Bringing Photographers Closer to Their Natural World

Anchorage, Denali, & Kenai Fjords  Workshop

I have again arranged and scheduled a workshop for 2015 in Denali National Park in Alaska and we have added an extra day and night at Camp Denali over prior years. Denali is an unparalleled location. The beautiful splendor of the highest mountain in North America and wildlife like no other location in the world make this huge National Park a must visit item on everyone’s photography to do list. I have visited Denali several times and each time I come away with a greater appreciation of this spectacular place. Dahl’s sheep, bears (black and grizzly), moose, wolves, and caribou are the large mammals that inhabit this park. The sunrise and sunset lighting on Mount McKinley and the entire Alaska range provide spectacular image opportunities. Late in August the tundra starts exhibiting its autumn color with vivid reds and yellows providing natural photo backdrops. The days start to get shorter now, so it is actually possible to be awake for sunrise and sunset without an extended nap some where in between the two. Although I am sure there is never a bad time, for me this is the perfect time to visit the park.

Visiting Denali has some inherent problems that must be overcome to make the visit the as memorable as possible. First, the park is situated in a very remote location between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the two large cities in Alaska. After flying into one of the major cities, you must either drive or take the train to visit the park. Secondly, Alaska is an expensive place to visit. Meals, rooms, and transportation will all be more than you are accustomed to spending. These two obstacles can be over come, but the driving restrictions inside the park are the most difficult of all. Only the first 14 miles of the park road are open to private vehicles. The road goes on for about another 80 miles but you cannot drive to that part of the park. The Park Service has shuttle bus service that travels the rest of the road through to Wonder Lake. These buses are school type and you must make reservations in advance to reserve a space on them. You can get off the bus when you want in the park, but then you wait for another bus hoping it has seat for you to get back on when you are ready to travel on. Most visitors spend most of a day riding the bus to Wonder Lake or the Eilson visitor center and back searching for wildlife and hoping to see the mountain. Many never get a glimpse of the mountain and go home disappointed. There must be a better way and the answer is stay at Camp Denali.

Located 90 miles within Denali National Park in the shadow of Mt. McKinley, Camp Denali is a unique wilderness retreat for those seeking an in depth experience in the sub-arctic. Founded in 1951, Camp Denali is Alaska’s original vacation lodge and nature center, which strives to help visitors gain a personal knowledge and appreciation for the natural history of Denali National Park. Owned and operated by the Cole/Hamm Family since 1975 it is Alaska at its best. Accommodations at Camp Denali are individual cabins situated along a ridge with commanding views of Mt. McKinley. Each cabin is furnished with a wood stove, propane lights and hotplate, hand crafted quilts and Alaskan artwork. A central shower facility is located within a 3 to 7 minute walk from each cabin. The natural history resource center, complete with binocular microscope, herbarium, library and artifacts is available for guest use. In keeping with their mission of helping guests enjoy the natural history and wilderness of Denali National Park, Camp Denali provides daily, guided nature outings and hikes. The staff of knowledgeable naturalists assists guests in first hand exploration of the Alaska landscape; searching for wolves, moose and caribou as well as looking for nesting birds and wildflowers. Nightly programs focus on some aspect of Denali's natural and cultural history, including birds, mammals, wildflowers, tundra ecology, geology, mountaineering, land use and natural resource issues. In addition to guided activities, mountain bikes, canoes and fishing equipment are also available. Camp Denali may not be for everyone, but if you desire an experience away from the tempo of modern living and enjoy the camaraderie of kindred souls, you will not be disappointed.

I have stayed at Camp Denali many times and I am convinced that is by far the best way to visit and enjoy the park. The Camp honors only a few of the many workshop requests that it gets each year and I feel fortunate to have The Nature Workshops accepted there. Since the Camp was annexed into the park many years ago, they have retained driving privileges through out the park and have several vehicles for daily excursions. One of the best views of Mount McKinley is right from the porch of you cabin. Although there are never any guarantees, I have never visited Camp Denali without viewing the mountain and being able to photograph it. By living 90 miles into the park, under the mountain, we will be there when the mountain appears. We will spend three nights at Camp Denali, going in on Friday, September 5 and coming out on Monday, September 8.

A General Itinerary for the Workshop

Sat, Aug 22 - Arrive in Anchorage (if not earlier) I will reserve rooms at a local motel.

Sun, Aug 23 - travel to Denali Park from Anchorage. We will have a leisurely drive up to the park and spend the night at a motel just outside the park gate.

Mon,  Aug 24 - In the morning, we explore the part of the part accessible by car. In the afternoon, we will meet the Camp Denali bus and travel the six to seven hour trip to camp and our cabins. These bus trips in and out are one of the best times to observe and photograph wildlife.

Tue, Aug 25 - daily activities at Camp Denali. We will have a dedicated bus for our workshop.

Wed, Aug 26- daily activities at Camp Denali. Again we will have our own bus.

Thu, Aug 27  - daily activities at Camp with our own vehicle.

Fri, Aug 28 - leave camp after breakfast for the drive to the park entrance, drive back to Anchorage, I will have rooms reserved again.

Sat, Aug 29 - explore the road from Anchorage to Seward and the Kenai Peninsula. Transportation will be rental cars and we will coordinate it. We plan a boat trip at Kenai Fjords  National   Park. We will spend the night in Seward. The boat trip will be approximately $70 and we may visit the Sea Life center which is about $15.

Sun,  Aug 30 - travel back to Anchorage and visit areas closer to the Anchorage area.

Mon, Aug 31- fly home or proceed to other adventures

Cost is $3450 per person. $125 option to ride with us open to first six who sign up.

What is included: Meals, lodging, and transportation Aug 24-28 while at Camp Denali.

What is not included:

1. Lodging Aug 22-23, Aug 29-30.   I will make all reservations for these rooms. Expect to pay approximately $80 per night double occupancy. Lodging for Aug 23 outside the park entrance will probably require prepayment and will be included on your final payment to The Nature Workshops.

2. Meals not noted above.

3. Transportation to Denali from Anchorage and return.  Transportation Aug 23-24, Aug 28-30.  Can add our transportation option is not full.

Single room options: Camp Denali has cabins designed for double occupancy. The only way to obtain a single is to pay their extra single fee, but this would mean an additional $2200 for your fee. Rooms in other locations (not Camp Denali) will have the same single options as our regular workshops.

Payment Schedule

$750 deposit due at registration

Balance due Feb 01, 2015.

Due to the remoteness of the location and the inability to attract the last minute traveler, Camp Denali has the following refund policy:

All penalties are payable by you, if your space is not refilled, If it is refilled, the only penalty is the original $150. Trip insurance is available at most travel agents and is strongly recommended for a trip such as this.

Alaska offerings fill up very quickly. If you want to go on this trip, I encourage you to register early.

                                          © Roger Devore

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To register online on a secure registration form, or to print out a registration form, go to Registration,
or call Roger Devore at 618-589-1729 to register by phone or to determine which workshops still have space available or email Rdfoto@aol.com. Please review the Refund/Cancellation Policy, as well as the other important information, as stated in the Administrative Notes section prior to registration.