All About Denali National Park and Preserve

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):

• None

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.

Denali Clouds Short-Sleeve T-Shirt	Denali National Park: The Complete Visitors Guide to the Mountain, Wildlife, and Year-Round Outdoor Activities
Historic Denali National Park and Preserve: The Stories Behind One of America’s Great Treasures	The 59 National Park Mug