Denali Highway, Alaska: Denali Highway History

he Denali Highway was built in 1957 - before the Parks Highway - to provide access from the Richardson Highway to McKinley Park. (It should not be confused, therefore, with the "park road" in Denali National Park!) By 1972, the new Parks Highway had all but replaced the Denali Highway as the main highway to Denali Park. For Alaskans, though, the Denali Highway is still a favorite, and widely used for recreation. Be careful, though. Try not to travel too fast. The gravel road is subject to washboarding, and it has a maximum recommended speed of only 30 miles an hour.