Patrolling Denali National Park by dog team
Teams of sled dogs patrol Denali National Park every winter for the past 99 years.
Denali’s first superintendent Harry Karstens was a dog musher. He acquired the park’s first seven sled dogs in 1922 and the kennel has been in existence since then. It is the only national park with a working sled dog kennel.
Motor vehicles, like snowmachines, are not allowed in the wilderness section of the park, so dog teams are a great alternative. They can access remote areas, contact winter visitors, transport materials and supplies, gather scientific data and even pick up litter.
Visitors can usually learn about the kennel with in-person visits, but the kennel has been closed to the public since the onset of COVID-19. However, the work of the kennel has not stopped and teams routinely head into the wilderness of Denali National Park this winter.
Sunrise over the Alaska Range at 11:30 a.m. during a mid-January patrol. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Venture, Story and Throne, all out on winter patrol. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
There was lots of overflow on the Teklanika River. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
A couple of the sled dogs enjoy a loose romp during a scout of the East Fork. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Working dogs from the Denali National Park kennel head into the park for a winter patrol. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Igloo Creek. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Checking out a sunken ice bridge on the Teklanika River. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Traveling under the East Fork bridge. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Climbing Sable Pass. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
Dog teams and their human handlers spend the night at Sanctuary Cabin. Photo by David Tomeo/Denali National Park
