Size: 4.7 Million Acres

Year Established: 1917

Annual Visitors: 229,521

Firearms Information in Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve is gun-friendly thanks to a federal law passed on February 22, 2010 that permits persons who are eligible to carry weapons under both federal and Alaska state law to do so.

Signs are posted at all park entrances reminding visitors that firearms are not permitted in all areas, as required by federal law most federal buildings are off limits to carry. You can use these signs to determine where you need to leave your firearm behind. Here are some of the federal facilities found in Denali:

• All National Park Service offices and administrative buildings
• The Denali Visitor Center
• The Murie Science and Learning Center
• The Backcountry Information Center
• The Eielson Visitor Center
• Wonder Lake Ranger Station
• Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station
• Toklat Contact Station
• The Denali Post Office

A passenger may bring an unloaded firearm onto a transit bus or a free bus (such as the Savage River Shuttle, Riley Creek Loop, or Sled Dog Demonstration Bus) as long as the firearm is secured in a closed container provided by the rider. All ammunition must be kept in a secure, locked location.

Before visiting the park, you are made responsible for familiarizing yourself with and abiding by all local, state, and federal weapons regulations that apply in Alaska. 

Here are some helpful pages you can visit to learn more:

• State of Alaska firearms information
• Alaska State legislature statutes
• Applicable federal firearms laws

Hunting in Denali National Park

Some regions inside and outside of Denali’s park boundaries are open to hunting for both sport and subsistence purposes. Make sure you read up on all of the regulations before you go hunting in Denali. 

A valid Alaska State hunting license is necessary for all hunters 18 and older in areas where hunting is permitted. 

The park is divided into three distinct management regions that you need to keep in mind before planning a hunting trip: federally designated Wilderness, national park land, and national preserve land.

All of Denali National Park, including its wilderness areas and the expansions from the 1980s, is off-limits to hunters. Only within Denali National Preserve is sport hunting allowed.

On ANILCA-added park and preserve properties, subsistence hunting is allowed by qualified local rural inhabitants. It is not allowed within the boundaries of Denali National Park.

Additional Information About Denali National Park

People in the U.S. used to call it Mount McKinley from 1896 to 2015. In 2015, the federal government changed the name back to what it was before, Denali. Forty years ago, Alaska did the same thing. On Denali’s slopes and glaciers, people climb, dogsled, snowshoe, and ski.

The name Denali, which means “the high one” or “the great one,” comes from the language of the Athabaskan people. It is the tallest mountain on the continent, at 20,310 feet.

There are also 430 different kinds of flowering plants and a boreal forest in the park. The alpine tundra is covered with cotton grass. There are caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and snowshoe hares. The area is remote and wild.

During the winter, nighttime lows can dip to -40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, making it too cold for all but the wood frog to survive. Although its body and heart freeze solid and stop beating throughout the winter, the frog is still alive because to substances within its cells. That way, the frog can sleep through the winter and emerge in the spring.

Best Time to Visit Denali National Park

The best time to visit Denali National Park is between the months of June and August.

Visitor Fees

Denali only has a per person entry fee, no car fees.  Everyone over the age of 16 who wants to visit Denali has to pay a fee. Kids under 15 can still get in for free. 

$15.00 per person for up to 7 days.

$45.00 per person for Denali Annual Park Pass

The annual pass can be used by the cardholder and up to three other people. The pass can have up to two names written on it, which means that either cardholder can use it.

Visitor Centers

Most places to see in Denali are only open during the summer.
The Murie Science & Learning Center is the only visitor center that is always open in the winter. It is open almost every day of the year.

Denali Visitor Center

Murie Science & Learning Center

Address

237 Parks Hwy,
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

(907) 683-9532

Hours of Operation

Daily 9:30 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station

Address

22241 S. B Street
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Phone Number

(907) 733-2231

Hours of Operation

Daily 8:00 AM–4:30 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Indoor Picnic Area

Address

Mile 0.25, Denali Park Road
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

None

Hours of Operation

Daily 9:30 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures.

Eielson Visitor Center

Address

Mile 66, Denali Park Road
Denali Park, AK 99755

Phone Number

(907) 683-9532

Hours of Operation

Temporarily Closed.

Be sure to check if it is still closed.