Album: Wonder Lake Ranger Station, Denali NPP, Alaska

Denali National Park and Preserve

Wonder Lake Ranger Station is located at the northeast end of Wonder Lake at Milepost 86 of the Denali park road, near the 1932 park boundary. The site for the ranger station, on a small rise overlooking Wonder Lake with a commanding view of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range, was selected by Superintendent Been, NPS Landscape Architect Davis and Supervisor Fox of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1939. The Wonder Lake Ranger Station is a significant representation of the U.S. Governmental administration of conservation lands within a designated National Park. The Ranger Station served not only as a residence and administrative office, but its location some 87 miles into the park on the only transportation route through the park provided a point of contact and communication between the mining community of Kantishna, the NPS Headquarters and the railroad. As tourism increased and the Kantishna area was brought into the park, the Wonder Lake Ranger Station played an increasing role at the west end of the road. Today the Wonder Lake Ranger Station continues to be an important contact station for the lodges and visitors in the western region of Denali National Park and Preserve.