"Overshadowed by Its Larger Namesake" Denali State Park by mrclay2000

Denali State Park Travel Guide: 28 reviews and 44 photos

Denali State Park

Even with 340,000 acres of land, enough to rank with many of the national parks in the lower forty-eight states, Denali State Park is often overlooked by commuters anxious to explore Denali National Park, which lies adjacent to and completely overshadows the state park.

Most of the state park's trails begin at the George Parks Highway and carry the hiker through rugged and difficult terrain, and some of the state's densest forests. Lakes and rivers and the national park's distant glaciers are all enjoyable from this overlooked state park, but for those needing a camping option not terribly far from the greater Denali, there is a small handful of user-friendly campgrounds here.

In sum, while the national park is by far the more enchanting draw, many of the best views of the High One (i.e. Denali) are appreciated from turnouts in the state park, where visitors can savor the best perspectives of the Alaska Range from a southern vantage.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Easy to reach trailheads, simple camping, cozy and comfortable
In a nutshell:Its deathknell is NOT being quite the national park

Intro Updated Oct 1, 2003
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Reviews (15)

Jack River waters the Cantwell area - Denali State Park

Can't Leave Well Enough Alone Off The Beaten Path (3)

Not too horribly far north of Denali State Park is the sparse but spread-out enclave known as Cantwell. The Tesoro... more travel advice

the Chulitna River and Denali (Viewpoint South) - Denali State Park

A River Runs Through It Things to Do (5)

Though not as long nor as monstrous as the nearby Susitna River (into which it flows near Talkeetna), the Chulitna River... more travel advice

spruce forests dominate most of the park - Denali State Park

Virgin Forests Things to Do (5)

Away from the numerous cottonwoods farther south, Alaska's interior and Denali State Park especially is glutted with... more travel advice

Denali as seen from Denali Viewpoint North - Denali State Park

Denali Viewpoint North Things to Do (5)

On clear days, Denali Viewpoint North gives a much different perspective of the highest point in North America. Viewed... more travel advice

Hotels (2)
See All Shaded by Cottonwoods
Favorites (2)
See All Chulitna River valley

Warnings and Dangers (3)
See All Stick to the Trails
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Comments (13)

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BruceDunning Dec 31, 2010 at 2:05 PM

What a great opportunity you had to be able to go there. The landscape and color hue off the snow is fantastic. YOu did a very nice job of picture taking and commentary.
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amandajayne81 Dec 8, 2010 at 9:58 PM

Looks like a great place to visit. Thanks for the interesting tips.
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Yaqui Dec 25, 2009 at 6:51 AM

Excellent page Mike! Thank you for the lovely tour! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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nickandchris Jan 26, 2008 at 6:10 AM

Simply stunning........
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iandsmith Jan 4, 2006 at 9:44 PM

Interesting pages, but we expect nothing less.
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vesna04 Oct 19, 2005 at 1:15 PM

Every originality left my brain, so I wii jjust say Great Page :)
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starship Jul 11, 2005 at 6:59 PM

I've also been to Alaska twice but never to Denali! It is a beautiful place, and one to be respected as should all the wildlife! Great tips on clean camps and bear etiquette!
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jamiesno Dec 31, 2004 at 1:50 PM

I've been to Alaska twice now but never to Denali, it looks even more amazing here. Great tips. Cheers from Labrador, Canada :-)
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dave_21 Jan 13, 2004 at 8:36 AM

Denali sure is impressive. It's a pity though that people still don't respect mother nature and its inhabitants by leaving food, trash and other "smelly" stuff. It's a shame that we humans affect their natural habitats. It's nothing more than common sense
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janiac Jan 9, 2004 at 3:56 PM

super page, great pics as always. I wish I had your life