Located approximately 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Denali National Park & Preserve is an amazing and unique “classroom.” It encompasses six million acres and includes the highest mountain in North America, Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali. Denali is the Athabaskan name meaning “The Great One” or “The High One.” It is no wonder it was given that name, considering its impressive peak at 20,320 feet (18,000 feet above the surrounding lowlands). From base to summit, the mountain's vertical relief is greater than that of Mount Everest. As the National Park Service Website says, “The surrounding peaks of the 600-mile long Alaska Range are no less impressive than McKinley itself, and provide the scenic backdrop to the six million acres of pristine wilderness that make up Denali National Park…. Across the largely treeless expanse of the park, the views are of a scale unknown in the lower 48 states…. On a clear day, Mt. McKinley can easily been seen from Anchorage, more than 130 air miles to the south. Outstanding views of natural features dominate the landscape and are internationally known.”
“Denali provides one of the few intact and naturally regulated subarctic ecosystems in the world because of its long history and substantial size. Landscape scale processes such as fire, succession, and outbreaks of disease have not been significantly altered by human intervention. These components and processes of the system are still responding naturally to other primary processes such as weather or geological events.”
“Denali is well-known for its diversity of wildlife. There are 39 species of mammals, 167 species of birds, 10 species of fish, and one species of amphibian known in Denali.” This diversity makes Denali National Park the perfect place to study Ecology. The opportunities to observe wildlife are one way in which these studies will come to life for students in our Denali National Park classroom. Not only is this a safe wilderness setting but it is also a very special one. The extended length of time spent in the Park, combined with countless meaningful experiences, allows students to make deep connections with Denali National Park, their fellow students, Alaska as a whole, and the larger world around them.”
“I learned so much about the ecology of Denali, everything from the little anemone to the Muldrow Glacier. I also learned to facilitate my own teambuilding activities, a skill that I will be able to pass on to others.”
- Student, Denali '01
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