Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Autumn Colors in the Wildlife-filled Tundra with
the Kenai Peninsula & Kenai Fjords National Park
Group Leader – Robert Chaplin
August 19 -29, 2018
10 Participants
Typical Workshop Schedule Fees and What Is Included Payment, Discounts, Cancellation, Refund Policies What to Bring
Return to Schedule of Offerings Return to Robert Chapin’s page
Alaska is the last great frontier. It’s wilderness is famous for snow capped mountains, glaciers, and abundant wildlife like no other location in the world. Join us to visit two of Alaska’s best known parks, Kenai Fjords and Denali National Park. These two totally different opportunities that emphasize the huge variety in the Alaskan landscape.
Over the years, this offering have been one of our most popular workshops. The only frequent criticism of Denali National Park is that many people say it would be wonderful to ride the Alaskan Railroad while visiting the state. This year, we have added a new twist to correct that. We will be riding the train to and from Denali.
We will start in Fairbanks and end up in Anchorage with a visit to Seward and the Kenai Pennisula, seeing a good portion of this huge state and spending four nights at Camp Denali in the heart of Denali National Park. This trip offers both unparalleled landscape and wildlife photo opportunities.
Schedule:
Ø Arrive in Fairbanks on August 19th. We will have a meet-and-greet and orientation the evening of the 19th.
Ø August 20th – Alaska Railroad to Camp Denali. We will ride the train to Denali Station and transfer to Camp Denali’s private buses to Camp.
Ø August 20th through August 24th – Camp Denali. Each day, we will have our private vehicle and driver/guide for our workshop, allowing us to photograph when and where we want.
Ø August 24 – Bus back to the station and Alaska Railroad to Anchorage and overnight in Anchorage.
Ø August 25 –Free day to reset and explore Anchorage before the road trip to Seward. Overnight in Anchorage on August 26.
Ø August 26 through 28 – We will photograph our way to Seward and spend 2 nights in Seward before photographing our way back to Anchorage.
Ø August 28 – Overnight in Anchorage and prepare for our flight home on August 29.
Many people visiting Denali park, spend one day driving in and out along the park road and come away with a disappointing opinion of the mountain and the park in general. This will not happen to us. Working out of Camp Denali, the best place from which to enjoy this wondrous park, we will be right in the shadow of Denali the mountain with its fantastic reflections in nearby Wonder Lake. Our days will be filled with explorations for wolves, moose, bears, Dall sheep, and caribou, as well as nesting birds and the season’s wildflowers, all amidst the glorious colors of early fall in the tundra. Our evenings will have nature programs available at Camp Denali covering the area’s natural and cultural histories. Many (as much as 70%) of the people visiting the park never see the mountain, but staying at Camp Denali makes the difference. I have visited Camp many times, and although there are never weather guarantees, I have never missed seeing and photographed the mountain on each trip. We will spend four nights at Camp Denali. Join us for the perfect time to visit Alaska’s premier location. Our 2017 trip reported the mountain every day but one, all the wildlife (including wolves) and Northern LIghts as an added bonus.
Fees: $3975 The fee includes all meals and lodging, and all activities associated with the time at Camp Denali. Although we will arrange the lodging for the nights before and after Camp Denali, you will be responsible for your own lodging costs and meals during those times. Please see Logistic Letter for 2018 details. Deposit is $750 due at registration with balance due April 01, 2018. See Logistic letter for details of cancellation penalties for this workshop – they are different from the normal policies of The Nature Workshops. Because of lodging deposit requirements, the final payment for this workshop will include one additional night lodging collected with the final payment. We are responsible for full price of reservations after May 01 so I must cancel rooms not booked at that time. After May 01, all bookings will be space available and will need to be confirmed with Camp Denali. Please book early.
Estimated lodging: $75 double occupancy, $150 single, for the nights noted above. Camp Denali nights are included in fees.
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, which would be an additional $2200. Rooms in other locations (not Camp Denali) will have normal single options, as noted above.
Notes:
Ø All rail and road transportation costs are included after arrival in Fairbanks until departing Anchorage.
Ø Transportation to and from hotel on arrival and departure days will be on hotel shuttle.
Ø All cost included for stay at Camp Denali.
Ø Airfare for flights to and from Alaska, meals and hotel cost for days and nights not at Camp Denali are not included.
Ø Fairbanks will be the arrival city and Anchorage will be the departure city.
Ø We will work on night photography during the stay at Camp Denali. Weather and skies permitting, we will try for some Northern Lights.
Ø Learn how to create a time lapse of your night photographs.
Ø Circumstances beyond our control may require a modification to transportation arrangements.
Ø Minimum 4 attendees and a maximum of 10 attendees
Hiking Rating – Easy.
We strongly recommend you purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment (check the Access America web site at www.accessamerica.com for one trip insurance alternative – this insurance is not expensive and can protect you from the unforeseen).
