Just as cartographers draw maps that help hikers know where they are going, park planners facilitate the development of guiding documents, or plans, that provide managers with directions for how a park should be managed. Planners bring together the ideas of park staff and interested members of the public to create plans that provide a vision for what the park will be like in the years to come. Your voice is integral in shaping the future of Denali.

Park plans help managers determine the best ways to comply with a park's enabling legislation and other laws and policies, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In those instances where there is management discretion, park plans also provide a framework for managers to determine the best way to respond to the many competing interests in parks.