Denali Sled Dogs

Denali is the only national park in the country with a working sled dog kennel. Sled dogs and rangers continue to work together, connecting the past to the present to help protect the wilderness of the park as they have for almost 100 years. The Wilderness Act of 1964 prohibits the use of motorized vehicles in Denali's 2 million acres of designated wilderness, so in many places, sled dogs are the only way park staff can access these areas. We celebrate this wilderness every time we hook up our dog teams to head out into the park in winter. Each year, an average of 3,000 patrol miles are logged throughout the park's interior, all on sleds pulled by NPS huskies. In the wintertime, Denali's sled dogs prove, with each day of eager service, that they are the heart of a tradition and the true symbol of the Denali wilderness.