View source for Denali National Park and Preserve

{{Short description|National park in Alaska, US}}
{{infobox protected area
| name = Denali National Park and Preserve<!--At the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to revert the name of the mountain to Mount McKinley, while explicitly leaving the name of the national park and preserve unchanged.-->
| photo = Every Road- Denali (7945497984).jpg
| photo_caption = [[Denali]] is the tallest peak in North America.
| iucn_category = V
| map = Alaska#North America
| relief = 1
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = Location in Alaska##Location in North America
| location = [[Denali Borough, Alaska|Denali Borough]] and [[Matanuska-Susitna Borough]], Alaska, United States
| nearest_city = [[Healy, Alaska|Healy]]
| coordinates = {{Coords|63.43|N|150.32|W|display=inline,title}}
| area_acre = 4,740,911
| area_ref = &nbsp;(park) and {{cvt|1304242|acre|km2}} (preserve)<ref name="area">{{NPS area|year=2012 |access-date=2013-03-27}}</ref>
| established = February 26, 1917
| visitation_num = 427,562
| visitation_year = 2022
| visitation_ref = <ref name="visits">{{NPS Visitation |access-date=2023-07-23}}</ref>
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
| website = {{official url}}
}}

'''Denali National Park and Preserve<!--At the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to revert the name of the mountain to Mount McKinley, while explicitly leaving the name of the national park and preserve unchanged.-->''', formerly known as '''Mount McKinley National Park''', is a [[List of national parks of the United States|United States national park]] and [[National preserve|preserve]] located in [[Interior Alaska]], centered on [[Denali]] (federally designated as Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass {{cvt|6045153|acre|ha sqmi km2|0}} which is larger than the state of [[New Hampshire]].<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/management/statistics.htm "Park Statistics"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107215953/https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/management/statistics.htm |date=2022-11-07 }}. ''nps.gov''. National Park Service. May 31, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.</ref> On December 2, 1980, {{cvt|2146580|acre|sqmi km2|0|adj=on}} Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous [[taiga]], with [[tundra]] at middle elevations, and [[glacier]]s, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is [[Kahiltna Glacier]]. Wintertime activities include [[dog sled]]ding, [[cross-country skiing]], and [[Snowmobile|snowmobiling]]. The park received 594,660 recreational visitors in 2018.

==History==
{{See also|Denali#History}}

===Prehistory and protohistory===
Human habitation in the Denali Region extends to more than 11,000 years before the present, with documented sites just outside park boundaries dated to more than 8,000 years before the present. However, relatively few archaeological sites have been documented within the park boundaries, owing to the region's high elevation, with harsh winter conditions and scarce resources compared to lower elevations in the area. The oldest site within park boundaries is the Teklanika River site, dated to about 7130 BC. More than 84 archaeological sites have been documented within the park. The sites are typically characterized as hunting camps rather than settlements and provide little cultural context. The presence of [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan]] peoples in the region is dated to 1,500 - 1,000 years before present on linguistic and archaeological evidence, while researchers have proposed that Athabaskans may have inhabited the area for thousands of years before then. The principal groups in the park area in the last 500 years include the [[Koyukon people|Koyukon]], [[Tanana Athabaskans|Tanana]] and [[Dena'ina people]].<ref name=norris1-2-3>Norris, Vol. 1, pp. 2–3</ref>

===Establishment of the park===
In 1906, conservationist [[Charles Alexander Sheldon]] conceived the idea of preserving the Denali region as a national park. He presented the plan to his co-members of the [[Boone and Crockett Club]]. They decided that the political climate at the time was unfavorable for congressional action and that the best hope of success rested on the approval and support of the Alaskans themselves. Sheldon wrote, "The first step was to secure the approval and cooperation of the delegate who represented Alaska in Congress."{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

In October 1915, Sheldon took up the matter with E. W. Nelson of the Biological Survey at Washington, D.C., and with [[George Bird Grinnell]], with the purpose to introduce a suitable bill in the coming session of Congress. The matter was then taken to the Game Committee of the Boone and Crockett Club and, after a full discussion, it received the committee's full endorsement.

On December 3, 1915, the plan was presented to Alaska's delegate, [[James Wickersham]], who after some deliberation gave his approval. The plan then went to the executive committee of the Boone and Crockett Club and, on December 15, 1915, it was unanimously accepted. The plan was thereupon endorsed by the club and presented to [[Stephen Mather]], Assistant Secretary of the Interior in Washington, D.C., who immediately approved it.

The bill was introduced in April 1916, by Delegate Wickersham in the House and by Senator [[Key Pittman]] of Nevada in the Senate. Much lobbying took place the following year, and on February 19, 1917, the bill passed. On February 26, 1917, 11 years from its conception, the bill was signed in legislation by the President of the United States, [[Woodrow Wilson]], thereby creating Mount McKinley National Park.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sheldon |first=Charles |title=A History of The Boone and Crockett Club |date=1931 |publisher=Boone and Crockett Club |pages=54–59}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=amrvl&fileName=vl127%2F%2Famrvlvl127.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2FAMALL%3A%40field%28NUMBER+%40band%28amrvl%20vl127%29%29&linkText=0 |title=Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920 |work=U.S. Statutes at Large |volume=39, Part 1 |chapter=121 |pages=938–39 |access-date=2015-06-27 |archive-date=2018-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901213142/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=amrvl&fileName=vl127%2F%2Famrvlvl127.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2FAMALL%3A%40field%28NUMBER+%40band%28amrvl%20vl127%29%29&linkText=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A portion of Denali, excluding the summit, was included in the original park boundary. The boundary was expanded in 1922 and again in 1932<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Park History |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Denali_Park_History.jpg |work= |type=Exhibit at Denali Visitor Center |language=en |access-date=2021-05-20 |archive-date=2019-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827024427/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Denali_Park_History.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> and 1947 to include the area of the hotel and railroad.

On Thanksgiving Day in 1921, the Mount McKinley Park Hotel opened.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://home.nps.gov/dena/learn/photosmultimedia/station03.htm |title=Mount McKinley Park Hotel |work=Denali National Park & Preserve |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |access-date=2015-02-06 |archive-date=2015-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207004722/http://www.nps.gov/dena/photosmultimedia/station03.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 1923, President [[Warren Harding]] stopped at the hotel, on a tour of the length of the [[Alaska Railroad]], during which he drove a golden spike signaling its completion at [[Nenana, Alaska|Nenana]].{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} The hotel was the first thing visitors saw stepping down from the train. The flat-roofed, two-story log building featured exposed balconies, glass windows, and electric lights. Inside were two dozen guest rooms, a shop, a lunch counter, a kitchen, and a storeroom. By the 1930s, there were reports of lice, dirty linen, drafty rooms, and marginal food, which led to the hotel eventually closing.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} After being abandoned for many years, the hotel was destroyed in 1972 by a fire.<ref name=":0" />

[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Denali Borough, Alaska|Fourteen log cabins]] were built in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a network of shelters for patrolling park rangers throughout the park. They were listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1986 |title=Patrol Cabins, Mount McKinley National Park: National Register of Historic Places Inventory–Nomination Form |url=https://npshistory.com/publications/dena/nr-patrol-cabins.pdf |website=National Park Service}}</ref>

