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Denali National Park and Preserve – an Introduction
In the native Athabaskan language, ‘Denali’ means “the great one”. Denali Mountain or Mount McKinley is truly a great one with its amazing beauty. And the very same beauty is also one of the unique features of Denali National Park and Preserve – the national park in USA that houses Mount McKinley – the highest mountain of North America with a height of 20,320 feet. Initially established as Mount McKinley National Park on February 26, 1917 when it was designated as a wilderness area, later this U.S. national park was incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve in the year 1980. In 1976, it was also designated an international biosphere reserve. Currently, Denali National Park and Preserve has become a popular tourist attraction in USA for wildlife viewing, mountaineering and backpacking.
Visiting Denali National Park and Preserve
Visiting Denali National Park and Preserve is full of joy and would be full of activity as well. Though summer would be the most perfect time to visit Denali National Park and Preserve, however, you also have plenty to do here during winter.
During summer months, you can explore the park by going for day hiking, cycling, backpacking, or by going for nature walks and fishing. Horseshoe Lake Trail Hike, McKinley Station Trail Walk, Eielson Stroll and Discovery Hike are quite popular here. Those who love adventure, can go for mountaineering. However, for mountaineering, you need to register first. Collect Mountaineering Booklet from Denali National Park and Preserve office before you go for the adventure.
Camping: Denali National Park and Preserve has six camping grounds that attract good number of adventure tourists. One is allowed to camp to a total number of 14 days per year here. You can choose your camping grounds from Riley Creek Campground, Savage River Campground, Teklanika River Campground, Igloo Campground, Sanctuary Campground, and Wonder Lake Campground.
During winter, Denali National Park and Preserve gets different looks with snow coverings. Denali National Park and Preserve becomes a popular place for cross-country skiing then. You can also go for snowshoeing, snowmobiling and winter camping. During winter, you can also enjoy the Winterfest celebration here.
Opening Hours
Though Denali National Park and Preserve remains open all through the year, however, summer is the best time to visit. It is better to visit Denali National Park and Preserve between mid-May and mid-September.
How to Reach
Air: If you are traveling by air, you need to reach either at Anchorage or else at Fairbanks. Then you can take a car, shuttle or train to reach Denali National Park and Preserve.
Train: You can also reach directly to the entrance of Denali by train.
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