Wanderlust World Wanderlust World There is no Denali State Park in the United States. Alaska has **Denali State Park**? No — it has **Denali National Park and Preserve** (federal).
Alaska *does* have a **Denali State Park**? Wait — let's verify.
Correction: Alaska **does** have a **Denali State Park** (est. 1970), **separate** from Denali National Park & Preserve. It lies **south of the national park**, along the Parks Highway (George Parks Hwy / AK-3), covering **325,240 acres (1,316 km²)** — about **508 sq mi**.
My earlier statement was incorrect. Here are both:
| Denali State Park | Denali National Park & Preserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Management | Alaska DNR (State) | NPS (Federal) |
| Area | 325,240 acres (1,316 km²) | 6,045,153 acres (24,464 km²) |
| Location | South of park, Parks Hwy MP 130–160 | North of state park, includes Denali summit |
| Key Features | Kesugi Ridge Trail, Byers Lake, Denali views | Denali (20,310 ft), wildlife, wilderness, mountaineering |
| Visitation | ~100k/yr | ~600k/yr |
Denali State Park offers **arguably the best road-accessible views of Denali** (on clear days) via Kesugi Ridge Trail (36 mi backpack) or Byers Lake campground. Less crowded, no permit for day hiking.
Both are jewels. Know which you mean.