• Introduction
• 1. Baxter State Park
• 2. Channel Islands National Park
• 3. Denali National Park and Preserve
• 4. Everglades National Park
• 5. Isle Royale National Park
• 6. National Bison Range
• 7. Safari West
• 8. San Juan Islands
• 9. Tucson’s Sonoran Desert
• 10. Yellowstone National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve

Best for: grizzly bear, moose, caribou, wolf, and Dall sheep

This sprawling park and preserve surrounding North America’s tallest mountain peak – Mount McKinley (known as Denali, or “the Great One,” to the region’s Native people) – is a remote but can’t-miss destination that channels all the majesty of Alaska’s backcountry. Encompassing some 6 million acres, the secluded park (situated 240 miles northwest of Anchorage) is marked by tundra, glaciers, and prolific wildlife – including the so called “Big Five": grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves. The park’s ecosystem remains much as it has for millennia due to careful stewardship. Case in point: Just one dusty service road cuts into the reserve, most of which is closed to private vehicles – visitors gain access to the wilderness terrain via a handful of coach bus tours or hop-on, hop-off park shuttles. www.nps.gov/dena

Smart Splurge Hotel: Inside the park’s boundaries, eco-friendly Camp Denali offers plush cabins near Wonder Lake. Guests' perks include prepared organic fare, naturalist-led programs, and stunning vantage points from the only park lodge (along with neighboring sister property, the North Face Lodge) with views of Mount McKinley. www.campdenali.com

Great Value Hotel: Located about a mile from the park entrance, the popular McKinley Chalet Resort offers family-friendly pine-paneled, two-room mini-suites, as well as numerous other chalet-style accommodations spread throughout the cedar lodge-like buildings. www.denaliparkresorts.com

When to Go: Our favorite time to visit is in late spring, just before the bulk of the summer crowds arrive, and when animals are just coming out of hibernation or returning to the newly greened landscapes. Wildlife is most active through summer, though tourist groups are more likely to keep them at bay. Come fall, animals like moose and caribou are more robust looking after a full season of chowing down, and most will also boast majestic sets of antlers or horns.

See Sonoma Travel Guide | See Montana Travel GuideSee Maine Travel Guide