Denali National Park and Preserve; Vehicle Use
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Issuing agencies
Abstract
The National Park Service (NPS) amends special regulations for Denali National Park and Preserve to conform the regulations regarding the number of vehicles that can travel on the restricted section of the Denali Park Road (miles 15-90) to a Vehicle Management Plan that the NPS has been implementing since 2012. This rule implements the plan's limit that no more than 160 vehicles may travel on the restricted section of the road per 24-hour period during the visitor season (also referred to as the "allocation season"), defined in the park's General Management Plan as beginning on the Saturday before Memorial Day and ending on the second Thursday after Labor Day. This limit allows the NPS to meet growing visitor demand while maintaining a high- quality experience for visitors.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 65690-65694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21222]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
36 CFR Part 13
[NPS-DENA-NPS0043926; PPAKDENAS0, PPMPSPD1Z.YM0000]
RIN 1024-AF11
Denali National Park and Preserve; Vehicle Use
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) amends special regulations for
Denali National Park and Preserve to conform the regulations regarding
the number of vehicles that can travel on the restricted section of the
Denali Park Road (miles 15-90) to a Vehicle Management Plan that the
NPS has been implementing since 2012. This rule implements the plan's
limit that no more than 160 vehicles may travel on the restricted
section of the road per 24-hour period during the visitor season (also
referred to as the ``allocation season''), defined in the park's
General Management Plan as beginning on the Saturday before Memorial
Day and ending on the second Thursday after Labor Day. This limit
allows the NPS to meet growing visitor demand while maintaining a high-
quality experience for visitors.
DATES: This rule is effective November 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments received on the proposed rule are available on
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> in Docket No. NPS-2026-0067. A copy of the
Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan and Environmental Impact
Statement and related Record of Decision provide information and
context for this rule and are available online at <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena</a> by clicking the link titled ``Denali Park
Road Vehicle Management Plan'' and then the link titled ``Document
List.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brooke Merrell, Superintendent, Denali
National Park and Preserve; (907) 683-9581; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e6c7c6161656b51636b7c7c6b62624e607e7d20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2c4e5e434347497341495e5e4940406c425c5f024b435a">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Denali Park Road and Vehicle Management Plan
In 1917, Congress established Mount McKinley National Park as a
``game refuge'' with the intent that it be ``set apart as a public park
for the benefit and enjoyment of the people'' (39 Stat. 938). In 1980,
Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
(ANILCA, Pub. L. 96-487), which enlarged and renamed the park Denali
National Park and Preserve. A general purpose of all ANILCA lands is to
preserve them for the benefit, use, education and inspiration of
present and future generations. 16 U.S.C. 3101(a). The Denali Park Road
(``park road'') serves both of these purposes. Built over 16 years
(1922-1938), the historic 92-mile park road is an important means of
access to the park and is one of the best places in the world for the
public to observe large northern mammals in their natural habitat.
Visitors traveling the park road often observe Dall sheep, caribou,
wolves, grizzly bears, moose, and foxes. Nowhere else in America can
visitors observe such concentrations of these large species of wildlife
in such an accessible natural setting. Visitors traveling the road also
have many opportunities to observe smaller mammals and birds, some of
which are rarely seen elsewhere in North America. Alaska Range
features, such as glacially carved mountains, Mount McKinley, and the
open views of dynamic alpine landscapes, also are a source of visitor
enjoyment and inspiration. The park road facilitates wilderness
recreational opportunities and supports freedom of discovery, a sense
of adventure, and a connection to nature.
