Denali National Park

#DidYouKnow Spring and early summer are periods of increased bear activity in many parks, including Denali! This time of year, bears are moving through habitat in all areas of Denali National Park and Preserve, searching for food while protecting their cubs. Bears can be encountered anywhere, including roads, trails, and parking lots. What can you do to reduce the chances of a dangerous situation? Knowledge is the key to prevention and is the most important tool to take with you in bear country! General Denali bear safety reminders include: - Stay at least 300 yards away from all bears (the length of three football fields). - Never run from a bear. - Make your presence known. Hike in groups and make noise to avoid surprising bears. Be extra loud in noisy areas like near rushing water. - Carrying bear spray is recommended in Denali - If you see a bear ahead of you on your hike, give it at least 300 yards of space by re-routing, leaving the area, or waiting at a distance of >300yards for it to pass by. - If a bear charges you or is highly agitated, back away slowly and try to leave the area, and deploy bear spray if within range. - If the bear makes contact with you, drop to the ground on your stomach, protect your head and neck, and play dead until you’re certain the bear has left. - If a bear is persistently following you or attempts to interact with your tent or possessions, encourage it to leave by shouting, looking big, and using bear spray if within range. - Store all food, trash and scented items inside a vehicle or approved bear-resistant food container when not in use. - Ask about recent bear activity at the visitor center or Backcountry Information Center. - Respect all wildlife closures and do not enter closed areas. For more information on bear safety in Denali, check out go.nps.gov/DenaliBears Visit the park website for current conditions and alerts, as well as Denali-specific safety guidance for all wildlife in the park. www.nps.gov/dena NPS Photo/Kent Miller #BeBearAware #Bears #BearSafety #Wildlife #WildlifeSafety #DenaliNationalPark

#ThrowbackThursday to last year’s Weather Litter. They are a little bit bigger now! If you want to see how much they’ve grown, tune in to the Puppy Cam on Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. AK time. We will send the little pups on an adventure and bring in the bigger pups to show off how much they’ve grown. NPS Video/David Tomeo ALT TEXT: A ranger runs toward the camera followed by 5 small puppies set to the song Chariots of Fire. #Puppies #DenaliNationalPark #DenaliPuppies #SledDogs

The Tsenesdghaas Na' trailhead is now open! This trailhead is located six miles south of the Denali Park Road entrance, at Mile 231 of the George Parks Highway. When planning your visit, please be prepared for conditions ranging from snow-covered to icy due to the current weather. Tsenesdghaas Na' means "rough rock creek" and is the Ahtna name for Riley Creek. #DenaliNationalPark #hiking #RileyCreek #TsenesdghaasNa #Ahtna

🐶PUPDATE🐶 We're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Born March 30, Denali’s newest sled dog puppies are now live at go.nps.gov/puppy to give you front-row seat to the next generation of working dogs in action. This year’s litter comes with a patriotic twist. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, each puppy is named after one of the nation’s iconic national parks — Sequoia (f), Mammoth (m), Rainier (f), Teton (m), and Mesa (f). Another pup, Acadia (f), will soon join the team from a partner kennel. The mother (dam) of the puppies born in the park is Spark, a Denali Kennels canine ranger from our 2023 Fire-themed litter, and the father (sire), Trapper, is from Sage Mountain Kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska. Acadia’s dam is Katniss from Middle Earth Mushing Kennel in Fairbanks, and her sire is Soldier from Sage Mountain. Later this month, Sage Mountain will select two puppies from this litter who will stay in the park for a few more weeks and then return to Fairbanks to join their teams. Around the same time, we will also acquire one puppy from a litter born at Middle Earth Mushing Kennels on April 3, for a total of four puppies that will become Denali canine rangers. #America250 #Freedom250 #Puppies #Denali #DenaliPuppies #AmericasBestIdea

Are you or someone you know entering 9th-12th grade and looking for a fun summer adventure? Join Denali National Park and Denali Education Center staff for Denali Field Camp! Denali Field Camp is an immersive program for teens who are excited to explore and challenge themselves. Participants may engage in hands-on science, practice outdoor safety skills, and discuss land management with park educators. No prior hiking or camping experience is necessary. Who: Teens entering 9th-12th grade. Preference is given to those residing in Alaska. When: June 29 - July 2, 2026 Registration is currently open on Denali Education Center's website: nali.org/programs/youth/denali-field-camp/ First-come, first-served, with preference given to those residing in Alaska. Full/partial scholarships may be available! Email [email protected] with any questions.

