Date: August 27, 2015
Contact: Kathleen Kelly, 907- 683-9504
Contact: Molly McKinley, 907-683-6241
Contact: Jared Zimmerman or Aaron Edington, 907-683-6419
Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) managers invite public input and comments about their vision for trail management as part of a future Trails Management Plan.
It has been almost 30 years since the National Park Service (NPS) articulated a vision for trails in the General Management Plan (GMP) for the park. The 1986 plan has had major revisions since that time, both in the 1997 Front-country Plan (FCP) and the 2006 Backcountry Management Plan (BCMP).
The park has completed many of the trail projects in the FCP and BCMP and the maintained trail network is popular with visitors. The park’s designated wilderness remains largely free of maintained trails but is subject to increasing social trail formation.
Park managers are interested in revisiting their vision for trails as the park approaches its Centennial in 2017.
Denali’s planning documents can be accessed at parkplanning.nps.gov/denalitrailsplan.
Park staff is preparing a vision for trail management in a formal Trails Plan, as well as pursuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) of a Nenana River Trail (proposed in the FCP), a Mt. Healy Overlook Loop Trail (proposed in the BCMP and FCP) and trail connections to an improved Day Use Area along Riley Creek.
The public is invited to:
- Comment on hiking opportunities in Denali.
- Comment on proposals for future trails or suggestions for limiting trail development.
- Submit specific suggestions for allowing bicycle use and pet use on trails, for construction and maintenance standards, and signage.
- Comment on use of and visions for winter trails and river trails.
- Submit input in planning a Nenana River Trail and Mt Healy Overlook Loop Trail.
- Comment on any related trail topic.
- Comments are encouraged and may be submitted through October 1, 2015, by emailing us, phone at 907-683-6241 or, preferably, via the website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/denalitrailsplan.
Those without internet access may request paper copies of the documents by phone at 907-683-6241.