The NPS's ability to balance the protection of park resources while
offering quality visitor experiences is exemplified in the management
of the park road. Road crews use graders and haul gravel to maintain
it, rangers patrol it, and commercial services staff manage the
transportation concession contract for it, so visitors can ride buses
to view wildlife and access the park's wilderness. In 2012, planning
staff, with
[[Page 65691]]
public input, worked to create the Denali Park Road Vehicle Management
Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (VMP), which adopted an
adaptive management strategy that includes measurable indicators and
standards for visitor experience and resource protection.\1\ These
include crowding standards for the number of vehicles at wildlife
stops, in a viewscape, and at a rest area; the spacing of vehicles to
ensure time for sheep crossings; restrictions to night-time traffic
volumes; and restrictions to large (construction-related) vehicle
traffic. On September 27, 2012, the Regional Director, Alaska signed a
Record of Decision (ROD) selecting the preferred alternative in the VMP
for implementation. One standard in the selected alternative limits the
maximum level of vehicle use on the restricted section of the park road
(miles 15-90) to 160 vehicles per 24-hour period in the visitor season,
defined in the park's General Management Plan (GMP) as the season
beginning on the Saturday before Memorial Day and ending on the second
Thursday after Labor Day. This standard allows the NPS to meet growing
visitor demand while maintaining a high-quality experience. The NPS has
been managing vehicle use on the park road consistent with the VMP
since 2012. Resources staff monitor this and other indicators in the
VMP to ensure the road is managed according to the plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Adaptive management is a system of management practices
based on clearly identified outcomes, monitoring to determine if
management actions are meeting outcomes, and, if not, facilitating
management changes that will best ensure that outcomes are met or to
re-evaluate the outcomes. Departmental Manual 516 DM 4.16.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Rule
This rule conforms the park's special regulations to reflect how
the NPS has managed the park road since adoption of the VMP in 2012.
The current version of the special regulations authorizes the NPS to
issue no more than 10,512 motor vehicle permits for travel on the
restricted section of the park road during the visitor season. This
regulatory text will be revised to provide that no more than 160
vehicles may travel on the restricted section of the road per 24-hour
period during the visitor season. The rule also makes a minor change to
the regulatory text by deleting text that departs from the visitor
season, as it is defined in the GMP, by ending the season on September
15 if that comes before the second Thursday after Labor Day. The rule
provides that the season always ends on the second Thursday after Labor
Day, providing additional opportunities for recreation and access by
lengthening the season in some years. By stating the cap in terms of
the number of vehicles, rather than the number of permits, the rule
also clarifies that any vehicle traveling on the park road counts
toward the vehicle limit, not just vehicles operating under a permit.
The VMP evaluated impacts from all motor vehicle use on the road,
permitted or not, and the NPS has been managing vehicle use on the park
road in this way since 2012. Some vehicles that use the road do not
have a permit, such as tour buses that operate under concession
contracts and vehicles used by the NPS for administrative purposes.
Summary of Public Comments
The NPS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on May
18, 2026 (91 FR 28461). The NPS accepted public comments for 60 days
via the mail, hand delivery, and the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments were accepted through July 17,
2026. The NPS received 161 comments on the proposed rule. Overall,
commenters broadly supported adaptive management as a tool for managing
vehicle use on the park road. Commenters supported adaptive management
as a means of ensuring protection of park resources and values in
accordance with desired conditions while providing flexibility for
managers to adjust operations based on science-driven modeling,
monitoring, and observed resource or visitor-use issues. Commenters
supported regulatory flexibility that allows the NPS to respond to
changing conditions, monitoring results, and evolving resource needs.
After considering public comments and additional review of the
proposed rule, the NPS is making several minor changes in the final
rule. Two changes better reflect how the NPS has managed vehicle access
on the park road under the VMP since 2012. The first change removes
language held over from the existing regulations that each permit
allows one vehicle one entry onto the restricted portion of the park
road. The NPS issues some permits, such as construction permits, that
allow for more than one entry as needed for the authorized use. The
sentence in the proposed rule that followed, which stated that other
forms of written authorization may have different terms and conditions,
was in reference to the sentence before and therefore also has been
removed. The second change reflects that vehicle counts are made when a
vehicle passes westward through the gate into the restricted section of
the park road. The statement in the proposed rule that no more than 160
vehicles may travel on the restricted section was imprecise and has
been replaced with a statement that no more than 160 vehicles may enter
the restricted section of the park road. A similar change has been made
to the title of Sec. 13.932. If the same vehicle passes through the
gate more than once per day, each passage through the gate counts
toward the 160 vehicle per day limit. Finally, the titles of Sec.
13.930 and Sec. 13.932 and the definition of the restricted section
Sec. 13.930 have been revised to clarify that the regulations in those
sections only apply to vehicle use on the restricted section of the
park road during the visitor season. The restricted section of the park
road outside of the visitor season is determined by the NPS. As stated
in Sec. 13.936 of the existing regulations, travel on the restricted
section of the park road at any time requires a permit.
A summary of the pertinent issues raised by commenters is provided
below.
