Denali Wilderness
Denali Wilderness is a 2,146,000-acre wilderness area in Denali Borough, Alaska. It rises from about 1,439 to 20,231 ft. The nearest town is Cantwell, 4 miles away in a straight line.
Denali Wilderness map
Denali Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Cantwell, AK is the nearest town, 4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Denali Wilderness is about 20,231 ft, and its lowest about 1,439 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Churchill Peaks, about 20,231 ft.
Who manages Denali Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Park Service | 2,146,000 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Denali National Park, 907-683-2294 |
Getting to Denali Wilderness
- Cantwell, AK is the nearest town, 4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Denali Wilderness
- Savage Cabin Interpretive Trailhead (0.02 mi outside the boundary, 2,777 ft), at 63.7191, -149.2615 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Tundra Loop Trailhead (0.11 mi outside the boundary, 3,735 ft), at 63.4312, -150.3111 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Savage Alpine Trailhead (0.13 mi outside the boundary, 2,764 ft), at 63.7159, -149.2550 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Mount Healy Overlook Trailhead (0.38 mi outside the boundary, 1,764 ft), at 63.7315, -148.9191 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Mckinley Bar Trailhead (0.51 mi outside the boundary, 2,110 ft), at 63.4581, -150.8503 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-ak.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Denali Wilderness
- Churchill Peaks summit
- Mount McKinley summit
- South Peak summit
- McLeod Lake lake
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Denali Wilderness
- National Park Service unitDenali Wilderness lies inside Denali National Park & Preserve.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Alaska
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.