Denali National Park and Preserve surrounds Mt. McKinley (the largest mountain in North America) with over 5 million acres of wilderness. The Park is a natural home for dozens of wildlife species including Dall Sheep, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Wolf, Fox, Beaver, Moose, and Caribou.
The Park is located 120 miles south of Fairbanks and 240 miles north of Anchorage on the George Parks Highway. There are very few towns or facilities between these two major cities, and therefore, the Park area is somewhat isolated.
Lodges, restaurants, gift shops, gas stations, convenience stores, and various other visitor-related services can be found spread out within a few miles of the Park entrance road. But with 5,000 visitors and 1,000 employees in the Park area each day, accommodations can be scarce so it's best to make reservations early.
Local activities include hiking and camping in and around the Park, wildlife viewing, flight-seeing, jet boating, fishing, golfing, photography, river rafting, and the Park Service shuttle bus tours.
The Denali
National Park and Preserve Web Site has all the latest information on in-park happenings.
Go
to their website at
www.nps.gov/dena
Temperatures can range from the mid 20's in early May and September to 85 degrees in July. Normal day time temperatures are in the high 60's with nights cooling off to between 40 and 50 degrees. It can rain a fair amount, and you may need to adjust clothing several times a day. Layered clothing is recommended. It will be daylight 24 hours a day throughout May, June, and the first 1/2 of July. By early September it gets dark by 8PM with sunrise around 6AM.
Medical care is available at the Healy Clinic 10 miles to the North. Emergency care is provided in Fairbanks via ambulance or Air Evac in extreme instances. There are many doctors and a hospital in Fairbanks.
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