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Integrated Programs and Findings
Managing the Denali Park Road Visitor Experience
by William C. Clark
william_c_clark@nps.gov
The Denali Park Road Final Vehicle Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (VMP) was
approved by the Alaska NPS Regional Director in September 2012. A tremendous effort went into the
crafting of the VMP; more than six years of scientific study and four years of planning, analysis, and
public input. The VMP establishes a set of indicators and standards, which provide guidance for the
management of vehicles on the Denali Park Road west of the Savage Check Station (mile 14.84). The plan
was developed to ensure that visitors have a high-quality experience, wildlife and other park resources
are protected, and the unique and historic character of the Denali Park Road is maintained.
Due to the VMP’s scope (15-20-year plan) and complexity (75 miles of roadway with upwards of 90 buses
per day making unpredictable stops), there is some amount of uncertainty and unpredictability of how
the ecological and transportation systems will respond to management actions. It is precisely because of
this uncertainty that the VMP embraces an adaptive management strategy.
Adaptive management is a decision-making process whose goal is to reduce uncertainty through system
monitoring and self-evaluation. That is, as the transportation system (i.e. scheduling and volume) is
adjusted for optimization and the results are monitored and better understood, managers will use the
new information to further adjust the system to meet the standards and goals of the VMP.
Methods
The Road Ecology Program (REP) assesses the
ecological system in four ways as changes to the
transportation system are made. We 1) annually
monitor seven indicators outlined in the VMP
to determine if standards are met, 2) annually
quantify changes in wildlife sightings from the
road, 3) collect data that is used by park wildlife
biologists to assess changes in wildlife populations
(long-term monitoring programs), and 4) evaluate
the impact of new traffic patterns and volumes
by comparing data before and after traffic
modifications Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI)
study).
The VMP includes annual examination of seven
(7) indicators (Figure 1) with quantifiable
standards:
1. Number of vehicles at a wildlife stop
2. Number of vehicles at rest stops and the
Eielson Visitor Center
3. Number of vehicles in established
viewscapes
4. 10-minute gaps in traffic at established
Dall’s sheep crossings every hour
5. Amount of time a hiker waits for bus pickup
(not including the Wilderness Access Center
depot)
6. Hourly nighttime traffic (10:00 p.m. to 6:00
a.m.)
7. Hourly large (>80,000 pounds gross weight)
vehicle traffic
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