Msm - National Park Service

vivid blues of larkspur and monkshoodenrich the tundra scene, while Alaskacotton waves gaily in the summer breezealong roadside ditches and borders oftundra ponds.Complementing the hundreds of flowering plants found in Mount McKinleyNational Park are many lichens andmosses. They add their varied, oftensubtle hues of green, yellow, and red tothe landscape. They, too, are importantmembers of both the tundra and spruceforest communities; some, such as thecaribou lichens, are important wildlifefoods. Mosses have a special role toplay in the far north; their deep springybeds help to conserve water and insulatethe frozen soil from the warming rays ofthe sun.WildlifeA Dall sheep.Although the tundra environment isharsh, its plants do not lack in beauty,and their blooms, often delicate, maybe enjoyed throughout the summer.In early June, mountain azalea, cushion pink, forget-me-not, alpine springbeauty, and windflower follow the retreating snows. Diminutive dryas withoak-shaped evergreen leaves form densemats on the tundra and send up creamywhite flowers, contrasting sharply withthe dainty bell-shaped flowers of stubbycassiope heath. Blue lupine borders thepark road, and the white, pink, and blueflowers of native peas may completelycover large gravel bars.As summer advances, fireweed, asters,and the yellow, roselike flowers of theshrubby cinquefoil are ever present. The6Mount McKinley National Park is atrue wilderness; it is the home of manynative animals whose habits have beenlittle affected by man. Animals, likeplants, must be well adjusted to thenorthern climate. Their mobility allowsthem to accomplish this task in variousways. Some, such as most birds and thebats, spend only the warm summerswithin the park. Several avoid the coldby hibernating during the long winter;others grow thicker fur or feather coats,and layers of cold-resistant fat; and somespend much of the winter in burrowsand nests deep beneath an insulatingblanket of snow.Insects, found in phenomenal numbersduring the summer, must also avoid thesubzero temperatures of winter. Someseek protection under the bark of trees,in the ground, or in cracks in the rocks,and pass the winter as adults; othersexist only as cold-resistant eggs, and donot develop until they are warmed by thespring sun. No snakes or turtles andonly one species of frog have beenable to endure the climate of MountMcKinley.MammalsDall sheep. The animal which mosttypifies the mountains of Alaska, andperhaps the first to come to mind whenMount McKinley National Park is mentioned, is the white Dall sheep. Relatedto the Rocky Mountain bighorn, the Dallsheep differs not only in color but in itssmaller size and the slender, more gracefully curved horns of the rams. Bothewes and rams have horns but thoseof the females are small and almostgoat-like.During the winter, Dall sheep roamin fairly large bands on the low mountains, called the Outside Range, north ofthe park road. Snowfall is lighter on theOutside Range and there are a numberof windswept ridges where sheep mayfind food. Not only is this their winterhome, but here mating takes place inlate November, and here the young areborn during early May.Lambing grounds, used year afteryear, are in sheltered nooks protected byoverhanging cliffs. Though soon able tofollow their mothers, the lambs spendthe first few weeks of their lives closeto the rocks for protection against enemies. By June they dare to venture outon the grassy slopes where they may beseen scampering about in playful bandsunder the ever-watchful eyes of the ewes.In June, sheep leave their winter quarters and cross the intermountain valleyto spend the summer widely scattered inthe lower mountains of the main AlaskaRange. The spring and autumn migrations are critical events in the lives ofthe Dall sheep. They may spend uncertain hours, even days, scanning the valley below; once under way, however,the sheep usually travel with haste to theprotective hills across the valley.One of the best places to view Dallsheep during the summer is on themountain slopes bordering Igloo Creek.Caribou. Depending to a large extenton the herd for protection from theirRed fox.

