National parks8
Visits in 2025 (all parks)1,894,519
No entrance fee7
OldestDenali (1917)
Alaska has 8 national parks. Together they recorded 1,894,519 recreation visits in 2025.
The parks
| Park | Established | Area (acres) | Visits in 2025 | Entrance fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Bay | 1980 | 3,223,383 | 740,044 | No entrance fee |
| Denali | 1917 | 4,740,911 | 543,300 | $15 per person |
| Kenai Fjords | 1980 | 669,650 | 425,369 | No entrance fee |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | 1980 | 8,323,146 | 108,840 | No entrance fee |
| Katmai | 1980 | 3,674,529 | 34,479 | No entrance fee |
| Lake Clark | 1980 | 2,619,816 | 19,778 | No entrance fee |
| Gates of the Arctic | 1980 | 7,523,897 | 14,923 | No entrance fee |
| Kobuk Valley | 1980 | 1,750,716 | 7,786 | No entrance fee |
At a glance
- Busiest: Glacier Bay, with 740,044 visits in 2025.
- Quietest: Kobuk Valley, with 7,786.
- Largest: Wrangell-St. Elias, at 8,323,146 acres.
- Oldest: Denali, a national park since 1917.
- No entrance fee: Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords, Wrangell-St. Elias, Katmai, Lake Clark, Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk Valley.
Driving between the parks
Drive times and road miles between the closest visitor centers of each pair (OSRM estimates on OpenStreetMap roads), with straight-line miles for comparison.
| From | To | Drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenai Fjords | Lake Clark | No road | 148 mi |
| Gates of the Arctic | Kobuk Valley | No road | 158 mi |
| Katmai | Lake Clark | No road | 179 mi |
| Denali | Lake Clark | No road | 188 mi |
| Kenai Fjords | Katmai | No road | 213 mi |
| Denali | Kenai Fjords | 5 h 15 min (238 mi) | 237 mi |
| Glacier Bay | Wrangell-St. Elias | 24 h 35 min (666 mi) | 245 mi |
| Kenai Fjords | Wrangell-St. Elias | 6 h 40 min (314 mi) | 271 mi |
| Denali | Wrangell-St. Elias | 5 h (229 mi) | 318 mi |
| Denali | Gates of the Arctic | No road | 318 mi |
Link them into one trip with the road trip planner.
Other National Park Service sites in Alaska (11)
Beyond its national parks, Alaska has these Park Service sites:
- Alagnak Wild River: no entrance fee
- Alaska Public Lands: no entrance fee
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area: no entrance fee
- Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve: no entrance fee
- Bering Land Bridge National Preserve: no entrance fee
- Cape Krusenstern National Monument: no entrance fee
- Iñupiat Heritage Center: no entrance fee
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Noatak National Preserve: no entrance fee
- Sitka National Historical Park: no entrance fee
- Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve: no entrance fee
Sources
- Wikipedia: List of national parks of the United States (area from NPS land resource data, 2025 recreation visits from NPS visitor statistics)
- National Park Service: Entrance Fees by Park
Sources last checked 1 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many national parks are in Alaska?
8: Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Wrangell-St. Elias.
What is the most visited national park in Alaska?
Glacier Bay, with 740,044 recreation visits in 2025.
Which is the oldest national park in Alaska?
Denali, established February 26, 1917.