The {{Cvt|93|mi|km}} Park Road was completed in 1938 after 17 years of construction.<ref name=":0" />

There was no road access to the park entrance until 1957 when the [[Denali Highway]] opened; park attendance greatly expanded: there were 5,000 visitors in 1956 and 25,000 visitors by 1958.<ref name=":0" /> In 1971, the [[George Parks Highway]], under piecemeal construction for several years, was completed, providing direct highway connections to Anchorage and Fairbanks. Visitation doubled to 88,000 from 1971 to 1972.<ref name=":0" /> With the increase in visitors, the park closed most of the Park Road that year to private vehicles and required visitors to take shuttle buses.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gp9Cf9r7Fi0C&dq=denali+%22park+road%22&pg=RA4-PA29 |title=Park Science |date=2009 |publisher=United States National Park Service |language=en}}</ref>

In 1967, the park was the site of one of the deadliest mountaineering accidents in the United States with the [[1967 Mount McKinley disaster|Mount McKinley disaster]], where seven climbers died in an intense [[blizzard]] on Denali. The Park Service debated closing the mountain to climbing in the wake of the accident, but ultimately it remained open.<ref>{{cite book |first=Andy |last=Hall |title=Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak |publisher=Transworld Publishers Limited |year=2015 |isbn=978-0552171298 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yx0lCgAAQBAJ |access-date=2023-02-01 |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307025003/https://books.google.com/books?id=Yx0lCgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The park was designated an [[biosphere reserve|international biosphere reserve]] in 1976.<ref name=":0" /> A surrounding Denali National Monument [[s:Proclamation 4616|was proclaimed]] by President [[Jimmy Carter]] on December 1, 1978, which was combined with the park in 1980.

===Naming dispute===
{{see also|Denali–Mount McKinley naming dispute}}
[[File:Mount McKinley - Summit Flight - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Denali's summit]]
The name of Mount McKinley National Park was subject to local criticism from the beginning of the park. The word Denali means "the high one" in the native [[Athabaskan]] language and refers to the mountain itself. The mountain was named after newly elected US president [[William McKinley]] in 1897 by local prospector William A. Dickey. The United States government formally adopted the name Mount McKinley after President Wilson signed the bill creating Mount McKinley National Park in 1917.<ref>Sheldon, Charles (1931). A History of The Boone and Crockett Club. Boone and Crockett Club. pp. 54–59.</ref> In 1980, Mount McKinley National Park was combined with Denali National Monument, and the [[Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act]] named the combined unit the Denali National Park and Preserve. At that time the Alaska state Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain to Denali. However, the [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]] did not recognize the change and continued to denote the official name as Mount McKinley. This situation lasted until August 30, 2015, when President [[Barack Obama]] directed [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[Sally Jewell]] to rename the mountain to Denali, using statutory authority to act on requests when the Board of Geographic Names does not do so in a "reasonable" period.<ref name="ADNRename">[http://www.adn.com/article/20150830/mckinley-no-more-north-americas-tallest-peak-be-renamed-denali McKinley no more: North America's tallest peak to be renamed Denali] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901053356/http://www.adn.com/article/20150830/mckinley-no-more-north-americas-tallest-peak-be-renamed-denali |date=2015-09-01 }}. Martinson, Erica. ''[[Alaska Dispatch News]]'', 30 August 2015</ref> At the beginning of his second term, President [[Donald Trump]] signed an executive order to revert the name of the mountain to Mount McKinley, while explicitly leaving the name of the national park and preserve unchanged.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maguire |first1=Sean |title=As he takes office, Trump orders Denali to be renamed Mount McKinley |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/2025/01/20/as-he-takes-office-trump-says-hes-changing-the-name-of-denali-to-mount-mckinley/ |access-date=21 January 2025 |work=Anchorage Daily News |date=20 January 2025}}</ref> Renaming the park requires an act of Congress.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

===Recent decades===
In 1992, [[Christopher McCandless]] ventured into the [[Alaska]]n wilderness and settled in an abandoned [[Stampede Trail#Bus 142|bus]] in the park on the [[Stampede Trail]] at {{coord|63|52|5.96|N|149|46|8.39|W|display=inline}} , near Lake Wentitika. He carried little food or equipment, and hoped to [[simple living|live simply]] for a time in solitude. Almost four months later, McCandless's [[starvation|starved]] remains were found, weighing only {{cvt|67|lb|kg}}. His story has been widely publicized via [[Christopher McCandless#In popular culture|articles, books, and films]], and the bus where his remains were found has become a shrine attracting people from around the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Cult of Chris McCandless |work=Men's Journal |date=September 2007 |url=http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/M162/M162_TheCultofChrisMcCandless.html |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124084905/http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/M162/M162_TheCultofChrisMcCandless.html |archive-date=November 24, 2007}}</ref>

On November 5, 2012, the [[United States Mint]] released the 15th of its [[America the Beautiful Quarters]] series, which honors Denali National Park. The coin's reverse side features a Dall sheep with Denali in the background.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/?action=siteRegister |website=U.S. Mint |title=America the Beautiful Quarter Series |access-date=2015-02-16 |archive-date=2015-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213133613/http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/?action=siteRegister |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2013, President Barack Obama signed the [[Denali National Park Improvement Act]] into law.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/157 |title=S.157 - Denali National Park Improvement Act |work=113th Congress |date=18 September 2013 |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-date=13 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413140405/http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/157 |url-status=live }}</ref> The statute allows the [[United States Department of the Interior]] to "issue permits for [[Micro hydro|microhydroelectric]] projects in the Kantishna Hills area of the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska"; it authorizes the Department of the Interior and a company called Doyon Tourism, Inc. to exchange some land in the area; it authorizes the [[National Park Service]] (NPS) to "issue permits to construct a natural gas pipeline in the Denali National Park"; and it renames the existing Talkeetna Ranger Station the [[Walter Harper]] Talkeetna Ranger Station.<ref name="cbo157">{{cite web |title=CBO - S. 157 |date=26 July 2013 |url=http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44461 |publisher=Congressional Budget Office |access-date=13 September 2013 |archive-date=10 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910105639/http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44461 |url-status=live }}</ref> The National Parks Conservation Association supported the bill because the legislation "takes a thoughtful approach to protecting roadless Alaska, promoting renewable energy development, and honoring native Alaskans."<ref name="npca1">{{cite news |author=Kati Schmidt |author2=Perry Wheeler |date=June 20, 2013 |title=National Parks Group Applauds Senate Passage of Denali National Park Improvement Act |newspaper=National Parks Conservation Association |url=http://www.npca.org/news/media-center/press-releases/2013/national-parks-group-applauds-13.html |url-status=dead |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914171510/http://www.npca.org/news/media-center/press-releases/2013/national-parks-group-applauds-13.html |archive-date=September 14, 2013 |df=mdy}}</ref>

