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WILDLIFE CHECKLIST
 Big Animals
of Denali Park
Lots of visitors to the park will want to see if they can complete this checklist. Buses along the
Park Road will note the sighting of almost any animal, but a glimpse of one of these five large mammals will bring them to a stop.
 1. Grizzly Bear
Weighing in at up to 600 lbs,
it is estimated that 300-350 grizzlies live in the park on the north side of the Alaska Range. You can see them in open tundra and along
the gravel bars of streams and rivers. These grizzlies eat roots, berries, bulbs, tubers, and fresh vegetation early in the season. They
also eat ground squirrels, caribou, moose and sheep. The bears hibernate from October to April. The park service has interactive videos about
what to do if you encounter a grizzly.
2. Moose
An estimated 2,000 moose roam north of the Alaska Range. One of the easier places to see
a moose is in the forested area at the beginning of the park, near the entrance. You can also see them on gravel bars, or wading through
ponds, where they forage for vegetation in the summer. They also eat willow leaves. During the winter, they roam the park, eating leafless
vegetation and wading through snow to escape predators.
3. Caribou
The 2,000 caribou in the park roam in groups. In the early summer they
can be viewed in open areas east of the Savage River. Late in the summer, you’ll find them on gravel bars and ridges west of Sable
Pass. Caribou favor open tundra, where they find lichen and escape the bugs. In the winter, they paw for food through the snow.
 5.
Wolf
The wolf population on the north side of the Alaska Range generally fluctuates between 80 to 100 adults. Wolves move
around, looking for snowshoe hares, ground squirrels, moose, Dall sheep and caribou. You can see them in open places and along gravel bars.
Last year, they were often seen between the park entrance and Savage River, and on the road to Wonder Lake. They’ve also been viewed
between the Teklanika River and the East Fork River, and between Toklat and Thorofare Pass.
6. Dall Sheep
These beautiful animals live high
in the mountains. An estimated 2,500 sheep north of the Alaska Range eat low-growing alpine plants year-round. They can be seen from Mile
15 on the Park Road (Savage River) to mile 17. They’re
also visible at Igloo Canyon, Polychrome and Toklat.
+ More Denali Wildlife in the Denali National Park main section
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