Denali National Park: Saved for Sheep, Renamed Twice, and One $230M Bridge

Denali National Park almost wasn't named for the mountain at all — the whole thing got saved because one guy in the early 1900s wouldn't stop fighting to protect the Dall sheep from overhunting. In this episode, we dig into how Denali became a national park in 1917 (as Mount McKinley National Park), how it tripled in size to over 6 million acres under Jimmy Carter in 1980, and the messy, ongoing fight over what to call the mountain itself.

We also cover the wild story of the Pretty Rocks Landslide — permafrost that was moving up to 14 inches a day and swallowing the park's only road — and the brand-new bridge engineers built to span it. Plus: how to actually plan a Denali trip (spoiler: you only need one day inside the park), where to go for the best mountain views, and what to do outside the park boundary when you're done.

🎒 Featured: Denali (the mountain), Denali Park Road, the Pretty Rocks Bridge, Dall sheep, sled dog kennels, George Parks Highway viewpoints

🥾 Also discussed: bus tours vs. driving limits, ATV wilderness runs, river rafting, guided nature hikes, and where to actually see the mountain from outside the park

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