On September 24, 2020, the Museum of The North<ref>{{cite web |title=Museum of The North |url=https://www.uaf.edu/museum/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925011453/https://www.uaf.edu/museum/ |archive-date=2020-09-25 |access-date=2020-09-27 |website=University of Alaska}}</ref> at the [[University of Alaska]] ([[Fairbanks]]) announced it became the permanent home of McCandless's 'Magic Bus 142' where it will be restored and an outdoor exhibit will be created.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Osborne |first=Ryan |title=Famous McCandless 'Bus 142' moved to UAF's Museum of the North |url=https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2020/09/24/famous-mccandless-bus-142-moved-to-uafs-museum-of-the-north/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925201903/https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2020/09/24/famous-mccandless-bus-142-moved-to-uafs-museum-of-the-north/ |archive-date=2020-09-25 |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=alaskasnewssource.com |date=24 September 2020 }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:NPS denali-map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Park map]]
Denali National Park and Preserve includes the central, highest portion of the [[Alaska Range]], together with many of the glaciers and glacial valleys running southwards out of the range. To the north the park and preserve encompass the valleys of the [[McKinley River|McKinley]], [[Toklat River|Toklat]], and [[Foraker River|Foraker]] Rivers, as well as the Kantishna and Wyoming Hills. The [[George Parks Highway]] runs along the eastern edge of the park, crossing the Alaska Range at the divide between the valleys of the [[Chulitna River (Susitna River)|Chultina River]] and the [[Nenana River]]. The entrance to the park is about {{cvt|11|mi|km}} south of [[Healy, Alaska|Healy]]. The Denali Visitor Center and the park headquarters are located just inside the entrance. Preserve lands are located on the west side of the park, with one parcel encompassing areas of lakes in the Highpower Creek and Muddy River areas, and the second preserve area covering the southwest end of the high Alaska Range around [[Mount Dall]]. In contrast to the park, where hunting is prohibited or restricted to subsistence hunting by local residents, sport hunting is allowed in the preserve lands.<ref name="npsdenamap1">{{cite web |title=Map of Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/1000parkmap.jpg |work=Denali National Park and Preserve |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=25 March 2013 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104004023/http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/1000parkmap.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Nikolai, Telida, Lake Minchumina, and Cantwell residents are authorized to hunt inside the park because large portions of these communities historically hunted in the area for subsistence purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic and Contemporary Ethnographic Landscapes of Denali National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v5-i1-c15.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418022519/https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v5-i1-c15.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Denali-park-road.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.25|Road map with camping locations, visitor centers, and ranger stations]]

The size and relative isolation of Denali lead to it generating its own weather.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali.htm | title=The Alaska Range and Mount McKinley: Geology and Orogeny | publisher=National Park Service | access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref>  As a consequence, it is often surrounded by clouds.<ref name="vcs-2006" /> Locals sometimes use the phrase "the mountain is out" when it makes an appearance.<ref name="tbn-1996" /> It is commonly said that only 30&nbsp;percent of visitors to the park ever actually see Denali.<ref name="tbn-1996">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-news/166645430/ | title=Alaska's Denali Park rough, but offers picnic in the clouds | first=Bob | last=Marshall | newspaper=The Birmingham News | date=March 10, 1996 | page=4J | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer/166645235/ | title=The Road to Denali | first=Chuck | last=Liddy | newspaper=The Sunday News & Observer | location=Raleigh, North Carolina | date=April 21, 2002 | pages=1H, 8H | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="vcs-2006">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ventura-county-star/166568771/ | title=Epic Silence, Wild Moments | first=Brett | last=Johnson | newspaper=Ventura County Star   | date=November 12, 2006 | pages=J1, J6  | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-star/166645322/ | title=Take a chance to see the Great One | first=Dianne | last=Newcomer | newspaper=The News-Star | location=Monroe, Louisiana | date=July 8, 2012 | page=5D | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/166569295/ | title=Alaska | first=John | last=Humenik | newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch | date=August 26, 2018 | pages=1, 2 (Destinations) | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> An additional estimate is that only 10&nbsp;percent of visitors get to see the mountain unobscured from top to bottom.<ref name="vcs-2006" /> Because the weather patterns are different, Denali is more frequently visible during winter months.<!--<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.viator.com/Denali-National-Park/d22364 | title=Things to do in  Denali National Park | publisher=Viator | access-date=February 23, 2025}}</ref>--><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/anchorage-times/166721644/ | title=Denali in Winter | first=Bill | last=Sherwonit | newspaper=The Anchorage Times | date=December 18, 1988 | page=B-6 | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The Eielson Visitor Center has an etched outline of the peaks of Denali on the window facing the Denali that shows where the mountain would be if it were visible.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/view.htm?id=BA797915-E083-407F-83A6-44351D1BFEAE | title=Eielson Visitor Center | publisher=National Park Service | date=June 8, 2008 | access-date=February 23, 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Camping in the Savage River valley.JPG|thumb|Camping in the Savage River drainage]]

===Wilderness===
The Denali Wilderness is a wilderness area within Denali National Park that protects the higher elevations of the central [[Alaska Range]], including [[Denali]], federally designated as Mount McKinley. The wilderness comprises about one-third of the current national park and preserve—{{cvt|2146580|acre|sqmi km2|0}} that correspond with the former park boundaries before 1980.<ref name="wilderness">{{cite web |url=http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Denali |title=Denali Wilderness |publisher=Wilderness.net |access-date=2014-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201513/http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Denali |archive-date=2007-09-30 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Denali ImageMap}}

==Geology==
{{multiple image
| image1            = Denali National Park Geologic Time Scale.png
| image2            = Denali National Park geologic Terranes.png
| footer            = Geologic time scale and [[geological map]] of [[terrane]]s
| total_width       = 500
}}

[[File:Denali National Park tectonic history.png|thumb|[[Tectonic]] history]]
Denali National Park and Preserve is located in the central area of the Alaska Range, a mountain chain extending {{cvt|600|miles}} across Alaska. Its best-known geologic feature is Denali, federally designated as Mount McKinley. Its elevation of {{cvt|20310|ft|m|1}} makes it the highest mountain in North America. Its vertical relief (distance from base to peak) of {{cvt|18000|ft}} is the highest of any mountain in the world. The mountain is still gaining about {{cvt|1|mm}} in height each year due to the continued convergence of the [[North American Plate|North American]] and [[Pacific Plate]]s. The mountain is primarily made of [[granite]], a hard rock that does not erode easily; this is why it has retained such a great height rather than being eroded.