Calling all local youth! Denali National Park and Denali Education Center staff are hoping to see you at Denali Discovery Camp this summer. These week-long programs are packed with adventure and learning throughout the diverse habitats of Denali National Park and Preserve. Who: Youth entering 1st-8th grade. Preference is given to local residents. When: June 8 - 12 (Week 1), June 15 - 19 (Week 2) Registration is currently open on Denali Education Center's website: /programs/youth/denali-discovery-camp/ First-come, first-served, with preference given to those residing in Alaska. Full/partial scholarships may be available! Email [email protected] with any questions.

Join us for a virtual Town Hall Meeting with Denali National Park and Preserve Superintendent Brooke Merrell. Brooke and park staff will provide updates on projects, research occurring in the park, and summer operations. Thursday, March 19 4 - 5 p.m. AKT Join virtually on Microsoft Teams: /meet/22229086978118?p=VOVGP1pczCXnUiQJjQ Dial in by phone for audio only: +1 202-640-1187. Conference ID: 830 612 530

This summer, teens and young adults can join Denali National Park and Denali Education Center staff in learning wilderness stewardship and backpacking skills through Denali Backcountry Adventures programs. Participants take on challenges exploring Denali's wilderness while working together on an informative adventure. No prior backpacking or camping experience is needed. Who: Teens entering 9th-12th grade (DBA 1), high school graduates who are 17-24 years old (DBA 2). Preference is given to those residing in Alaska. When: July 6 -10, 2026 (DBA 1), July 20 -24, 2026 (DBA 2) Registration is currently open on Denali Education Center's website: /programs/youth/denali-backcountry-adventures/

Happy birthday 109th to us! 🎉🎂 Did you know we owe Dall Sheep special thanks on our birthday? Charles Sheldon and other visionaries persuaded congress to establish Mount McKinley National Park. President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation on this day in 1917 to create a 2-million-acre wildlife preserve, specifically focused on the conservation of Dall Sheep. In 1980, under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), the park was expanded to 6 million acres and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. In honor of our birthday, share your favorite thing about the park! #HBD #HappyBirthday #HappyBirthdayDENA #OnThisDay #OTD #NationalParkService 1. Six white Dall Sheep on a rocky outcropping surrounded by bright blue sky - NPS Photo/Chris Smith 2. Snowy Mount McKinley surrounded by fall foliage with its reflection in a lake - NPS Photo/Tim Rains

🐶PUPDATE🐶 We know you have all been waiting for this and we appreciate your patience! Winter is a busy time in our Kennels, as the sled dog teams have a lot of important work to do out in the snow While the puppies are no longer little or cuddly, they are definitely still cute! At the last weigh-in, Dew was 85 pounds and Storm was the lightest at 55 pounds. They thoroughly enjoy their daily romps in the forest, with the Kennels staff skiing quickly to keep up with them. As of January, we have started to run alongside our adult dogs going out on short patrols. This exposes them to the adult dogs in harnesses and pulling sleds in the snow. They love racing along with the adult dogs, and several of the pups have already taken to finding their favorite adult friend and running right next to them. Before the winter ends, we will eventually have harnesses on the pups and clip them into the gangline on the dogsled for some very short and fun runs for them. After a few runs pulling the sleds, they will shed their puppy labels and become official Denali canine rangers! Learn more about the pups at go.nps.gov/puppy NPS Photos 1. Graupel gets weighed 2. Squall goes for a run 3. Storm shows how smart she is 4. Torrent 5. Vapor 6. Dew 7. Fog 8. Squall 9. Storm 10. Graupel #puppies #DenaliSledDogs #sleddogs #DenaliNPS #Denali #NationalParkService

Come join our Youth Ski Races at Winterfest 2026! Youth aged 6-18 are welcome to participate in both skate and classic ski races at the Riley Creek Campground, Caribou Loop on Saturday, February 21. This 0.8km loop track will be open for preview starting at 12 p.m. Racers should check in by 12:30 p.m. at the starting line with their own personal ski equipment. Be sure to bundle up, as the current weather report says it will be very cold this weekend! Learn more about Winterfest events here: https://go.nps.gov/Winterfest #Winterfest2026 #DenaliNPS NPS Photo/Emily Miller ALT TEXT: Young skiers in blue and yellow line up at the beginning of a snowy track.

Please join us on Saturday and Sunday, February 21-22 for Winterfest, an annual celebration of winter recreation, community, and nature in the heart of Alaska. Events will be taking place across the communities of Healy, Denali National Park and Preserve, and McKinley Village. A schedule of events can be found at: https://go.nps.gov/Winterfest For questions about events, please contact 907-683-9532. #DenaliNPS #NationalParkService