enemies, the barren ground caribou arethe nomads of the north. They are constantly on the move. Briefly stoppingto graze, they follow the ancient trails oftheir ancestors in search of fresh feedinggrounds. Primarily the barren groundcaribou are animals of the tundra, buttheir wanderings may take them highinto mountains and through deep spruceforests.Caribou differ from other members ofthe deer family in that both bulls andcows have antlers. The antlers curvebackward and upward, and those of thebulls have prominent shovel-like browtines. The cows are somewhat smallerthan the bulls. Their color in spring isgrayish-brown, but as autumn approaches,the dark-brown pelage with a contrastingwhite cape becomes evident.Caribou live throughout the arctic andsubarctic lands of North America andEurope. The European caribou is thesmaller, and has been almost completelydomesticated by man; they are the reindeer of Santa Claus fame.You may see small bands of caribougrazing on the hillsides and in the intermountain valley of the park in June.During the first week of July, herdsnumbering in the thousands may movethrough the park to their summer ranges.In the vicinity of Wonder Lake, caribouare nearly always present.Moose. The largest member of thedeer family, and the largest animal ofMount McKinley National Park, is theAlaska moose. Bulls weighing nearlythree-quarters of a ton and with tremendous palmate antlers, which may have aspread of more than 5 feet, are, indeedimpressive creatures.Moose are shy animals of the forest,and prefer the solitude of spruce forests to the open tundra. However, during the summer, they may wander farout onto the tundra in search of food.10The twigs, bark, flower catkins, andleaves of willows provide the bulk oftheir diet. Moose will sometimes taketo the water of tundra ponds to escapethe summer heat and the annoyance ofbiting insects. They vary their diet ofwillows by feeding on submerged andfloating waterplants.The moose, with a muscular overhanging muzzle, low hindquarters, and highshoulders, may appear to us as grotesque,but it is well suited to its environment.High shoulders and long neck allow itto reach the highest willow shoots; longlegs carry it with ease over the denseshrubby growth and through the deepsnows of winter.Toklat Grizzly Bear. "Toklat," perhaps a name once given by the Indiansto the Alaska Range, means "home ofthe waters." Today the term still bringsto mind the rugged mountains and theirswift glacial streams, but for most people,"Toklat" refers to the Toklat grizzly—the tremendous bear of Mount McKinley National Park.Grizzlies may be encountered almostanywhere in the park. They roamthrough the spruce forests, aspen thickets, and over the bare mountain slopes,but their preferred home is on the opentundra. It is here that the grizzly findssufficient food to support its hundredsof pounds of restless energy.In the choice of food, the Toklat grizzly is an opportunist. Its diet consistsof both plants and animals. Carrion,perhaps, is the principal source of animal food. The bear may help itself tothe carefully prepared food caches ofother animals such as the wolf, coyote,fox, or even man. Many hours may bespent in pursuit of mice, parka squirrels,and marmots, or in stalking cautiousDall sheep and caribou. But these huntsusually prove fruitless and animal mattermerely supplements the bear's main dietof plants.In the spring you have a good chanceof seeing the Toklat grizzly digging onthe wide gravel bars, or rolling backsquare yards of tundra in search of succulent roots. During early summer, itsdiet consists primarily of green plantssuch as grasses and horsetails. By themiddle of July, berries begin to ripen,and the blueberry, crowberry, rabbitberry, and alpine bearberry help sustainthe bear until it seeks the shelter of itswinter den in October.The young—single cubs, twins, or,rarely, triplets—are born during theperiod of winter rest. The mother willcare for the cubs during their first 2years, until the urge to mate is onceagain upon her.The Toklat grizzlies vary in colorfrom individual to individual. Most ofthem are light brown, or even sunbleached to a straw-color during the earlysummer, but as autumn approaches, theygrow new dark coats. One of the bestplaces to see the Toklat is at Sable Pass.To avoid disturbing the bears and causing them to leave this wilderness scene,it has been necessary to restrict all activity in the Sable Pass area to the parkroad.Some Other Mammals.The varyinghare, or snowshoe rabbit, hides fromits many enemies by changing its dullbrown summer coat to snow-white inwinter. Snowshoe rabbits are cyclic animals, having periods of high populationsfollowed by years of scarcity. Duringthe "boom" rabbit years, Canada lynx,coyote, fox, and owls are also plentiful,but during "crash" years they must findother sources of food, or perish.In the park you will have excellentopportunities to see hoary marmots andpikas in the rockslide areas; parka squirrels and red fox on the tundra; as wellas beaver and porcupine in the aspen andwillow thickets along the streams andponds at lower elevations. Even therare wolverine and timber wolf whichso carefully avoid man, are occasionallyseen along the park road.Surfbird.