The park area is characterized by [[Tectonics|collision tectonics]]: over the past millions of years, exotic [[terrane]]s in the Pacific Ocean have been moving toward the North American landmass and accreting, or attaching, to the area that now makes up Alaska. The oldest rocks in the park are part of the [[Yukon-Tanana Terrane|Yukon-Tanana terrane]]. They originated from ocean sediments deposited between 400 million and 1 billion years ago. The original rocks have been affected by the processes of regional metamorphism, folding, and faulting to form rocks such as [[schist]], [[quartzite]], [[phyllite]], [[slate]], [[marble]], and [[limestone]]. The next oldest group of rocks is the Farewell terrane. It is composed of rocks from the [[Paleozoic era]] (250–500 million years old). The sediments that make up these rocks were deposited in a variety of marine environments, ranging from deep ocean basins to continental shelf areas. The abundant marine fossils are evidence that around 380 million years ago, this area had a warm, tropical climate. The Pingston, McKinley, and Chulitna terranes are the next oldest; they were deposited in the [[Mesozoic era]]. The rock types include marble, [[chert]], limestone, [[shale]], and [[sandstone]]. There are intrusions of [[igneous]] rocks, such as [[gabbro]], [[diabase]], and [[diorite]]. Special features include [[pillow basalt]]s, which are formed when molten lava flows into water and a hard outer crust forms, making a puffy, pillow-shaped feature; as well as an [[ophiolite]] sequence, which is a distinct sequence of rocks indicating that a section of the oceanic crust has been uplifted and thrust onto a continental area.
[[File:Alaska 2007 08 05 0111.jpg|thumb|Polychrome Mountain]]
Some of the youngest rocks in the park include the Kahiltna terrane, which is a [[flysch]] sequence (a sedimentary rock sequence deposited in a marine environment during the early stages of mountain building) formed about 100 million years ago, during late [[Cretaceous]] time. Another rock sequence is the McKinley Intrusive Sequence, which includes Denali. The [[Cantwell, Alaska|Cantwell]] Volcanics include [[basalt]] and [[rhyolite]] flows, as well as ash deposits. An example can be seen at [[Polychrome Mountain|Polychrome Pass]] in the park.<ref name="HarrisTuttles">Harris, A.G., Tuttle, E., Tuttle S.D. Geology of National Parks. 6th ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company 2004.</ref>

[[Mesozoic]] fossils include [[fossil trackway]]s from [[therizinosaurid]]s and [[hadrosaurids]] in the [[Cantwell Formation]] indicate the area was once an immigration point for [[dinosaur]]s traveling between Asia and North America during the [[Late Cretaceous]] period. Studies of fossil plants from the same formation indicate the area was wet, with marshes and ponds throughout the region.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180806095216.htm |title=First North American co-occurrence of Hadrosaur and Therizinosaur tracks found in Alaska |access-date=2018-08-06 |archive-date=2018-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807033059/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180806095216.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Denali National Park and Preserve are located in an area of intense tectonic activity: the [[Pacific Plate]] is subducting under the [[North American Plate]], creating the [[Denali Fault]] system, which is a right-lateral [[strike-slip fault]] over {{cvt|720|miles}} long. This is a part of the larger fault system which includes the famous [[San Andreas Fault]] of California. Over 600 earthquakes occur in the park each year, helping seismologists to understand this fault system. Most of these earthquakes are too small to be felt, although two large earthquakes did occur in 2002. On October 23, 2002, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurred in the park, and on November 3, 2002, a [[2002 Denali earthquake|magnitude 7.9 earthquake]] occurred. These earthquakes did not cause a significant loss of life or property, since the area is very sparsely populated, but they did trigger thousands of landslides.<ref name="NPS">National Park Service: Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali Rocks! The Geology of Denali National Park and Preserve: A Curriculum Guide for Grades 6-8. 2011.</ref>

===Glaciers===
[[File:Kichatna Peaks.jpg|thumb|The [[Kichatna Mountains]] in the southwestern portion of the preserve]]
Glaciers cover about 16% of the 6 million acres of Denali National Park and Preserve. Measurements indicate that [[glacier]]s in the park are losing about 6.6&nbsp;ft (2&nbsp;m) of vertical water equivalency each year.<ref name="nps.gov">{{Cite web |title=Melting Denali: Effects of Climate Change on Glaciers (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307003728/https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> There are more extensive glaciers on the southeastern side of the range because more snow is dropped on this side from the moisture-bearing winds from the [[Gulf of Alaska]]. The 5 largest south-facing glaciers are [[Yentna Glacier|Yentna]] ({{cvt|20|miles}} long), [[Kahiltna Glacier|Kahiltna]] ({{cvt|30|miles}}), [[Tokositna Glacier|Tokositna]] ({{cvt|23|miles}}), [[Ruth Glacier|Ruth]] ({{cvt|31|miles}}), and [[Eldridge Glacier|Eldrige]] ({{cvt|30|miles}}).<ref name="HarrisTuttles" /> The Ruth glacier is {{cvt|3800|ft}} thick.<ref name="NPS" /> However, the largest glacier, [[Muldrow Glacier]] ({{cvt|32|miles}} long), is located on the north side. Nonetheless, the northern side has smaller and shorter glaciers overall. Muldrow glacier has [[Surge (glacier)|"surged"]] twice in the last hundred years. Surging means that it has moved forward for a short time at greatly increased speed, due to a build-up of water between the bottom of the glacier and the bedrock channel floating on the ice (due to hydrostatic pressure).<ref name="HarrisTuttles" />

At the upper ends of Denali's glaciers are steep-walled semicircular basins called [[cirque]]s. Cirques form from freeze-thaw cycles of meltwater in the rocks above the glacier and glacial erosion and mass wasting occur under the glacier. As cirques on the opposite sides of a ridge are cut deeper into the divide, they form a narrow, sharp, serrated ridge called an [[arête]]. As the arête wears away from glacial ice erosion, the low point between cirques is called a [[mountain pass|col]] (or if it is large a pass). Cols are saddle-shaped depressions in the ridge between cirques. A spire-like sharp peak, the [[Pyramidal peak|horn]], forms when cirques cut back into a mountaintop from three or four sides.

Glaciers deposit rock fragments, but the most notable of the depositions are the [[Glacial erratic|erratics]], which are large rock fragments carried some distance from the source, found on glacial terraces and ridge tops in many places throughout Denali. Headquarter erratics are made of granite and can be the size of a house. Some erratics (like those from the Yanert Valley) are located {{cvt|30|miles}} away from their original location.
[[File:A048, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA, Ruth Glacier and the Great Gorge, 2002.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ruth Glacier]] and medial moraine - the dark stripe of debris down the middle]]
Large amounts of rock debris are carried on, in, and beneath the ice as the glaciers move downslope. Lateral [[moraines]] are created as debris accumulates as low ridges of till that ride along the edge of the moving glaciers. When lateral moraines adjacent to each other join, they create medial moraines, which are also carried down on the surface of the moving ice.

[[Braided stream|Braided meltwater streams]] heavily loaded with rock debris continually shift and intertwine their channels over valley floors. Valley trains are built up as streams drop quantities of poorly sorted sediment. Valley trains are long, narrow accumulations of glacial outwash, confined by valley walls.

