Park History

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

Explore little-known episodes from the history of Denali

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected Documents and Reports

Dichinanek' Hwt'ana
History of the People of the Upper Kuskokwim who Live in Nikolai and Telida - Raymond L. Collins
A History of the Denali-Mount McKinley Region
Land Use in the North Additions of Denali
Denali's Historic Design Guidelines
To protect the historic look of the park's historic headquarters district, a design document provides guidance and recommended treatments for work on historic structures in the Mt. McKinley Headquarters Historic District.