News Release

Public Feedback Sought for Denali Winter and Shoulder Season Plan

Date: October 9, 2019
Contact: Jennifer Jonhston, 907-683-6240

DENALI PARK, Alaska – As winter visitation continues to increase, Denali National Park and Preserve is seeking public input on ways to improve the visitor experience in the winter and spring/fall off-seasons, also known as shoulder seasons. Concepts under consideration are described in the Winter and Shoulder Season Plan. The intent of this plan is to describe ideas that address the management of the winter and shoulder seasons in Denali, outline the role that Denali may play in regional tourism and outdoor recreation in these seasons, and increase the quality of the winter and shoulder season visitor experience while protecting park resources and values.

Members of the public are invited to share their thoughts and comments about management of Denali’s winter and shoulder seasons at upcoming public meetings or in writing. Written comments may be mailed to the park or submitted online on the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site. Comments should be submitted by November 15, 2019. The mailing address for comments is:

Denali Park
ATTN: Winter Planning
P.O. Box 9
Denali Park, AK 99755

Public informational meetings regarding the Winter and Shoulder Season Plan will be held at the following locations:

Fairbanks
Morris Thompson Cultural Center
Oct. 15, 2019, 6-8 pm
Presentation at 6:30 pm

Denali National Park
 Murie Science and Learning Center
Oct. 16, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm
Presentation at 6 pm

Denali receives most of its visitors during the summer, but the park is open year-round and visitation in the off-season is growing. Visitation between October and April has increased approximately 400 percent during the past six years, while annual visitation during the same period increased much less dramatically, by approximately 17 percent.

Park Planner Jennifer Johnston described the purpose of Denali’s Winter and Shoulder Season Plan in relation to these changes: “Visitation in the off-season has increased across Alaska, and Denali is no exception. We want to use this plan as an opportunity to describe how Denali could fit into the changing tourism landscape and continue providing exceptional visitor experiences without detracting from what makes these seasons in the park special in the first place.”

The Winter and Shoulder Season Plan is a non-NEPA document that does not propose formal alternatives or commit the park to a specific course of action. If any ideas from this plan are implemented in the future, the appropriate NEPA and other compliance processes will be followed.

For more information about the Winter and Shoulder Season Plan, please contact Jennifer Johnston, Outdoor Recreation Planner, at 907-683-6240 or email the planning team.