[[Kettle (landform)|Kettles]] are formed when glacial retreat and melting is rapid, and blocks of ice are still buried under [[till]]. When the ice under the till melts, the till slumps in and forms depressions called kettles. When kettles fill with water, they are known as kettle lakes. Kettle lakes are visible near the Polychrome Overlook, the Teklanika rest stop, and Wonder Lake.<ref name="DNP">{{cite book |last1=Capps |first1=D. |last2=McLane |first2=S. |last3=Chang |first3=L. |title=Denali National Park and Preserve Geology Road Guide |date=2016 |publisher=National Park Service |location=Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali Park, Alaska |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/upload/Denali-Geology-Road-Guide.pdf |access-date=19 August 2019 |archive-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712134816/https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/upload/Denali-Geology-Road-Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|45}}

===Permafrost===
Permanently frozen ground is known as [[permafrost]]. The permafrost is discontinuous in Denali due to differences in vegetation, temperatures, snow cover, and hydrology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Permafrost Landscapes (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-permafrost-landscapes.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416195331/https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-permafrost-landscapes.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The active layer freezing and thawing seasonally can be from 1 inch (25 mm) to 10 feet (3.0 m) thick. The permafrost layer is located between 30 and 100 feet (9.1 and 30.5 m) below the active layer. A stand of oddly leaning white spruce growing on a lower slope of Denali is called the [[Drunken trees|Drunken Forest]]. The trees lean due to the soil sliding as a result of permafrost freeze/thaw cycles. Permafrost impacts the ecosystem in the park by influencing hydrology, patterns of vegetation, and wildlife.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melting Denali: Effects of Climate Change on Glaciers (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307003728/https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> During the very cold [[Pleistocene]] climates, all of Denali was solidly frozen.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Park |first1=Mailing Address: PO Box 9 Denali |last2=voicemail |first2=AK 99755 Phone: 907 683-9532 A. ranger is available 9 am—4 pm daily If you get to the |last3=Message |first3=Please Leave a |last4=Us |first4=we'll call you back as soon as we finish with the previous caller Contact |title=Thinning Glaciers - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/getinvolved/dca_kremers.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418021901/https://www.nps.gov/dena/getinvolved/dca_kremers.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The northern areas of the range are still frozen due to continued cold temperatures. About 75% of Denali had near-surface permafrost, or an active permafrost layer, in the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-08 |title=Thawing permafrost prompts Denali National Park to reimagine its future |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/thawing-permafrost-forces-denali-national-park-to-reimagine-its-future |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Environment |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307003728/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/thawing-permafrost-forces-denali-national-park-to-reimagine-its-future |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 2000s, around 50% of Denali had near-surface permafrost. It is suspected that by the 2050s, only about 6% of surface permafrost will remain.<ref name=":2" /> Because of climate change, most of the shallow permafrost is thawing. It is estimated that with an additional 1–2 degree warming, most of Denali's permafrost will thaw.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melting Denali: Effects of Climate Change on Glaciers (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307003728/https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v6-i1-c2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Permafrost thaw causes landslides as the ice-rich soil transforms into mud slurry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Permafrost Landscapes (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-permafrost-landscapes.htm |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307003727/https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-permafrost-landscapes.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Landslides have previously impacted accessibility in Denali by obstructing the roads in the park.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Patton |first1=A. I. |last2=Rathburn |first2=S. L. |last3=Capps |first3=D. M. |last4=McGrath |first4=D. |last5=Brown |first5=R. A. |date=2021-08-28 |title=Ongoing Landslide Deformation in Thawing Permafrost |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL092959 |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |language=en |volume=48 |issue=16 |article-number=e2021GL092959 |doi=10.1029/2021GL092959 |bibcode=2021GeoRL..4892959P |s2cid=238662591 |issn=0094-8276|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Permafrost thaw releases additional carbon into the atmosphere.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tarnocai |first1=C. |last2=Canadell |first2=J. G. |last3=Schuur |first3=E. A. G. |last4=Kuhry |first4=P. |last5=Mazhitova |first5=G. |last6=Zimov |first6=S. |date=June 2009 |title=Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region |journal=Global Biogeochemical Cycles |volume=23 |issue=2 |article-number=2008GB003327 |doi=10.1029/2008gb003327 |bibcode=2009GBioC..23.2023T |issn=0886-6236|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Shallow ponds in Denali are known as [[Thermokarst|thaw lakes]] and cave-in lakes that are formed when the water warmed by the sun forms basins in the underlying permafrost. These ponds deepen gradually during the summer and, if the temperature is high enough, they will grow in size as their rims collapse.
[[File:Pretty Rock Landslide.gif|thumb|Pretty Rock Landslide Time-lapse from July 21 to August 25, 2021, in which the road was displaced 6.5 meters<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pretty Rocks Landslide - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/pretty-rocks.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511192600/https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/pretty-rocks.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Thermal expansion and contraction causes permafrost cracking. In the summer water fills these cracks and forms veins called [[Ice wedge|ice wedges]]. These wedges enlarge with seasonal freezing/thawing cycles. Some ice wedges buried for centuries are revealed during excavations or landslides.

==Climate==

According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Denali National Park has a [[subarctic climate]] (''Dfc''). The [[plant hardiness zone]] at Denali Visitor Center is 3a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of {{cvt|-38.9|°F}}.<ref name="USDA">{{cite web |url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |access-date=2019-07-05 |title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map |archive-date=2019-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704214427/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

Long winters are followed by short growing seasons. Eighty percent of the bird population returns after cold months, raising their young. Most mammals and other wildlife in the park spend the brief summer months preparing for winter and raising their young.

Summers are usually cool and damp, but temperatures in the 70s are not rare. The weather is so unpredictable that there have even been instances of snow in August.

