Denali National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🫎 Moose and Caribou TundraDenali is open tundra under the highest mountain in North America, and there is one road through it. From the bus a visitor sees moose on eight trips in ten and caribou on the same, grazing country with no trees to hide in.
63.276° N 151.464° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Moose
Alces americanus
★ 
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
★ 
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ 
Dall Sheep
Ovis dalli
📊 Most Spotted
Arctic Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus parryii
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus americanus
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
Willow Grouse
Lagopus lagopus
Quiller
Erethizon dorsatus
Gray Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
Collared Pika
Ochotona collaris
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Moose
Alces americanus
★ Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
★ Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ Dall Sheep
Ovis dalli
📊 Most Spotted
Arctic Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus parryii
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus americanus
Quiller
Erethizon dorsatus
Collared Pika
Ochotona collaris
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Hoary Marmot
Marmota caligata
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
Northern Red-backed Vole
Myodes rutilus
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
📊 Most Spotted
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
Willow Grouse
Lagopus lagopus
Gray Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Boreal Chickadee
Poecile hudsonicus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Denali National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
3Moose in the Snow
Moose feed in the willow flats where they are easiest to pick out against the snow.
1Bears and Caribou in Late
Grizzly bears feed on the berry slopes and caribou herds move across the open tundra, both at their highest of the year.
2Dall Sheep on the Ridges
Dall sheep come down to the lower slopes and ground squirrels are active across the dry ground.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Bears and Caribou in Late
- 2Dall Sheep on the Ridges
- 3Moose in the Snow
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We saw one grizzly bear - a mom with a cub - just where you want to see them: far away on a hill, too far for a picture.
At one point, he heard someone from a car on the road yell, "Bear!!" My husband looked up and a grizzly was also meandering down the riverbed -- in his direction!
I uploaded my photos that I saw I had captured him: I did tell you, didn’t I, that it was snowing once we got to the second set of bear, and the Dall’s sheep?
We spotted several, but I have to confess, the teensy white specks looked nothing like the stuffed Dall sheep in the visitor’s center.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Denali National Park?
The most likely sightings are Moose (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Caribou (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Arctic Ground Squirrel (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Brown Bear (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), American Red Squirrel (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers) — among 319 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Denali National Park for wildlife?
May has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Moose in Denali National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Moose sighting in Denali National Park, based on 633 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Caribou in Denali National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Caribou sighting in Denali National Park, based on 537 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Brown Bear in Denali National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Denali National Park, based on 357 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Dall Sheep in Denali National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dall Sheep sighting in Denali National Park, based on 212 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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