Camp Denali

Story

Since welcoming the first guests in 1952, Camp Denali invites you to experience the wild beauty of Denali through meaningful connections with nature. The story begins in 1951 when founders Celia Hunter, Ginny Wood, and Morton "Woody" Wood discover a remarkable ridge overlooking Denali and establish a simple, rustic lodge where visitors can savor the vigor, freshness, and spacious tranquility of Alaska's wilderness. Built with locally harvested spruce logs, reclaimed materials, and the generous help of friends and visitors, Camp Denali grows from a shared dream rooted in ingenuity, hospitality, and respect for the land.

In 1975, stewardship passes to Wally and Jerryne Cole, who continue the founders' philosophy of preserving the wilderness experience while welcoming travelers from around the world. Their commitment expands with the acquisition of North Face Lodge, protecting an important landscape from unnecessary development while maintaining the same thoughtful approach to hospitality.

Today, third-generation owners Jenna and Simon continue this tradition of family stewardship. Their lifelong connection to Denali, combined with backgrounds in natural science and conservation, ensures that every experience reflects a deep understanding of the land, its ecology, and its history.

Camp Denali remains true to the principles established by its founders: stay small, maintain a minimal footprint, and provide comfortable hospitality that allows you to fully experience the wilderness of Denali National Park. Family ownership, dedicated staff, and hands-on leadership create a welcoming community where you experience genuine hospitality and authentic connections with Alaska's extraordinary landscapes.

Mission

Camp Denali provides active learning experiences and fosters stewardship of the natural world through a tradition of excellence, community, and place. Every experience encourages you to live close to the land while exploring Denali's wilderness, ecology, and history. Beyond sharing knowledge about Denali, Camp Denali inspires you to see, understand, and care for the natural world long after your journey ends.

Excellence means providing thoughtful hospitality that prioritizes your comfort, meets your needs, and exceeds your expectations without emphasizing unnecessary luxury. Community means welcoming you into a close-knit environment where dedicated staff create meaningful connections and memorable experiences. Place means preserving the character of Denali through responsible stewardship, environmental sustainability, and continual improvements that demonstrate practical conservation solutions.

Vision

Camp Denali inspires you to build a lasting connection with the natural world through immersive wilderness experiences, responsible stewardship, and genuine hospitality. Every visit deepens your appreciation for Denali's landscapes, wildlife, ecology, and history while encouraging respect, conservation, and care for wild places. Through generations of family stewardship and a commitment to protecting the land, Camp Denali ensures that future generations can continue to experience the beauty, wonder, and spirit of Denali.

Camp Denali honors the stewardship practiced by Indigenous Alaskans for more than 10,000 years. You experience Alaska while building a deeper relationship with the land that respects, celebrates, and protects its natural abundance. Every visit encourages you to appreciate the wilderness and help preserve the lands, waters, wildlife, and ways of life that make Alaska extraordinary.
Organizations Camp Denali Supports

Denali offers the rare opportunity to spend time in a six-million-acre, intact subarctic wilderness. Camp Denali inspires you and every guest to help protect Alaska's natural and cultural heritage through responsible travel. The company provides direct and in-kind support to local and statewide organizations dedicated to land conservation, education, environmental stewardship, advocacy, community development, and Indigenous language revitalization. Annual contributions benefit organizations including Alaska Geographic, National Parks Conservation Association, Denali Citizens Council, Audubon Alaska, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Denali Education Center, Alaska Center for the Environment, Trustees for Alaska, Alaska Songbird Institute, Native Movement, Renewable Energy Alaska Project, Alaska Wilderness League, Earthjustice, and the Doyon Foundation. Continuing the vision of its founders, Camp Denali's owners and team members actively support conservation organizations through decades of leadership, advocacy, and community engagement.

Renewable Energy

Camp Denali also demonstrates environmental stewardship through renewable energy. Located 90 miles from the nearest power grid, the property has relied on renewable energy for much of its history. Beginning with its first hydroelectric system in 1981 and expanding to photovoltaic panels and passive solar hot water systems, Camp Denali continually adopts cleaner energy solutions that reduce fossil fuel dependence and carbon emissions. A significantly expanded 90-kilowatt solar array, completed in 2021, now supplies nearly all electrical needs, producing 96% of the property's electricity in 2023. The quiet created by renewable energy enhances your wilderness experience while protecting the surrounding environment.

Additional sustainability efforts continue to reduce fossil fuel use. Camp Denali expands the use of solar energy through battery storage, converts propane-powered guest cabin lighting to rechargeable LED systems, and introduces induction cooktops and electric kitchen equipment to replace propane wherever possible. Future improvements include additional passive solar hot water systems that further reduce fuel consumption.

Carbon Reduction & Conservation Impact

You are also encouraged to reduce the environmental impact of travel by supporting carbon reduction and conservation initiatives. Camp Denali explains how transportation, particularly air travel, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and encourages you to offset your carbon footprint through meaningful environmental contributions. Previous partnerships with the Fairbanks Carbon Reduction Fund helped improve home energy efficiency for low-income households while reducing emissions across Interior Alaska. From 2023 through 2025, Camp Denali matched guest donations, generating meaningful support for energy-saving improvements throughout the Fairbanks area.

Beginning in 2026, Camp Denali focuses conservation efforts on protecting Alaska's public lands, waters, and wilderness by encouraging support for the Alaska Conservation Foundation. The foundation empowers Alaska's grassroots organizations and Tribal communities to safeguard natural resources and strengthen resilience to climate change. Through responsible travel, renewable energy, conservation leadership, and community partnerships, Camp Denali invites you to help protect Alaska's remarkable landscapes for generations to come.