The north and south side of the Alaskan Range have completely different climates. The [[Gulf of Alaska]] carries moisture to the south side, but the mountains block water to the north side. This brings a drier climate and huge temperature fluctuations to the north. The south has transitional maritime continental climates, with moister, cooler summers, and warmer winters.
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = McKinley Park, Alaska, 1991&ndash;2020 normals, extremes 1923&ndash;present
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high F = 52
| Feb record high F = 52
| Mar record high F = 56
| Apr record high F = 67
| May record high F = 81
| Jun record high F = 91
| Jul record high F = 88
| Aug record high F = 88
| Sep record high F = 82
| Oct record high F = 69
| Nov record high F = 56
| Dec record high F = 52
| year record high F = 
| Jan avg record high F = 38.6
| Feb avg record high F = 41.1
| Mar avg record high F = 41.9
| Apr avg record high F = 55.1
| May avg record high F = 70.5
| Jun avg record high F = 79.7
| Jul avg record high F = 80.0
| Aug avg record high F = 75.7
| Sep avg record high F = 64.0
| Oct avg record high F = 52.1
| Nov avg record high F = 38.2
| Dec avg record high F = 38.3
| year avg record high F = 82.6
| Jan high F = 10.1
| Feb high F = 19.6
| Mar high F = 25.1
| Apr high F = 40.6
| May high F = 54.9
| Jun high F = 65.3
| Jul high F = 66.4
| Aug high F = 61.1
| Sep high F = 50.7
| Oct high F = 33.7
| Nov high F = 17.6
| Dec high F = 13.8
| year high F = 
| Jan mean F = 2.2
| Feb mean F = 9.3
| Mar mean F = 12.5
| Apr mean F = 28.7
| May mean F = 43.0
| Jun mean F = 53.0
| Jul mean F = 55.5
| Aug mean F = 50.9
| Sep mean F = 40.8
| Oct mean F = 24.7
| Nov mean F = 9.8
| Dec mean F = 5.6
| year mean F = 
| Jan low F = -5.7
| Feb low F = -0.9
| Mar low F = -0.1
| Apr low F = 16.9
| May low F = 31.1
| Jun low F = 40.8
| Jul low F = 44.5
| Aug low F = 40.8
| Sep low F = 30.9
| Oct low F = 15.7
| Nov low F = 1.9
| Dec low F = -2.5
| year low F = 
| Jan avg record low F = -33.5
| Feb avg record low F = -27.1
| Mar avg record low F = -21.9
| Apr avg record low F = -3.9
| May avg record low F = 19.3
| Jun avg record low F = 31.4
| Jul avg record low F = 35.8
| Aug avg record low F = 29.8
| Sep avg record low F = 16.1
| Oct avg record low F = -3.0
| Nov avg record low F = -18.5
| Dec avg record low F = -26.2
| year avg record low F = -36.2
| Jan record low F = -52
| Feb record low F = -54
| Mar record low F = -47
| Apr record low F = -33
| May record low F = -14
| Jun record low F = 19
| Jul record low F = 23
| Aug record low F = 17
| Sep record low F = -6
| Oct record low F = -24
| Nov record low F = -37
| Dec record low F = -54
| year record low F = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.61
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.71
| Mar precipitation inch = 0.51
| Apr precipitation inch = 0.43
| May precipitation inch = 0.84
| Jun precipitation inch = 2.42
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.12
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.01
| Sep precipitation inch = 1.74
| Oct precipitation inch = 0.84
| Nov precipitation inch = 0.84
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.83
| year precipitation inch = 15.90
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 7.6
| Feb precipitation days = 6.0
| Mar precipitation days = 4.9
| Apr precipitation days = 4.0
| May precipitation days = 6.5
| Jun precipitation days = 12.6
| Jul precipitation days = 15.6
| Aug precipitation days = 15.6
| Sep precipitation days = 11.8
| Oct precipitation days = 9.7
| Nov precipitation days = 9.8
| Dec precipitation days = 9.3
| Jan snow inch = 9.6
| Feb snow inch = 9.6
| Mar snow inch = 8.2
| Apr snow inch = 6.9
| May snow inch = 2.6
| Jun snow inch = 0.1
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 5.0
| Oct snow inch = 9.4
| Nov snow inch = 12.9
| Dec snow inch = 12.4
| year snow inch = 
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 9.1
| Feb snow days = 7.3
| Mar snow days = 6.2
| Apr snow days = 4.6
| May snow days = 1.7
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.7
| Sep snow days = 2.1
| Oct snow days = 8.3
| Nov snow days = 11.4
| Dec snow days = 10.5
| source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00505778&format=pdf |title=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=2021-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612090115/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00505778&format=pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| source 2 = WRCC (extremes)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak5778 |title=MCKINLEY PARK, ALASKA (505778) |publisher=[[Western Regional Climate Center]] |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525133022/http://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak5778 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

==Ecology==
[[File:Alpine lakes and forest, Denali National Park, Alaska, by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Aerial photograph of several lakes, interspersed with conifer forests and meadows, with tall mountains in the distance and clouds and blue sky overhead. The clouds are casting shadows over the forests and lakes.|Alpine forest and lakes in Denali]]

The [[Alaska Range]] is a mountainous expanse running through the entire park, strongly influencing the park's ecosystems. Vegetation in the park depends on the altitude. The [[treeline]] is at {{cvt|2500|ft|m}}, causing most of the park to be a vast expanse of [[alpine tundra|tundra]]. In the lowland areas of the park, such as the western sections surrounding Wonder Lake, [[spruce]]s and [[willow]]s dominate the forest. Most trees and shrubs do not reach full size, due to unfavorable climate and thin soils. There are three types of forest in the park: from lowest to highest, they are low brush bog, bottomland spruce-poplar forest, and upland spruce-hardwood forest. The forest grows in a mosaic, due to periodic fires.

In the tundra of the park, layers of topsoil collect on rotten fragmented rock moved by thousands of years of glacial activity. [[Moss]]es, [[fern]]s, grasses, and [[fungi]] grow on the topsoil. In areas of [[muskeg]], [[tussock grass|tussocks]] form and may collect [[algae]]. The term 'muskeg' includes spongy waterlogged tussocks as well as deep pools of water covered by solid-looking moss. Wild [[blueberries]] and [[Canada Buffaloberry|soap berries]] thrive in the tundra and provide the bears of Denali with the main part of their diet.

Over 450 species of flowering plants fill the park and can be viewed in bloom throughout summer. Images of [[goldenrod]], [[fireweed]], [[Mertensia paniculata|bluebell]], and [[gentian]] filling the valleys of Denali are often used on postcards and in the artwork.

[[File:A047, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA, bears, 2002.jpg|thumb|alt=Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) and cub walk in step along the park road straight toward the camera, as seen and photographed from a tour bus.|Adult [[Brown bear|brown bear (''Ursus arctos'')]] and cub on the park road]]

Denali is home to a variety of North American birds and mammals, including an estimated 300–350 [[grizzly bear]]s on the north side of the Alaska Range (70 bears per 1,000 square miles) and an estimated 2,700 [[American black bear|black bear]]s (334 per 1,000 square miles). {{as of|2014}}, park biologists were monitoring about 51 [[Interior Alaskan wolf|wolves]] in 13 packs (7.4 wolves per 1,000 square miles), while surveys estimated 2,230 [[Porcupine caribou|caribou]] in 2013, and 1,477 [[Alaska moose|moose]] in 2011.<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-animal-count.htm Large Mammals in Denali: How Many Are There?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084152/https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-animal-count.htm |date=2018-09-02 }}. ''nps.gov''. National Park Service. July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.</ref> [[Dall sheep]] are often seen on mountainsides. Smaller animals such as [[coyote]]s, [[hoary marmot]]s, [[shrew]]s, [[Arctic ground squirrel]]s, [[North American beaver|beaver]]s, [[collared pika|pika]]s, and [[snowshoe hare]]s are seen in abundance. [[Red fox|Red]] and [[Arctic fox]] species, [[American marten|marten]]s, [[Canada lynx]], and [[wolverine]]s also inhabit the park but are more rarely seen due to their elusive natures.

Many migratory bird species reside in the park during late spring and summer. There are [[waxwing]]s, [[Arctic warbler]]s, [[pine grosbeak]]s, and [[northern wheatear]]s, as well as [[rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan]] and the [[tundra swan]]. Raptors include a variety of [[hawk]]s, [[owl]]s, and [[gyrfalcon]]s, as well as the abundant but striking [[golden eagle]]s.
[[File:Traffic Jam in Denali.jpg|thumb|left|A caribou and tour bus on the park road]]

Ten species of fish, including [[trout]], [[salmon]], and [[Arctic grayling]], share the waters of the park. Because many of the rivers and lakes of Denali are fed by glaciers, glacial silt and cold temperatures slow the metabolism of the fish, preventing them from reaching normal sizes.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}} A single amphibious species, the [[wood frog]], also lives among the lakes of the park.

