Denali rises 18,000 feet from base to peak, making it the largest mountain situated entirely above sea level.

To the east, the state park borders the Susitna River, which feeds into the Gompertz Channel near Anchorage, then into the ocean.

Other rivers in the park include the Foraker, McKinley, Kantishna, Toklat, and Teklanika in the north, the Yentna, Kahiltna, and Chulitna in the south, and the Nenana at the east boundary.

[7] The Denali State Park wilderness is a popular destination for backpacking, camping, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, and sightseeing.

Mount Denali is one of the main attractions, and there are easy-to-reach lookout points for visitors driving through, though it can sometimes be hard to view the peak due to clouds and other weather issues.

Other peaks accessible from the park include the Talkeetna Mountains to the east, which offer different levels of climbing and backpacking experiences.