Encompassing over 6 million acres, Denali National Park and Preserve contains Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Alaskan activities, like dog sledding and cross-country skiing, attract tourism, but the national park offers more than wintertime activities. The local flora is abundant and breathtaking—here are just a few of the plants you will find during your visit. 

Native Plant Life That Brings Tourism to Alaska

1. Bog Blueberry (Vaccinium Uliginosum)

Often growing in large thickets, this shrub can get up to 60 cm tall. Pink flowers grow in clusters of four or five, and its berries are between six and eight millimeters wide. While the bog blueberry is most common at subalpine level, just below the treeline, you will surely find it anywhere plants grow in your tourism trek through the park. 

2. Roundleaf Sundew (Drosera Rotundifolia)

You can find these small insect-eating plants in low-elevation bogs. Sticky droplets of dew form at the tips of its leaves that attract and catch bugs. Once a bug is caught, the leaf closes and traps it inside. Though the insect gives the plant nutrients, sundew gets most of their energy from sunlight. 

3. White Spruce (Picea Glauca)

The top of the white spruce’s trunk tapers from a wide base, giving it a conical shape. The needles are rigid, blue-green in color, and grow in all different directions. In ideal climates, these coniferous trees can grow up to 70 cm. But because of the park’s high elevation level and wet climate, local white spruce doesn't usually grow more than 30 cm.  

If you are planning a trip to Alaska, staying at Totem Inn will give you an unmatched tourism experience. Just a few miles north of Denali National Park, they offer everything from a restaurant and fitness room to free Wi-Fi and bathrooms with full tubs. View their amenities in greater detail online or call (907) 683-6500 to book a room today.