There are several non-native species in the park including [[Taraxacum officinale|common dandelion]], [[Narrowleaf Hawksbeard|narrowleaf hawksbeard]], [[Melilotus albus|white sweet clover]], [[Vicia cracca|bird vetch]], [[Linaria vulgaris|yellow toadflax]], and [[Tripleurospermum inodorum|scentless false mayweed]].<ref name="Denali National Park">{{Cite web |title=Non-Native Species - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/nonnativespecies.htm |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=2022-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418023515/https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/nonnativespecies.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stohlgren |first1=Thomas J. |last2=Ma |first2=Peter |last3=Kumar |first3=Sunil |last4=Rocca |first4=Monique |last5=Morisette |first5=Jeffrey T. |last6=Jarnevich |first6=Catherine S. |last7=Benson |first7=Nate |date=February 2010 |title=Ensemble Habitat Mapping of Invasive Plant Species |journal=Risk Analysis |language=en |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=224–235 |doi=10.1111/j.1539-6924.2009.01343.x |pmid=20136746 |s2cid=10044161 |doi-access=free }}</ref> There are 28 [[invasive species]] documented in the park and 15 of these species are considered a threat.<ref name="Denali National Park" /> Volunteers and park rangers work to keep non-native plant populations low.<ref name="Denali National Park" />

Denali park rangers maintain a constant effort to keep wildlife wild by limiting the interaction between humans and park animals. Feeding any animal is strictly forbidden, as it may cause adverse effects on the feeding habits of the creature. Visitors are encouraged to view animals from safe distances. In August 2012 the park experienced its first known fatal bear attack when a lone hiker apparently startled a large male grizzly while photographing it. Analysis of the scene and the hiker's camera strongly suggest he violated park regulations regarding backcountry bear encounters, which all permit holders are made aware of.<ref>{{cite news |last=Demer |first=Lisa |url=http://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/denali-park-hikers-camera-offers-clues-bear-attack/2012/08/27/ |title=Hiker's camera offers clues to bear attack |newspaper=Anchorage Daily News |date=2012-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828200453/http://www.adn.com/2012/08/26/2600680/denali-hikers-camera-offers-clues.html |archive-date=2012-08-28 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Certain areas of the park are often closed due to uncommon wildlife activity, such as denning areas of wolves and bears or recent kill sites.

== Access and recreation ==
[[File:DenaliNationalPark.JPG|thumb|The single road within the park]]
The park is serviced by the {{cvt|92|mi|km|adj=on}} long Denali Park Road, which begins at the George Parks Highway and continues to the west parallel to the [[Alaska Range]], ending at [[Kantishna, Alaska|Kantishna]]. The park road is the sole vehicle access to the park.<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Explore Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm |access-date=2025-03-22 |work=Denali National Park |publisher=US National Park Service}}</ref> Only {{cvt|15|mi|km}} of the road, up to Savage River Bridge and a loop trail, is paved because [[permafrost]] and the [[freeze-thaw cycle]] would create a high cost for maintaining a paved road. Private vehicles are restricted beyond this point. Access to the interior of the park is only through tour/shuttle buses.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geographic |first=National |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hh-72QfdLjoC&q=National+Geographic+Guide+to+National+Parks+of+the+United+States |title=National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States |date=2009 |publisher=National Geographic Books |isbn=978-1-4262-0393-0 |pages=423 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Explore Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=An insider's guide to Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-visitors-guide/2024/04/21/an-insiders-guide-to-denali-national-park-and-preserve/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Travel |first=D. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eDrEAAAQBAJ&dq=denali+%22park+road%22+how+far+can+you+drive&pg=PT222 |title=DK National Parks of the USA |date=2024-07-02 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-593-95732-5 |language=en}}</ref>  

The road has been impacted by the Pretty Rocks landslide at Polychrome Pass at Mile 45.4. NPS believes the landslide has been active since before the road was built, but only required moderate maintenance every 2–3 years. Beginning in 2014, the landslide accelerated considerably as permafrost thawed, requiring the road crew to spread 100 truckloads of gravel per week to keep the road passable until August 2021, when the park decided to close the road beyond Mile 45 until summer of 2026 at the earliest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pretty Rocks Landslide |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/pretty-rocks.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211134604/https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/pretty-rocks.htm |archive-date=2021-12-11 |access-date=2021-11-29 |work=Denali National Park |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Polychrome Area Plan |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/getinvolved/polychrome-plan.htm |access-date=2025-03-22 |work=Denali National Park |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldfarb |first=Ben |date=2024-09-01 |title=What Denali's road closure means for its wildlife |url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-9/what-does-denalis-road-closure-mean-for-its-wildlife/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=High Country News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Located {{cvt|1|mi}} within the park, the Denali Bus Depot sells tickets for bus trips into the park and is the visitor contact station for campgrounds. All shuttle buses depart from here, as do some tours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Denali Bus Depot - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/wildernessaccesscenter.htm#5/65.072/-134.253 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The Denali Visitor Center is at mile marker 1.5 and features an exhibit hall and ranger-led programs. It is also close to the [[Murie Science and Learning Center]], the [[Denali Depot|Denali National Park railroad depot]], and the [[McKinley National Park Airport]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Visitor Centers - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm#6/63.421/-148.491 |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The railroad station offers service for the [[Alaska Railroad]]'s ''[[Denali Star]]'' route between mid-May and Mid-September.<ref name="depots">{{cite web |title=Depot Locations |url=http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/Transit/DepotLocations/tabid/318/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230004415/http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/Transit/DepotLocations/tabid/318/Default.aspx |archive-date=2015-12-30 |access-date=2020-12-26 |publisher=Alaska Railroad}}</ref>

Three campgrounds near the entrance to the park are accessible by private vehicles: Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River. Camper buses provide transportation to campgrounds in the interior of the park (Sanctuary River, Igloo Creek, and [[Wonder Lake (Alaska)|Wonder Lake]]).  All shuttle and tour buses make a stop at Toklat River Contact Station at mile 53. Eielson Visitor Center is located four hours into the park on the road (at mile marker 66). It features daily ranger-led programs during the summer, and on clear days, views of Denali and the Alaska Range.<ref name=":1" /> Wonder Lake and Kantishna are a six-hour bus ride from the Denali Visitor Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wonder Lake Area - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/wonder-lake-area.htm |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> Snow closes the Park Road past the park headquarters for the winter between October to April, though the park remains open for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and dogsledding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First 30 miles of Denali Park Road opened to private vehicles |url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2023/05/04/section-of-denali-park-road-opens-to-public-vehicles/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=In winter, visitors see quiet, unhurried side of Denali National Park |url=https://www.adn.com/outdoors/article/winter-visitors-see-quiet-and-unhurried-side-denali-national-park/2015/02/25/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}</ref>

Kantishna features backcountry lodges accessible by chartered air taxi flight to the [[Kantishna Airport]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ward |first=Terry |date=2024-07-25 |title=Kantishna Roadhouse: World's Greatest Places 2024 |url=https://time.com/6992290/kantishna-roadhouse/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Road closure opens Denali lodges like never before |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Road-closure-opens-Denali-lodges-like-never-before |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.travelweekly.com |language=en}}</ref> Lodging, restaurants, and other services are in the community of [[Denali Park (CDP), Alaska|Denali Park]], one mile north of the park entrance on the George Parks Highway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lodging - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/lodging.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