Another of the park's rarely seen shorebirds is the wandering tattler. Onlyfour nests of this shy and interestingbird have been found, all of them wellconcealed on gravel bars within MountMcKinley National Park. The darkslate-colored tattler is about the size ofa killdeer, and blends well with its graygravel-bar surroundings.Mount McKinley from Stony Hill.In all, 35 species of mammals varyingin size from the petite shrews to thehuge moose inhabit Mount McKinleyNational Park.BirdsVery few birds are content to endurethe wintry blasts of Mount McKinley.Notable among the exceptions are theptarmigan, magpie, Canada jay, andchickadee. These birds not only areadapted to the cold climate but can varytheir diet with the seasons.With the coming of spring, the tundra once more resounds with the songsand calls of nesting birds. The scene istruly a cosmopolitan one—not only dobirds arrive from the southern parts ofNorth America, but from far distantlands as well.The long-tailed jaeger annually fliesacross the Pacific from its winter homeon islands near Japan; from Hawaiicomes the golden plover; while Asiasends the European wheatear.12Nesting on the tundra is crowded during June; often nesting birds will havea scant few square yards of territory.Many of the tundra birds make little attempt to hide themselves, and rely onnatural camouflage to conceal their eggsand nests. Some birds, however, arenoted for their elusive habits. The surfbird, for instance, is a master of concealment.As its name implies, the surfbird is aseashore bird. It lives on rocky ledgesand islands unmindful of the salt spray.The surfbird winters from southernAlaska down along the west coast ofNorth and South America as far as theStraits of Magellan. But in June theylargely disappear from their coastal habitat. For nearly 150 years after they hadbeen identified and named, the nestinggrounds of the surfbird were unknown.It is now believed to nest high in themountains of interior Alaska, in areasrarely visited by man. Only one activenest of the surfbird has ever been found,and that was in Mount McKinley National Park in 1926.Ptarmigan are the grouse of the north.Three species live in Mount McKinleyNational Park. The most common,the willow ptarmigan prefers the lowshrubby tundra areas. The rock ptarmigan, a little smaller than the willowptarmigan, ranges from the open tundrabordering the rivers to the tops of highdry ridges. The third and smallest species, the white-tailed ptarmigan, nestsnear the heads of the valleys, high in themountains. All three of these Arcticgrouse are pure white in winter andbrown in summer. Their feet are completely feathered allowing them to"snowshoe" over the deep snow. Thespruce grouse with rusty-tipped tailfeathers may be seen in the deep spruceforests.If you are a bird student, the abun-dance and variety (over 120 kinds) ofnesting birds, as well as the rarity ofsome species, will be a special attractionfor you. Look for ducks and other waterbirds that frequent the many lakes andponds. Listen for the plaintive cry ofthe loon on Wonder Lake. Watch alongthe park road for the nests of gulls, terns,and plovers; and for the many songbirdsthat may be seen during a drive throughthe park. Of the latter, some that arecommon during the summer are thevaried thrush, redpoll, white-crownedsparrow, tree sparrow, longspur, snowbunting, and many kinds of warblers.The golden eagle, as well as the gyrfalconand several other hawks and owls, arecommon enough to give you a goodchance of seeing them on your visit tothe park.FishingMost of the rivers of the park are fedby glaciers, and their waters contain glacial silts that render them unsuitable forfish. However, in the clear mountainstreams the arctic grayling may be caughtwith artificial flies. Mackinaw trout,McKinley Park Hotel.13

Moose Creek through historic Kantishna,now nearly deserted but once a thrivinggold town of more than 2,000 people.On the east, the park road meets theDenali Highway, which parallels theAlaska Range and joins the Alaskanroad system at Paxson, 156 miles fromthe park entrance.66 miles distant, where a magnificentview of Mount McKinley can be had.Information on rates and reservationscan be obtained from the Manager,McKinley Park Hotel, McKinley Park,Alaska.TrailsNear Savage River and at WonderLake there are modern campgrounds.Along the park road is Teklanika Campground and other campsites at convenient intervals. Nights may be chilly, andcampers are advised to bring tents andwarm sleeping gear. Since firewood isscarce, campstoves are recommended.You must obtain, at park headquarters,authorization to camp at other than designated campgrounds or campsites. Youare advised not to take housetrailers over15 feet long beyond Teklanika Campground.Several fine foot trails radiate fromthe McKinley Park Hotel. One, theHorseshoe Lake Trail, is self-guiding;it winds from the hotel to a beaver damalong the Nenana River.Cross-country travel on gravel bars ofrivers and along dry ridges is relativelyeasy and safe. However, if you contemplate making a cross-country trip, youshould first obtain information