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An Elevated View

A Visit to Denali National Park Heightens Your Outlook Along with Your Senses

Centuries ago, the Athabascans, native to the great Northwest, named the crown of the sprawling 400-mile Alaska Range "Denali"--meaning ‘The High One”.

The Denali name, as GMC owners will attest, still carries a special meaning. For residents and visitors of south-central Alaska, it now represents 6 million acres of protected beauty that is as eye-catching as it is intriguing.

The Denaili National Park and Preserve traces its origins to 1917, when, as Mt. McKinley, it became the first national park admitted to the newly created National Park Service. It lived in relative isolation as a wildlife sanctuary until statehood and an expanding road system brought it closer to the masses.  In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act enlarged it's boundaries by 4 million acres and gave it its current name.

The Athabascans' "Denali," Mt. McKinley, still remains the focal point of the park, standing tall as the highest point in North America. Truth be told, many visitors never even see the great peak; it's completely visible from the clouds only one in three days, on average, and is visible only about 45 percent of the time. Meanwhile, the park and reserve--larger than the state of Massachusetts--provides a visible reminder to the variety and stark wonder of a subarctic climate.

Call of the Wild

Situated about 240 miles north of Anchorage, Denali National Park and Preserve spreads to the west of bustling George Parks Highway and into a vast wilderness awaiting exploration.

One instant impression strikes those entering the park: the significant effect brutal winters have on the surrounding land. It remains cold for so long each year that many areas of the park are marked by permafrost, or eternally frozen ground, with just a tiny layer of topsoil that thaws each summer and supports growth.

Higher elevations feature a tundra landscape, marked by small shrubbery and flowers that have adapted themselves to the short summers, such as mountain avens and forget-me-nots, Alaska's state flower. The more than 750 species of plants include fireweed, saxifrage, dwarf birch, willows and alder. In addition, more than a dozen species of moss, lichen, and algae line the valleys and slopes of Denali.

At 2,700 feet and lower, taiga (Russian for "forest") features the unique evergreen tree growth indigenous to much of the northern part of the world. White and black spruce, quaking aspen, paper birch, larch, balsam poplar can be seen predominantly in the valleys and especially along the park’s numerous rivers.

From spring to fall, four-legged creatures illustrate the diversity the area offers. A single trip could feature any or all of the following, the ‘Big Four’ of Denali: grizzly bear (and cubs); moose; caribou; and Dall sheep.

Wolves, which usually travel in packs, appear less regularly, and rangers will tell you that a wolf spotting makes a park visit a particularly special event. Red and arctic ground squirrels, porcupine, beaver, hoary marmot, weasel, and snowshoe hare are some of the 39 different mammal species that call the park and preserve their home.

Birdwatchers flock to Denali National Park--some from thousands of miles away--to gaze at the more than 160 types of winged creatures that have been seen here, including ptarmigan, Lapland longspurs, owls, golden eagles, and many other raptors. Some birds travel remarkable distances themselves to summer in Alaska, with wheatears coming from Africa and arctic terns arriving from as diverse places as Antarctica and southern South America.

Along with programs run by park officials, the Denali Institute (www.alaskanha.org) offers a variety of ever-changing field seminars on the natural inhabitants. In addition, the twice-daily (seasonal) “Wildlife Tracker” programs provide interactive presentations on nearby trails, where participants experience firsthand how to use global positioning satellites and wireless communications to follow Denali’s animals and conduct scientific research.

Room to View

Thanks to progressive legislation, most of Denali has been preserved as the Athabascans knew it. Visitors have the opportunity to see much of this area, thanks to a wide variety of transportation and tour options. The primary visitation season runs from May 1 to September 15. Entrance is currently $10 per person or $20 per family (camping is extra).

The Denali Park Road runs for 14.8 miles to the Savage River bridge. Beyond this point, shuttle and tour buses can take you to destinations further into the park, such as campgrounds, although you can also continue by foot or bike.

Two bus tour favorites offer a perfect Denali introduction. The Tundra Wilderness Tour runs from mid-May through mid-September and provides opportunities to view the scenery and the park's denizens.  The six- to eight-hour tour winds 50-plus miles into the park at elevations as high as 4,000 feet. The Denali Natural History Tour is a 17-mile trek (one-way) that includes a naturalist on board (and at the wheel), a stop at the Wilderness Access Center for the documentary film Across Time and Tundra, as well as several interpretive programs that examine the region's cultural and geographic background.

Another great way to soak in Denali comes by putting down stakes for a night or two. Five established campgrounds in the park allow visitors to stay up to a total of 14 days per year in established campgrounds. If interested in exploring the park's backcountry, contact park officials about obtaining the proper permit.

Many further options await the adventurous visitor, including ranger-led Discovery Hikes both moderate and strenuous and, for those ready to make it to the top, mountaineering. If you're visiting in the winter, go to the dogs, literally, by viewing 30 well-conditioned and highly competent canines as they train for their sled runs.

Whatever the adventure, your Denali visit is sure to be a peak Alaskan experience! That only goes without saying when you're talking about meeting "The High One."

The Height of Heights

Looming 20,320 feet above sea level, Mt. McKinley looks down on Denali National park like a peaceful watchkeeper. Yet this massive massif remains the area's most popular figure. Mt. McKinely greets about 1,000 climbers each year, all attempting to reach its peak.

Although experts note the climb technically isn't a difficult one, the severe temperatures and harsh weather conditions--more than 75 percent of Mt. McKinley is covered in snowfall and glaciers year-round--deter many daunting challengers. In fact, only about half who attempt it make it to the top, and some die trying (11 climbers alone in 1992).

Park officials view this undertaking so seriously that they require would-be climbers to preregister with them at least 60 days beforehand. This allows rangers to gauge the climbers' level of expertise and provide the appropriate routes.

Climbers should expect to spend about three weeks on the mountain in their quest for the peak. And they should be aware of its sudden steepness: Measured from the lowlands near the end of the Park Road around Wonder Lake, Mt. McKinley rises more than 18,000 feet to its summit of 20,320 feet. This vertical relief is greater than even Mt. Everest, the highest peak in th world, which rises only 11,000 feet from the Tibetan Plateau. For more information, call the Talkeenta Ranger Station at (907) 733-2231 or e-mail DENA_Talkeentana_Office@nps.gov.

Lynn Seldon is a veteran adventure travel journalist. He’s written more than ten books and has published more than 500 articles in national magazines, including Outside, Playboy, National Geographic Traveler, Hooked on the Outdoors, Smithsonian, and many others.