Interior Proposes Rule to Expand Visitor Access at Denali National Park and Preserve

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced a proposed rule to improve visitor access at Denali National Park and Preserve by updating outdated vehicle use regulations for the historic Denali Park Road. 

The proposed rule would amend National Park Service regulations to clarify that up to 160 motor vehicles may travel per 24-hour period on the restricted section of the Denali Park Road during the park’s visitor season. The change would align federal regulations with the park’s Vehicle Management Plan, which has guided road operations since 2012. 

This update would replace an outdated seasonal permit cap of 10,512 vehicles with a daily management framework that better reflects current park operations and would expand access opportunities for visitors seeking to experience one of America’s most iconic national parks. 

“Denali is one of America’s crown jewels, and Americans should have every reasonable opportunity to experience it,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “This proposed rule removes outdated restrictions, improves transparency, and ensures access decisions are driven by sound management rather than unnecessary bureaucracy.” 

Built between 1922 and 1938, the 92-mile Denali Park Road is the primary gateway into the heart of the park and one of the most extraordinary wildlife viewing corridors in the world. President Donald J. Trump commitment to restoring access to America’s public lands includes significant investments in infrastructure that make that access possible. Through major funding, including Great American Outdoors Act investments, the National Park Service is advancing work to restore the Denali Park Road following the Pretty Rocks landslide, helping deliver safer, more reliable access for the American people. 

Once on the road, visitors regularly observe grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, foxes and a wide variety of bird species against the backdrop of the Alaska Range. 

The National Park Service has managed vehicle use on the restricted portion of the road under the 160-vehicle daily framework since adoption of the Vehicle Management Plan in 2012. The proposed rule updates existing regulations to reflect that operational reality while providing greater clarity and consistency for visitors and tourism partners. 

The proposal also clarifies the park’s visitor season definition by aligning it with the General Management Plan, ending on the second Thursday after Labor Day, which may provide additional recreational access in some years. 

The proposed rule supports President Trump’s Executive Order on improving access to national parks and follows the Administration’s broader efforts to remove outdated regulations that unnecessarily restrict recreation on America’s public lands. 

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