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Denali is truly a park on an Alaskan scale: six million acres—a plot of magnificent land larger than the state of Massachusetts—interrupted by just one road. And at that, the byway is gravel and all but closed to private vehicles. In other words, Denali sees less traffic than many suburban streets. Across the park's largely treeless expanse, the views are of a scale unknown in the Lower 48. Rivers rush wide and milky white with rock pulverized by glaciers. Flower-studded tundra spills away in all directions for tens of miles. Marquee wildlife like caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and grizzly bears roam freely. And, if the weather cooperates, Mount McKinley swallows the horizon.
Hike the Backcountry Raft a Glacial River  Your chances of seeing wildlife up close perhaps rate better than your chances of glimpsing the elusive Mount McKinley, which is to say they're good but not guaranteed. Your best option: Ramble along Park Road on foot, by bike, or by bus. Park buses are managed on a hop-on, hop-off, space-available basis, so passengers can get out whenever they see something that needs to be photographed, hiked, or generally experienced. Another bus is sure to come along soon. Although Denali's big wildlife could very well remain out of sight on a park safari, a keen eye and roving binoculars will usually yield a spotting. Bike the Tundra Denali ranks as one of the most bike-friendly national parks. Although bicyclists are restricted to designated roadways, the Park Road is 90 miles long and bikes are allowed on the whole length. You can even take your bicycle with you on a camper shuttle bus. During the spring and fall, when road closures are in effect, bicyclists are permitted to ride beyond closed gates. Try riding straight from Kantishna/Wonder Lake—the end of the Park Road and the final bus stop—back to the park entrance. Doing it at night, by the light of Alaska's midnight sun, avoids a lot of bus traffic. Soar above Denali |
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At
20,320 feet, McKinley is North America's highest mountain and the crown of the
600-mile-long Alaska Range. The indigenous Athabascan people dubbed the massif
"Denali", or the "Great One," and it more than lives up to
the name. From base to summit, the mountain's vertical relief is greater than
that of Mount Everest. On those rare occasions when its shroud of clouds rolls
back, McKinley's grandeur will steal your breath away.