Berry Picking in Denali

Alaska is well known for it’s amazing and abundant berries in August and September—just ask any of the grizzly bears in Denali! A family friendly activity would be to strike off into the tundra and search for berries. Bring your bucket (or empty water bottle) to fill, or simply snack on the go. A few things to keep in mind: Denali is bear and moose country! Always be aware of your surroundings, and make noise as you are out to not startle wildlife. Review our guidance for wildlife safety before arrival. Anyone may pick berries for personal consumption within Denali National Park and Preserve. However, harvesting berries for commercial use of any kind is not permitted. Denali only has one species of poisonous berry, the baneberry. Avoid any completely white berries, or if the berry is red with a black spot on it. Baneberries have been found near Eielson Visitor Center. If you're unsure, show the berries to a park ranger or bus driver, or consult a guidebook on wild plants in Alaska. What to Pick Denali’s most famous edible wild berries, the blueberry and lingonberry, can be locally abundant in late summer! Blueberries grow on low bushes (under knee height) in typically open, shrubby tundra. Blueberries ripen earlier than many other types of berries, and you may find ripe ones by early to mid August. They'll continue ripening into September. The Mountain Vista and Savage River Areas of the park are great places to look for such plants. Hiking off trail is generally permitted unless you see signs indicating a temporary wildlife closure, so you can set off into the tundra anywhere that looks likely, or talk to a ranger for tips on areas that others have found berries recently. Lingonberries (also called lowbush cranberries) are typically in dense spruce forests and grow as a ground mat, only a few inches off the ground. Many of the trails around the Denali Visitor Center are in dense spruce forests and are likely areas to keep an eye out for lingonberries, although these are also the areas picked over the most! Lingonberries typically do not ripen til September, and many people find them at their tastiest after a few frosts have helped increase their sugar content. Both berries are typically about fingernail sized or smaller, so be ready to collect quite a few if you plan to use them in a pie or other recipe rather than as a snack.