Comment from Steven Wagoner

June 26, 2026 Dear National Park Service, I am writing to strongly oppose the plan to allow more vehicles access to the Denali National Park Road. I worked at Denali for six years, and have spent many days riding the shuttle buses into the park so that I could hike and explore the vast wilderness areas of this amazing place. I stood on the summit of Denali in 2016, and have spent 8 days hiking and climbing up and over the Alaska Range from the Toklat River to Cantwell. I continue to visit the park and ride the transit buses and feel that I have a good understanding of the dynamics of the park road and how it is being managed. The wildlife and landscape of Denali is one of the most special places on earth, and it must be protected at the highest level of all our treasured lands. It’s not just a National Park, it’s also a Wildlife Preserve, a Wilderness, a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. Denali is famous for its wolves which are highly sensitive to human activity. It requires a very strict and conservative plan that does not tip the scale to the point of overuse. The abundance of wildlife that these ecosystems support is very fragile and we should be very cautious in upsetting the balance of the natural habitat that has existed for millennia. The park service has been managing this area for many years, and have studied the impact that cars, buses and people have on the ecosystem. Over many decades they have determined what is the maximum number of vehicles that can travel into the park each day without having a negative impact on wildlife. These are not old, outdated restrictions. If anything, we should err on the side of caution, being overprotective and not just allow the maximum number of cars, buses and people to enter the park each and every day. Instead, we should only allow a smaller portion of what is considered to be the maximum number the ecosystem can support. The mission of the park service is to protect and conserve these natural resources unimpaired. Preserving such a place requires restraint and limitations. Denali should never become a place that is overrun by tourists like Yosemite, Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. Denali should set the standard for true conservation by enforcing very limited access. I believe the current system for travel on the park road that has been in place for many years has proven to be effective. Just because there may be more people wanting to travel into the park does not mean that the quota should be relaxed or adjusted. If anything, it should become more rigid. Holding the line on access is imperative in protecting this World Heritage Site for generations to come. Access should never be about who is willing to pay the most. There should be a fair and equitable reservation systems in place that gives everyone an equal opportunity to get a reservation on a bus into the park, and there may come a point where access will need to be determined by a lottery like that of the Brooks Lodge at Katmai National Park, or Angels Landing at Zion National Park, or Half Dome at Yosemite National Park, or Mount Whitney at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. There have been cases along the park road where cars or buses have altered the course of nature. Where Dall sheep or moose calves have been blocked or afraid from crossing the road when trying to escape predators which likely resulted in altered outcomes. Denali should never become like Yellowstone where tourists in their cars stop and overcrowd wildlife on a daily basis, often getting out of their cars and approaching wildlife causing very unsafe situations. When tourists are riding on a bus, they are usually more polite and respectful of others and are less likely to disrupt wildlife. The shuttle bus drivers are professionals that are very knowledgeable, and many are trained naturalist who are able to help educate people and encourage good etiquette, and keep people from getting too close to wildlife or yelling and impacting wildlife. I believe it actually enhances the experience for everyone. Since I have experienced how well the bus program works at Denali, I have become an advocate for adopting similar programs at other National Parks such as the Grand Canyon where I have also worked and have experienced major overcrowding. I believe it should also be adopted in parts of Yellowstone, the Yosemite Valley, and possibly on the historic Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. In closing I want to strongly encourage those who are making decisions in regard to road access at Denali to do what is right for the wildlife and preservation of this unique and special place by not allowing additional traffic and private vehicles to travel the Denali Road. Let us be good stewards and protect and conserve these natural resources unimpaired. Sincerely, Steven M. Wagoner