Denali National Park is one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in the world. Visiting Denali is an experience not easily forgotten. Within the parks boundaries are over 6 million acres of tundra, wild rivers, and huge glacier draped mountains, like the 17,400 foot Mount Foraker, and the 14,570 foot Mount Hunter, culminating in North America's tallest peak, the 20,320 foot, ice-clad Mount McKinley.
Located in interior Alaska, Denali offers visitors a true wilderness experience. There are very few trails. Hiking is done along rivers and over tundra. Above the snow line mountaineering and glacier climbing skills are neccessary. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond the first 14 miles of Denali's 85-mile road. There are only three small scattered campgrounds beyond the paved part of the road: Sanctuary River, Igloo Creek and the very popular Wonder Lake. Backcounty camping is strictly controlled to protect the environment.
Denali habitat includes deciduous taiga forest at lower elevations, and tundra at the middle elevations. Glaciers, ice and rock, dominate the lanscape above 7,000 feet.
The grand prize for most visitors to Denali is a great photograph of Mount McKinley. This is no easy task since "the mountain" as it's referred to by many Alaskans, is usually shrouded in clouds. The best places to get that great photo, weather permitting, are from the Eielson, Highway Pass, and Wonder Lake areas. Kesugi Ridge, in Denali State Park, also has great views of Mount McKinley.
The biggest problems facing this incredible park comes from budget cuts, the ever increasing tour bus traffic on Denali's sometimes overcrowded road. and pressure from the extracting industries to open the park to mineral exploration.
