Denali National Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain. Its address puts it 13 mi northwest of Denali Park. Management falls to the National Park Service. It had 543K visitors in 2025.
A national preserve, 13 mi northwest of Denali Park
Winters are cold
January nights drop to -6°, with about 77" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Little or no visiting in Jan, Nov and Dec
The Park Service records almost no visits in January, November and December. Check the official site before planning a trip then. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
9 places to stay are inside the park: Denali Backcountry Lodge and Kantishna Roadhouse. The nearest town with more is Denali Park. Where to stay ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 65K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 95% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Established in 1917
Denali National Preserve dates from 1917 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visitors and weather through the year
Each month at Denali has its visitors and its weather below.
Denali National Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass 6,045,153 acres (2,446,387 ha; 9,446 sq mi; 24,464 km2) which is larger than the state of New Hampshire. On December 2, 1980, 2,146,580 acres (3,354 sq mi; 8,687 km2) of Mount McKinley's 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 glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is Kahiltna Glacier. Wintertime activities include dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The park received 543,300 recreational visitors in 2025.
- Type
- National Preserve
- Established
- 1917
- Area
- 9,492 square miles
- Elevation
- 1,063 ft
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 65K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/dena
Entry, hours, address
- Per Person$15
Bases for Denali National Preserve
You can sleep inside the park (9 places). Close by, places to stay are in Denali Park (19) and Healy (18).
Stay in the park
- Denali Backcountry Lodge lodge or cabins
- Kantishna Roadhouse lodge or cabins
- Sheldon Chalet & Mountain House inn or B&B
- Riley Creek Campground campground
- Riley Creek campground
- Teklanika River Campground campground
Denali Park
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
819 people · 66% vacation homes
13 mi southeast of Denali Visitor Center · 5 mi to the park
Healy
670 people · 37% vacation homes
16 mi north of Denali Visitor Center · 7 mi to the park
Cantwell
128 people · 49% vacation homes
23 mi south of Denali Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Compare 4 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denali Park 66% vacation homes | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 19 8 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 819 | $417K |
| Healy 37% vacation homes | 16 mi north | 25 min | 18 2 hotels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 670 | $309K |
| Cantwell 49% vacation homes | 23 mi south | 35 min | 7 3 hotels · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 128 | $256K |
| Petersville 90% vacation homes | 108 mi southwest | 2.5 hr | 1 1 lodge or cabins | 53 | $450K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
543,300 people came in 2025
The chart runs from 2016 to 2025.
Denali, answered
What town is Denali National Preserve near?
Denali Park, AK, about 13 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Denali National Preserve?
June and July, with highs of 65–66°. August is the busiest month (about 130,673 visitors).
How many people visit Denali National Preserve each year?
543,300 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 642,809, set in 2017.
What is the closest airport to Denali National Preserve?
Fairbanks (FAI), about 81 miles away. The nearest big hub is Ted Stevens Anchorage (ANC), about 180 miles.
Where should I stay near Denali National Preserve?
Inside the park: Denali Backcountry Lodge, Kantishna Roadhouse and Sheldon Chalet & Mountain House. Nearby: Denali Park (13 mi, 19 places to stay), Healy (16 mi, 18 places to stay) and Cantwell (23 mi, 7 places to stay).
Ask a local in Denali Park
Questions and tips go in Denali Park’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.