with her parents to National Parks and around the Caribbean. She is always planning her next adventure and is ready to see the world while trying to visit all 59 National Park (*She is ignoring the hunk of concrete that just became a national park).
