Best time to go
If you want clean photos without a queue, swing by early morning or late afternoon. Midday in summer, it’s often ringed with families and tour groups.
Overview
About Resting Grizzly
Resting Grizzly is Denali’s most lovable landmark: a life-size bronze bear lounging outside the entrance to the Denali Visitor Center. It’s as approachable as art gets—people hug it, pose with it, and often make it their first stop in the park.
Why stop
- Life-size, photogenic bronze by William D. “Bill” Berry
- Right outside the Denali Visitor Center—easy to find and visit
- Accessible year-round, even when the center is closed
Heads up
- Crowds gather for photos, especially midday
- More playful than wild—it's art, not a wildlife viewing spot
- Can feel a bit touristy
The sculpture is an enlargement of a 1974 eight-inch bronze by renowned Alaskan wildlife artist William D. “Bill” Berry, who worked extensively in Denali. The life-size version was assembled from 31 separate castings (with help from sculptor Skip Wallen) and installed in 2012 as a gift from Berry’s family. It’s become a beloved touchstone for visitors and a warm, whimsical nod to Denali’s famed bears.
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Where it is
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Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Resting Grizzly
Visit early or late in the day for unobstructed photos.
Use it as an easy meet-up landmark at the Visitor Center.
Remember it’s artwork—save wildlife expectations for the park road.
Combine your stop here with a nearby trail that starts from the Visitor Center.
If visiting off-season, the sculpture is still accessible even if the center isn’t.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
Location & Access
1 active Denali alert
- InfoDenali Park Road open to Mile 30; heavy equipmentThe Denali Park Road is open to Mile 30 (Teklanika River); stay alert for heavy equipment traveling on the road. Check current park conditions before traveling.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Tour Guide
Your drive to Resting Grizzly, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Denali National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Denali audio tourRecorded for this place
Denali Visitor Center CampusListen
“You're coming up on the Denali Visitor Center campus, which is the main hub for the park entrance area.”
Plays as you drive up to Resting Grizzly in the Parkwolf Denali Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Murie Science and Learning Center
- Horseshoe Lake Trail
- Camp Robbers of the North: Canada Jays
- Riley Creek Campground & Mercantile
- 113 audio storiesacross Denali’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolf, Canada Lynx, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 17 trails, 60 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Resting Grizzly
What You’ll SeeA remarkably realistic, eight-foot-long grizzly rendered in bronze, stretched out in a relaxed…
A remarkably realistic, eight-foot-long grizzly rendered in bronze, stretched out in a relaxed pose. The lifelike detail is what hooks you—muscle, fur, and attitude captured so well that kids and adults can’t resist a photo.
Good to KnowThis is a tribute to wildlife, not a wildlife viewing spot.
This is a tribute to wildlife, not a wildlife viewing spot. Real bear sightings happen elsewhere in the park; here, you’re here for the art and the moment. The Visitor Center area has seasonal restrooms, parking, trailheads, and even WiFi, so it’s an easy add-on to your day. The park has featured the sculpture on a live webcam at times, which gives you a real-time feel for the scene.
A Bit of BackstoryBerry’s original Resting Grizzly was part of a limited edition of 20 bronzes.
Berry’s original Resting Grizzly was part of a limited edition of 20 bronzes. The Denali installation scaled that intimate piece to life-size, preserving the artist’s keen eye for anatomy and behavior. It’s arguably the most hugged and photographed artwork in Alaska—and a surprisingly fitting welcome to the park.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Denali
715 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
74 sightingsWolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
49 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
795 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
917 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
405 sightingsDall's SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Denali. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
