Denali Backcountry Adventures

Session One: June 4-8, 2018
Session Two: July 23-27, 2018
Register for DBA HERE

Tuition:
$375

Program Overview

Denali Backcountry Adventures (DBA) is an introductory 4-day backpacking expedition for high school students interested in exploring Denali’s vast wilderness. DBA is open to students entering high school (9th-12th grades) in the fall. No prior experience is necessary – if you are adventurous, have a positive attitude, and are interested in improving your wilderness and leadership skills, this expedition will be the highlight of your summer!

Mission

To provide high school participants with extraordinary wilderness experiences in the backcountry of Denali National Park and Preserve that challenge and extend physical, mental, and spiritual limits.

Goals

Strengthen common sense, good judgement, and decision-making skills.
Foster an understanding of one’s relationship with the environment of Denali National Park and Preserve.
Develop and hone leadership skills.
Increase appreciation of the outdoors and outdoor experiences.
Cultivate backcountry skills and methods consistent with Leave No Trace and National Park Service standards.
Create a physically, mentally, and emotionally safe environment for students to challenge themselves.
Foster an atmosphere that equates learning with fun

Instructors

The staff of Denali Backcountry Adventures is a supportive team that works together with a shared vision to provide students a fun, informative adventure in Denali National Park and Preserve. We pride ourselves on creating an engaging learning atmosphere in an outdoor setting with a student to instructor ratio of four-to-one for our traditional program, and three-to-one for our extended program.

Backpacking in Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve provides a stunning classroom for studying undisturbed taiga and tundra and experiencing firsthand an untrammeled wilderness. Denali is unique in its backcountry management procedures and has few established routes or backcountry campsites. Traveling in this environment requires that we design our own adventure by choosing the route. Along with this opportunity comes the responsibility to protect the wilderness resource for future users by adhering to the principles of Leave No Trace.

Registration

Registration will open at 9am on Monday, March 5, 2018, via an online registration link. You may also call the DEC at 683-2597.

Scholarship Applications are due within 7 days of registration.

Registration will close on Monday, April 9, and all paperwork is due by 5pm on Monday, April 16, 2018. Paperwork due includes: Medical History Form, Authorization Form, and Code of Conduct. Failure to submit paperwork by this deadline will result in the forfeiture of your camp spot.

Scholarship notifications will go out by Monday, April 16, 2018. Payment will be collected from Monday, April 23 to Tuesday, May 1.

We will post about any remaining available spaces after April 9, 2018.

Cancellation and Refund policy is as follows:

5 weeks before course- Full refund
4 weeks before course- 75% refund
3 weeks before course- 50% refund
2 weeks before course- No refund

DBA Students Celebrate Wilderness!

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we asked Denali Backcountry students what wilderness means to them. Watch the video to hear what these future stewards had to say.