While the main park road goes through the Denali Wilderness, the national preserve areas, on the northwest and southwest ends of the park, and portions of the park not designated [[wilderness]] are even more inaccessible with no roads. The far north of the park, characterized by hills and rivers, is accessed from the east by the [[Stampede Trail]], a dirt road that effectively stops at the park boundary near the former location of the ''[[Into the Wild (Krakauer book)|Into the Wild]]'' bus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unit 61, 62, 63: Stampede - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/unit61-62-63.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The rugged south portion of the park, characterized by large [[glacier]]-filled [[canyons]], is accessed by Petersville Road, a dirt road that stops about {{cvt|5|mi|km}} outside the park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Petersville Road Scenic Drive {{!}} Mat-Su CVB |url=https://www.alaskavisit.com/things-to-do/scenic-drives/petersville-road/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.alaskavisit.com |language=en-us}}</ref> The mountains can be accessed most easily by air taxis that land on the glaciers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flightseeing - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/flightseeing.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=There's no view more epic than the one you'll find on an Alaska flightseeing tour |url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-visitors-guide/2023/05/08/theres-no-view-more-epic-than-the-one-youll-find-on-an-alaska-flightseeing-tour/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Magazine |first1=Smithsonian |last2=Lowe |first2=Larry |title=The Pilots of Mount McKinley |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-pilots-of-mount-mckinley-70025739/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Visitors who want to climb [[Denali]] need to obtain a climbing permit first and go through an orientation at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station in [[Talkeetna, Alaska]], about {{cvt|100|mi}} south of the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve. This center serves as the center of mountaineering operations.<ref>{{NPS |title=Denali National Park, Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/walter-haper-trs.htm |access-date=October 27, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mountaineering in Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://npshistory.com/publications/dena/climbing-guides/english-2005.pdf |website=National Park Service}}</ref>

Maintained [[hiking]] trails are at Savage River, Eielson Visitor Center, Wonder Lake, and Riley Creek. The park also encourages off-trail hiking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hiking - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/dayhiking.htm |url-status=live |access-date=2021-10-11 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129092630/http://www.nps.gov:80/dena/planyourvisit/dayhiking.htm |archive-date=2009-11-29}}</ref>

Denali has the only sled dog kennel owned by the federal government, where [[sled dogs]] are raised and trained.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Eve |title=Mush! Sled dogs carry on long Alaskan tradition at Denali National Park and Preserve |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2022/10/29/denali-national-park-sled-dogs-alaska/10525268002/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kennels History - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/kennels-history.htm |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> Sled dogs were first used in the park in 1922 to patrol the area to prevent poaching and assist in park development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Over the past 100 years, sled dogs have helped maintain the wildness of Denali National Park |url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2022/03/27/over-the-past-100-years-sled-dogs-have-helped-maintain-the-wildness-of-denali-national-park/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}</ref> Park rangers continue to breed the [[Alaskan husky|Alaskan huskies]] for the traditional activity of [[mushing]] and working at the park, particularly during snowy winter. In summer the kennel has dog sledding demonstrations for visitors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Denali National Park's Sled Dogs Prepare for Winter |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-denali-national-parks-sled-dogs-prepare-for-winter-180976550/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kennels - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/kennels.htm |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The kennel is part of the [[Mount McKinley National Park Headquarters District]], which also includes administration buildings.

==See also==
* [[Denali State Park]]
* [[List of birds of Denali National Park and Preserve]]
* [[List of national parks of the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=33em}}

==Bibliography==
*Brown, William E. (1991) [https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/dena/hrs.htm A History of the Denali-Mount McKinley Region, Alaska], National Park Service
*Collier, Michael (2007), ''The Geology of Denali National Park and Preserve''. Alaska Geographic. {{ISBN|978-0-930931-04-9}}
*Harris, Ann G.; Tuttle, Esther; Tuttle, Sherwood D. (2004). ''Geology of the National Parks'', 6th ed. Kendall/Hunt. {{ISBN|978-0-7872-9971-2}}
*Murie, Adolph (1961), ''A Naturalist in Alaska''. Devin-Adair.
*Murie, Adolph (1981), [https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/science/14/contents.htm ''The Grizzlies of Mount McKinley''], National Park Service
*Murie, Adolph (1944), [https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/fauna5/fauna2a.htm ''The Wolves of Mount McKinley''], ''Fauna of the National Parks of the United States Series No. 5'', National Park Service
*Norris, Frank (2006), [https://web.archive.org/web/20090510190839/http://www.nps.gov/dena/historyculture/upload/Crown%20Jewel%20of%20the%20North%20-%20An%20Administrative%20History%20of%20DENA%20-%20Vol%20I.pdf ''Crown Jewel of the North:An Administrative History of Denali National Park and Preserve''], Volume 1, National Park Service (10 MB download)
*Norris, Frank (2006), [https://web.archive.org/web/20130829184653/http://www.nps.gov/dena/historyculture/upload/vol2-sans-extra-ch-14.pdf ''Crown Jewel of the North:An Administrative History of Denali National Park and Preserve''], Volume 2, National Park Service (80 MB download)
*Scoggins, Dow (2004), ''Discovering Denali: A Complete Reference Guide to Denali National Park and Mount McKinley, Alaska''. iUniverse Star. {{ISBN|0-595-29737-4}}
*Sheldon, Charles (1930), ''The Wilderness of Denali''. Derrydale Press (reprint), {{ISBN|978-1568331522}}
*Waits, Ike (2010), ''Denali National Park, Alaska: Guide to Hiking, Photography and Camping''. Wild Rose Guidebooks. {{ISBN|978-0-9677327-2-5}}

==External links==
<!-- No commercial links, please. They will be removed. -->
{{sister project links|auto=1}}
*[https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm Denali National Park & Preserve] - [[National Park Service]] site
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090510173421/http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/Ed%20Packet%20(revised%202008,msj).pdf NPS education packet]
*[https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1104 ''Small Mammal Population in Mount McKinley National Park, Alaska'' Manuscript] at Dartmouth College Library
*{{HABS |survey=AK-35 |id=ak0067 |title=Mount McKinley Headquarters, Cantwell, Denali Borough, AK |photos=1 |color=1 |data=2 |cap=2}}
*[[Historic American Engineering Record]] (HAER) documentation, filed under Cantwell, Denali Borough, AK:
**{{HAER |survey=AK-31 |id=ak0487 |title=Stampede Gold Mine |photos=33 |cap=2 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AK-34 |id=ak0490 |title=Stevens Cabin |photos=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AK-36 |id=ak0492 |title=Barn |photos=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AK-40 |id=ak0496 |title=Quigley Cabin |photos=21 |cap=3 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AK-41 |id=ak0497 |title=Kantishna Roadhouse |photos=12 |cap=2 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AK-65 |id=ak0614 |title=Mount McKinley Park Hotel, Power Plant |photos=11 |cap=1 |link=no}}

{{National parks of the United States}}
{{National Preserves of the United States}}
{{Protected areas of Alaska}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denali National Park And Preserve}}
[[Category:Denali National Park and Preserve| ]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Alaska]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Alaska]]
[[Category:1917 establishments in Alaska]]
[[Category:Biosphere reserves of the United States]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1917]]
[[Category:Deaths due to bear attacks]]