Denali, the High One

We picked up a rental car in Anchorage and drove four hours to Denali National Park. We are staying at a cute little cabin right on a creek about 5 miles away from the park entrance. It is just perfect!

The next morning, we drove over to Denali National Park to begin learning more about this special place. 

Denali's first residents migrated here about 13,000 years ago from Asia over the Bering Land Bridge. These first inhabitants lived in the park year-round changing location with the seasons in small family groups. These indigenous Athabaskans called themselves "Dena'ina" and the called the mountain "Denali," meaning "the high one."

In 1908, the young hunter and conservationist, Charles Sheldon was deeply moved with the beauty of the vast wilderness while being simultaneously alarmed by the loss of wildlife resulting from unrestricted hunting of the Dall Sheep. He realized that without protection, even this most remote of places could be damaged by overuse. He began to envision the creation of a National Park. 

Thanks to the determination of Sheldon and fellow visionaries, Denali National Park and Preserve was established in 1917. 

The Dall Sheep remains a prominent symbol for Denali National Park due in part to the role their plight spurred Sheldon to conceive of a National Park. 

Today, more than 600,000 people, most seeking beauty, adventure, and untamed wilderness, visit Denali every year.