1. Comment: Many commenters asked the NPS to publish vehicle
management and monitoring data that can be measured against the
indicators and standards in the VMP before finalizing the rule.
Commenters requested information about wildlife movement and viewing,
road capacity analysis and modeling, completion of a Before-After-
Control-Impact (BACI) study, release of long-term monitoring datasets,
impacts to wilderness character, and detailed traffic analyses (e.g.,
daily counts, GPS vehicle tracking data, peak hour patterns, road
corridor crowding, vehicle type allocation). Commenters stated that
changed visitor use patterns and resource conditions since 2012,
including changes caused by the closure and reopening of a large
section of the park road, warrant additional review that allows the NPS
to collect and analyze updated monitoring data to determine appropriate
levels of vehicle use, such as through the preparation of a
supplemental environmental impact statement. One commenter encouraged
the NPS to regularly reassess its vehicle management framework to
ensure that it uses empirical evidence to inform management decisions
for more or less access.
NPS Response: The NPS expects the visitor conditions that will
exist when the park road is fully accessible to vehicle traffic in 2027
will be substantially similar to visitor conditions that existed when
the scientific studies that led to the VMP were completed. Monitoring
data are
[[Page 65692]]
published for 2013-2019,\2\ which can be measured against the
indicators and standards in the VMP. Monitoring data for 2020-2022 also
are published but are not suitable for comparison to the conditions
studied and tested for the VMP due to changes to visitor use patterns
caused by the global pandemic and the Pretty Rocks landslide that
closed the road to all vehicle traffic at mile 43 in August of 2021.
The NPS is working to publish monitoring data for 2023-2025, however
these data are not comparable to pre-pandemic data due to the landslide
closure. The Pretty Rocks Bridge was completed in August 2026. Upon
completion of the Eielson Visitor Center, the NPS monitors the
indicators under ``normal'' traffic conditions. As resources allow, and
if appropriate, the NPS may complete a BACI to affirm the selection of
key indicators and to distinguish impacts due to changes in current
traffic patterns and traffic levels. To the extent that future
monitoring data suggest the NPS should reconsider any aspect of the
adaptive management framework in the VMP, or the 160 vehicles per day
cap, it will undertake all compliance and planning actions necessary to
do so.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Monitoring data are published at <a href="https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Collection/Profile/5498">https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Collection/Profile/5498</a>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Comment: Several commenters asked how the rule would affect
access to private property within the park. Specifically, commenters
requested that access to private property under ANILCA Sections 1110(a)
and 1110(b) be exempt from vehicle caps. They also asked the NPS to
clarify it cannot restrict or supersede statutory access by giving
other users a transit priority, and to ensure the adaptive management
framework allows for increased inholder access in response to
demonstrated needs and changing conditions.
NPS Response: The NPS will not take any action in conflict with
statutory rights of access provided under Section 1110 of ANILCA. 16
U.S.C. 3170. The NPS will ensure that its management of vehicle use on
the park road, including through permit requirements or vehicle limits,
will not go beyond reasonable regulation of those rights of access in
accordance with Sections 1110(a) and (b).
3. Comment: Several commenters requested that the NPS revise the
rule by replacing the 160-day cap with a statement that the NPS will
adaptively manage vehicle use on the park road, adjusting vehicle
numbers up or down based upon monitoring data. Commenters opposed a
fixed cap as unable to accommodate long-term resource conditions or
evolving access needs. One commenter suggested the rule indicate that
daily vehicle use is governed by the indicators and standards in the
VMP and that 160 vehicles should not be a management target or baseline
for use. One commenter asked the NPS to codify specific aspects of
adaptive management, including requirements to publish daily vehicle
counts and VMP indicator results, and to automatically reduce vehicle
allocations if wildlife-stop, sheep-gap, nighttime traffic, viewscape,
rest-stop, hiker-wait, or large-vehicle standards are not met.
NPS Response: The daily vehicle cap in the rule is consistent with
the VMP and will not interfere with the NPS's use of adaptive
management to respond to monitoring data that indicates desired
conditions are not being met. Adaptive management consistent with the
VMP does not set the cap as a management goal or a desired outcome; it
represents the upper bound of traffic that is allowable under the
selected alternative. The NPS's experience with implementing adaptive
management since adoption of the VMP in 2012 has led it to conclude
that, at least as of now, it is unnecessary to codify adaptive
management concepts in NPS regulations.
