Alaska’s Denali National Park covers an incredible 9,375 square miles of wild land bisected by single ribbon of road. Denali Park Road is the main avenue for visitors to see the park and travelers along get to experience the low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating with North America’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley, which stands at 20,310 feet.
Denali Park Road stretches 92 miles long and only the first 15 miles are paved. The paved section which leads away the park entrance to Savage River, is the only section that personal vehicles may drive. After that its reserved for commercial vehicles, park busses, hikers and bikers.
Upon entering Denali at Savage Station you will encounter a park ranger that will brief you on the hazards of traveling the Denali Park Road, including the importance of being prepared for grizzly encounter. Bear spray is strongly encouraged for all hikers and bikers in Denali and the following video is an excellent example of why.
Thankfully this biker kept his mouth shut and his ears open when the park ranger detailed the various indicators of grizzly bear behavior and was able to negotiate this encounter without deploying his bear spray. Learn more about bear safety at Denali National Park below.
Recreating In Bear Country
At the top of many visitors’ wish lists is the opportunity to see wildlife. Few animals elicit the oohs and aahs of seeing a grizzly bear in the wild, and it’s easy to understand why. Bears are magnificent animals, capable of moments of ferocity as well as playfulness. This dichotomy of behavior often leads people to view bears as dangerous beasts or silly buffoons. The truth is they are both and everything in between.
The following information is based on the most current understanding of how to avoid negative encounters and increase safety for you and bears. Understanding defensive and non-defensive bear behavior is important—your response to an encounter should be based on the bear’s behavior.
Denali National Park Guide To Preventing Negative Encounters With Bears:
What can you do to reduce the chances of a dangerous situation? Knowledge is the key to prevention and is the most important tool to take with you in bear country. Two of the best ways to avoid conflicts are to prevent surprise encounters and to ensure your food and trash are always stored properly.
Preventing Surprise Encounters
When bears feel threatened, they will either fight or flee. Most of the time they flee, but bears may also respond to a threat by charging or attacking. This most commonly occurs when people encounter female bears with cubs or bears protecting a food source (e.g., a carcass). To reduce the chances of a surprise encounter:
- Make your presence known – Hike in groups and make noise to avoid surprising bears.
- Move in the open and avoid areas with poor visibility when possible. In areas of poor visibility, make noise more frequently.
- Traveling along rivers or other noisy areas makes it difficult for bears to hear you. Be extra loud in noisy areas.
- Pay attention to signs of bear activity (tracks, scat, dug up areas, etc.).
- Watch for carcasses – Look for bird activity to alert you of a carcass that a bear may be feeding on. If you see or smell a carcass, leave the area.
- Don’t wear headphones or earbuds when hiking, jogging, or biking.
- Biking and jogging increase your speed and the likelihood of surprising a bear. Read more about cycling safety.
- Stay at least 300 yards away from all bears (the length of three football fields).
- Ask about recent bear activity at the visitor center or Backcountry Information Center.
- Pay attention to trailhead signs that may provide information about recent bear activity.
