Park History

 
 
snow covered Denali stands tall over a lake

Denali or Mt. McKinley?

What's in a name? Surprisingly, a lot. Learn more about what the mountain is called and why.

a dog pulling a woman on a sled

Denali History Nuggets

Explore little-known episodes from the history of Denali

a historic photo of a man standing on a snow overed mountain

The First Ascent of Denali

On June 7, 1913, four people stood on the top of Denali for the first time. Discover more about this historic climb.

four women standing in front of a bus on a dirt road

History of the Park Road

From the 1920's to the present the Denali Park Road has been an important method of connecting visitors with their National Park.

historic black and white image of a man standing next to a team of dogs and large sled

Kennels History

Set aside as a park in 1917, Denali National Park has had a team of canine rangers nearly its entirely history.

a park ranger reads a copy of "Snapshots from the Past"

Snapshots from the Past

Explore park history through a tour of the park road with this free book written by Jane Bryant.

historic photo of people standing under a sign for the Mt. McKinley National Park

Crown Jewel of the North-Volume 1

The park administrative history explores everything from the park's creation to the colorful people who lived here.

photos of buses stopped and visitors viewing the mountain, Denali

Crown Jewel of the North-Volume 2

The second volume of the park administrative history continues Denali National Park's story.

 

Selected Documents and Reports

 

Further Reading

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    Tags: history

    Last updated: February 18, 2022

    Contact Info

    Mailing Address:

    PO Box 9
    Denali Park, AK 99755

    Phone:

    907 683-9532
    A ranger is available 9 am to 4 pm daily (except on major holidays). If you reach the voicemail, please leave a message and we'll call you back as soon as we finish with the previous caller.

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