4. Comment: Commenters proposed various changes to the vehicle cap
in the rule, including changes that would set a seasonal rather than a
daily maximum, differentiate between daytime and nighttime use, limit
use to one entry and one exit on the restricted portion of the road per
24-hour period, reserve specific access opportunities for Alaska
residents, and limit use to commercial tour buses. Commenters suggested
changes to the number of vehicles that could travel on the park road
per day, ranging from a complete prohibition on vehicle use to
increasing the cap as high as 240 vehicles per day.
NPS Response: The 160-vehicle cap is a specific standard that was
selected for implementation in the ROD. The VMP includes desired
conditions for daytime and nighttime use. Seasonal considerations were
not a part of the scientific study leading to the VMP. However,
historically and currently, there the concessionaire bus schedule is
based on demand pattern which naturally creates a seasonality for the
largest road user group. The bus schedule peaks in July and August.
Some road permits, such as Teklanika Campground buses and
concessionaire buses, are for one entry and one exit trips. Other
permits, such as for construction or research projects, allow for
travel back and forth along the road. Recognizing the special access
provisions already provided for in ANILCA, the NPS declines to reserve
additional specific access opportunities for Alaska residents in this
rule.
5. Comment: One commenter asked the NPS to consider providing
additional access outside of the defined visitor season when conditions
permit.
NPS Response: The NPS already allows additional access outside the
defined visitor season as conditions allow. Personal vehicles can
travel on maintained portions of the park road outside of the defined
visitor season between February 15 and October 15.
6. Comment: Commenters raised concerns about potential impacts to
park resources and visitors from increasing vehicle use on the park
road, expressing concern that additional traffic could diminish
bicycling opportunities, affect wildlife and wildlife viewing
opportunities, increase pollution, degrade wilderness character, and
increase the risk of accidents. One commenter stated that increased
traffic would require additional road maintenance and cited studies
demonstrating that heavy equipment, such as gravel-hauling trucks, can
disturb wildlife and significantly reduce wildlife-viewing
opportunities compared to regular vehicular traffic.
NPS Response: The NPS will continue to monitor impacts to resources
and visitor experience from vehicle use as required by the VMP. The
adaptive management framework in the VMP accounts for potential impacts
to a broad range of park resources and visitor experiences, including
the topics raised by the commenters. The flexibility provided by
adaptive management allows the NPS to adjust management actions to
protect resources and visitors based upon indicators and desired
conditions.
7. Comment: Commenters raised concerns about potential impacts to
NPS infrastructure and operations from increasing vehicle use on the
park road, expressing concern that additional traffic would increase
maintenance needs by accelerating wear on the park road, strain waste
management systems, particularly the park's sewage lagoon, and require
the NPS to hire or reallocate staff to support increased visitation,
which would weaken the NPS's ability to ensure visitor safety, provide
education, and conduct essential monitoring.
NPS Response: There will not be impacts to the condition of the
park road and infrastructure resulting from this rule such that it
would require additional maintenance needs. The NPS expects that
existing resources for road maintenance and wastewater will be
[[Page 65693]]
sufficient to accommodate increased visitor use given visitation trends
in the park.
Compliance With Other Laws, Executive Orders, and Department Policy
Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Orders 12866 and 14192)
This rule has been determined to be significant for purposes of
Executive Order 12866. This rule will generate benefits for the public
by providing greater clarity and transparency about the NPS's
management of the park road, and by providing additional opportunities
for recreation and access by lengthening the visitor season by several
days in certain years. Because this rule expands recreational
consumption opportunities, it is considered an ``enabling regulatory
action.'' As a result, it is an Executive Order 14192 deregulatory
action. Compared to baseline conditions, this rule does not involve any
fees or other measures that would increase costs to visitors,
businesses, communities, or the broader public.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
This rule will not have a significant economic effect on a
substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility
Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). This certification is based on information
contained in the economic analyses found in the report entitled
``[INSERT].'' The report may be viewed on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
in Docket No. NPS-2026-0067.
Congressional Review Act
This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This rule:
(a) Will not have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million
or more.
(b) Will not cause a major increase in costs or prices for
consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government
agencies, or geographic regions.
(c) Will not have significant adverse effects on competition,
employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of
U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)
requires that agencies assess whether a rule would impose a Federal
mandate that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and Tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of
$100,000,000 or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in any 1 year.