on routesfrom the chief ranger's office.Mount McKinley fromWonder Lake.Canns photo.which attain 24 inches or more in length,are in the cold waters of Wonder Lake.The daily creel limit is 2 Mackinawand 10 grayling. A fishing license isnot required in the park, but a Territorial license must be obtained to fishin waters outside park boundaries.ParkRoadApproximately 100 miles of improvedgravel road carry you in reasonable comfort through the tundra and mountain14wilderness of Mount McKinley NationalPark. The road follows the picturesqueintermountain valley north of the AlaskaRange. Elevations along the way varyfrom 1,600 feet at McKinley Park Station to nearly 4,000 feet at several ofthe low passes between the park's northflowing rivers. Many points along theroad provide excellent views of rollingtundra and valley glaciers, as well asMount McKinley and other major peaksof the Alaska Range. Leaving the parknear Wonder Lake, the road followsCampgroundsHow To Reach the ParkMission 66From Fairbanks and Anchorage youcan get to the park by The Alaska Railroad. You can also get there by automobile over the Denali Highway whichconnects with the Alaska Highway viathe Richardson Highway. You can shipyour car to the park by railroad fromeither Fairbanks or Anchorage. Passenger service to McKinley Park is available from both towns 6 days a weekduring the summer.A 3,000-foot landing strip, for private planes only, is located at McKinleyPark Station, near the hotel.MISSION 66 is a program designed tobe completed by 1966 which will assure the maximum protection of thescenic, scientific, wilderness, and historic resources of the National ParkSystem in such ways and by such meansas will make them available for the useand enjoyment of present and futuregenerations.AccommodationsMcKinley Park Hotel (Europeanplan) is a modern installation in everyrespect. Buses operate daily during thesummer from the hotel to Mount Eielson,AdministrationMount McKinley National Park is administered by the National Park Serviceof the U. S. Department of the Interior.A superintendent, whose address isMcKinley Park, Alaska, is in immediatecharge. You can obtain information atpark headquarters located 2 miles beyond McKinley Park Station on thepark road.15

Help Us Protect This ParkPark regulations are designed for theprotection of the natural values andscenery as well as for your comfort andconvenience. Complete regulations maybe examined at the office of the superintendent. The following synopsis is foryour guidance.Destruction, defacement, or disturbance of buildings, signs, equipment, orother property, or of trees, flowers, vegetation, or other natural features is prohibited.Camping is permitted at designatedcampsites, and at sites of your own selection by authorization from the parksuperintendent. Only dead, fallen timber may be used for fuel. All refuseshould be burned or buried.Fires. Permission to build fires outside of designated areas must be obtained from the superintendent. Firesmust not be built in duff or in a locationwhere a conflagration may result. Afteruse, fires must be completely extinguished. Lighted cigars, cigarettes, orother burning material must be "deadout" before discarding in the park.Hunting or otherwise molesting wildanimals in the park is prohibited. Allfirearms must be sealed when you enterthe park.Fishing in any manner other thanwith hook and line is prohibited. Fishing in certain waters may be suspendedby special regulations.Boats.Permission to operate privately owned boat, canoe, raft, or otherfloating craft must be obtained from thesuperintendent. The use of motors onboats is prohibited on Wonder Lake andother waters.Advertisementsand private noticesmust not be posted or displayed in thepark, except such as the superintendentdeems necessary for the convenience andguidance of the public.Prospecting for minerals on parklands may be undertaken only under aspecial permit issued by the superintendent.Dogs and cats are allowed on parklands only on leash, crated, or otherwiseunder physical restraint at all times.The park superintendent may designateareas where dogs and cats will not bepermitted.Mountain climbing may be undertaken only by permission of the superintendent.Penalty for violation of regulationsis a fine of not more than S500, or imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, orboth, together with all costs of theproceedings.WARNINGALL grizzly bears are extremely dangerous. Never approach, feed,or trust them—or any of the animals of the park.United States Department of the InteriorFred A. Seaton, SecretaryNATIONAL PARK SERVICEConrad L. Wirth, DirectorCover: East side of Mount McKinley as seen from the air—Muldrow Glacier in foreground.Bradford Washburn.Copright, National Geographic Society.}Revised J 958(Photo byU. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : I95S—0-452762

northern slope of the range receives rel ativel y littl e moisture, onl th highest mountains can support large north-The National Park System, of which this park is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoy ment of its people.