Denali National Park and Preserve comprises the 1,919,398 hectares (4,740,912 acres) large Denali National Park, which was originally established as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917 and Denali National Preserve, which measures 566,428 hectares (1,399,078 acres) and was established as a national monument in 1978. The two parks were combined under the name of Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980.

The park is located in a region of spectacular mountain scenery and includes Mount McKinley, or Denali, which is the highest point in North America and rises 6,194 m (20,320 feet) above sea level. Many other peaks in the park exceed 3,000 m (10,000 feet). There are glaciers and endless tundra, as well as an abundant wildlife, including moose, mountain sheep, grizzly bears and wolves.

Denali National Park and Preserve is in the Alaska Range in southern Alaska. It is more than 1000 km northwest of Juneau and some 5370 km northwest from Washington D.C.