Denali National Park
Perhaps most famous for North America’s tallest peak, Mt. McKinley, Denali National Park is also a haven for a plethora of Alaskan wildlife.
Over six million acres of land have been set aside and preserved for the future enjoyment of generation of visitors. Alaska’s first national park, Denali may be enjoyed by bus or shuttle rides over its one main road. Some visitors try to see “the big five” (moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears). Others take time to visit the famous sled dogs of Denali which have become famous for being the only sled dogs in the United States which help protect a national park.
Visitors to the park should know that Denali’s summers are very brief and that its winters are very cold (the lowest recorded temperature in the park is -55 degrees Fahrenheit!). Most tourists visit between May and September, before the weather starts to become inhospitable.
At approximately 20,320, Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in North America.
It’s also referred to as Denali, and is located in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve.
Interestingly, it actually has a larger bulk and a taller rise than Mount Everest; this is because Mount Everest’s “base” actually sits on the Tibetan Plateau, which is approximately 17,000 feet above sea level.
Every year, scores of climbers attempt to climb to the top of Mt. McKinley, though less than 50% of them make it, depending upon which side of the mountain they climb. Other adventurers visit the mountain for a view of the glaciers which flow away from the mountain’s slopes: Peters Glacier, Muldrow Glacier and Traleika Glacier are three of them.
