The Eielson Visitor Center, a new tourist-resource within Denali National Park and Preserve, opens its doors to the public with a grand opening on August 12. Visitors can enjoy a scenic view of Mt. McKinley, as well as adjacent nature trails and interior park exhibits.

The Eielson Visitor Center, a new tourist-resource within Denali National Park and Preserve, opens its doors to the public with a grand opening on August 12. Visitors can enjoy a scenic view of Mt. McKinley, as well as adjacent nature trails and interior park exhibits.

The center ultimately achieved a platinum LEED rating, the highest ever achieved in the National Park Service, with features including natural-light skylights, hydroelectric power and photovoltaic panels as well as being constructed from local, recycled and renewable materials. “From the very start, the park wanted the new visitor center to be sustainable and set the goal to earn the highest possible rating under the LEED Green Building Rating System,” according to park superintendent Elwood Lynn.

The building’s design took its initial cues from the surrounding environment; large windows help to capture sunlight and are strategically placed in order to maximize heating efficiency, while a small hydroelectric generator in a nearby creek provides electricity in conjunction with the solar panels.

The original Eielson Visitor Center, which had opened to the public in 1960, had ongoing maintenance issues, including cramped viewing areas and insufficient restrooms. Yet, visitors kept coming, adding to the structure’s woes as well as increasing popularity of the destination itself.

The new construction began in June 2006, and aimed to address visitor needs with increased viewing area, exhibit space, access to interpretive rangers and increased bathroom and support areas for staff. The total cost of the 8,000-square-foot project came to nearly $10.4 million.

The word “Denali” means “the big one” in the native Athabaskan language and refers to the mountain itself. The mountain was named after president William McKinley of Ohio in 1897 by local prospector William A. Dickey, although McKinley had no connection with the region.

Mount McKinley National Park, whose name had been subject to local criticism from the onset, and Denali National Monument were incorporated and established into Denali National Park and Preserve by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, December 2, 1980. At this time the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain back to “Denali,” even though the U.S. Board of Geographic Names maintains “McKinley”. Alaskans tend to use “Denali” and rely on context to distinguish between the park and the mountain. The size of the national park is over 6 million acres, of which 4,724,735.16 acres  are federally owned. The national preserve is 1,334,200 acres, of which 1,304,132 acres are federally owned.

Denali habitat is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga. The preserve is also home to tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, rock, and snow at the highest elevations. Today, the park hosts more than 400,000 visitors who enjoy wildlife viewing, mountaineering, and backpacking. Wintertime recreation includes dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling where allowed.

For information on Denali National Park facilities and reservations for campgrounds and bus tours, visit www.nps.gov/dena.