Denali National Park and Preserve

In 1926, Ranger Grant Pearson recalled that Superintendent Harry Karstens tested whether he could survive alone in Denali’s wilds, reflecting the self-reliance expected of the ranger force where there were no blazed trails to follow. Denali National Park and Preserve is part of Alaska’s broad national park heritage, in a state that is home to 16 of America’s national parks, some two-thirds of the acreage of all national park units, the continent’s tallest mountains, and vast populations of caribou, wolves, bald eagles, salmon, and marine mammals. Beyond these record facts, Denali is presented as part of a shared national heritage belonging to people with roots in the earliest Native Americans, immigrants to colonial America, and recent arrivals from around the globe. Its history is tied to historic cabins, dog mushing, and rangers, all of which play a vital role in protecting Denali’s wilderness.

Healy, Alaska · United States