As of 2025, that threshold is approximately $206 million (2024
dollars). This rule will not result in expenditures by State, local, or
Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, in
excess of the threshold. Thus, no written assessment of unfunded
mandates is required.
Takings (Executive Order 12630)
This rule will not effect a taking of private property or otherwise
have takings implications under Executive Order 12630. A takings
implication assessment is not required.
Federalism (Executive Order 13132)
Under the criteria in section 1 of Executive Order 13132, this rule
will not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the
preparation of a federalism summary impact statement. This rule will
only affect use of federally administered lands and waters. It will
have no direct effects on other areas. A federalism summary impact
statement is not required.
Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 12988)
This rule complies with the requirements of Executive Order 12988.
This rule:
(a) Meets the criteria of section 3(a) requiring that all
regulations be reviewed to eliminate errors and ambiguity and be
written to minimize litigation; and
(b) Meets the criteria of section 3(b)(2) requiring that all
regulations be written in clear language and contain clear legal
standards.
Consultation With Alaska Native Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations
(Executive Order 13175 and Department Policy)
The Department of the Interior strives to strengthen its
government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes through a
commitment to consultation with Indian Tribes and recognition of their
right to self-governance and Tribal sovereignty. NPS staff communicated
with local tribal groups regarding the VMP. The planning alternatives
were developed with consideration that project actions would avoid or
minimally disturb resources or values important to affiliated Alaska
Native Tribes. The planning alternatives did not entail new
construction or ground disturbance and are not anticipated to impede
access to places of traditional religious, ceremonial, or other
customary activities. NPS has evaluated this rule under the criteria in
Executive Order 13175 and under the Department's consultation policy
and has determined this rule will have no substantial direct effect on
Alaska Native Tribes or Alaska Native Corporation lands, water areas,
or resources. However, the NPS remains available to consult with Alaska
Native Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations upon request. Doyon,
Limited requested consultation as part of its comments on the proposed
rule. The NPS will continue to meet regularly with Doyon, Limited and
engage with them on various issues related to park management,
including vehicle use on the park road.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)
This rule contains no new information collections. All information
collections require approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA; 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The NPS may not conduct or sponsor, and
you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.)
The NPS prepared an environmental impact statement as part of the
VMP in compliance with NEPA. This rule merely conforms the regulatory
text to the ROD as it has been implemented for over a decade, which
identifies the limits for vehicle use that are stated in the rule.
Copies of these documents are available online at <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena</a> by clicking the link titled ``Denali Park
Road Vehicle Management Plan,'' then the link titled ``Document List.''
Effects on the Energy Supply (Executive Order 13211)
This rule is not a significant energy action under the definition
in Executive Order 13211; this rule is not likely to have a significant
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy, and this
rule has not otherwise been designated by the Administrator of the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as a significant energy
action. A Statement of Energy Effects in not required.
List of Subjects in 36 CFR Part 13
Alaska, National Parks, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
In consideration of the foregoing, the National Park Service amends
36 CFR part 13 as set forth below:
PART 13--NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM UNITS IN ALASKA
0
1. The authority citation for part 13 continues to read as follows:
[[Page 65694]]
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.; 54 U.S.C. 100101, 100751,
320102; Sec. 13.1204 also issued under Pub. L. 104-333, Sec. 1035,
110 Stat. 4240, November 12, 1996.
0
2. Revise Sec. 13.930 to read as follows:
Sec. 13.930 Do I need a permit to operate a motor vehicle on the
Denali Park road west of Savage River during the visitor season?
Yes, you must obtain a permit or other form of written
authorization from the superintendent to operate a motor vehicle on the
restricted section of the Denali Park road during the visitor season.
During the visitor season, the restricted section begins at the west
end of the Savage River Bridge (mile 14.8) and continues to the former
Mt. McKinley National Park boundary north of Wonder Lake (mile 87.9).
The visitor season begins on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and
ends on the second Thursday following Labor Day.
0
3. Revise Sec. 13.932 to read as follows:
Sec. 13.932 How many motor vehicles may enter the restricted section
of the Denali Park road during the visitor season?
No more than 160 motor vehicles may enter the restricted section of
the Denali Park road per 24-hour period during the visitor season.
Dated: October 14, 2026.
Kevin J. Lilly,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2026-21222 Filed 10-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.