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Denali Backcountry Lodge

An exclusive lodge located in the enclave of Kantishna, an oasis of private land deep inside the boundaries of Denali National Park. Located at the end of the restricted-access Denali Park Road, every trip is an Alaskan wildlife adventure waiting to happen.

Denali National Park

Denali National Park, located approximately 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles southwest of Fairbanks, is comprised of over 6 million acres of richly diverse terrain and is best known for North America’s highest mountain – Mount McKinley. Denali, or "High One," is the native Athabascan name given to Mount McKinley. Click to explore more using our Denali National Park map

At a height of 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley stands out over the surrounding mountain peaks of the 600 mile long Alaskan Range. Large mammals - wolves, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears - roam freely within the park and share this wild land with a host of smaller mammals including ground squirrels, hoary marmots, pikas and snowshoe hares. These smaller mammals are abundant throughout the park and serve as an important component to Denali's food chain. More then 650 species of flowering plants and a wide variety of mosses, lichens, fungi and algae, adorn the numerous slopes and valleys of the park. Among the many peoples who originally called Denali home were the Ahtna, Athabaskan, Koyukon and Tanana.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, gold seekers clambered to the area. It was around this time that railroad executive and avid outdoorsman, Charles Sheldon, first began work to preserve this unique natural treasure. Following the establishment of Mount McKinley National Park by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917, the Park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1976. In 1980, the original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve. The use of motorized vehicles within the park is limited to maintained roads and parking areas. Private vehicles are not permitted past the Savage Check Station located at mile 14 of the Park Road.

Transport to Denali National Park may be made via the Alaska Railroad, motor coach or rental car. There are a number of clean and comfortable lodging opportunities available to Denali National Park visitors both near the park entrance and within the park itself. The most well known, luxurious and uniquely situated lodge within the park is Denali Backcountry Lodge, located at the very end of the Park Road in the enclave of Kantishna. Near the park entrance is Denali Cabins – a charming collection of 46 cedar cabins each containing a private bath, TV, phone and comfortable beds.