Alaska: Off the Map

Arrive into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the hotel and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

We spend the next two nights in shared hotel rooms in Anchorage.

Get to know Alaska a lot better today with a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum. Learn about the indigenous peoples of Alaska and the history of this area.

We spend the morning on a community service project with a local park. We’ll install garden beds that beautify and create food. Then, it’s off to our first campground. Go over the basics of camping, setting up tents, cooking and cleaning.

The students share tents in a campground with bathrooms and showers.

We make the journey to Denali National Park today. Below the tallest peak in North America you’ll set up camp. In the evening, enjoy a ranger-led talk about the park and enjoy the natural beauty of the campground.

We spend the next two nights at a campground with no showers or electricity, but with flush toilets.

We have a big day of hiking ahead of us today! After a big breakfast, we head to the Savage Alpine trail. The hike will take us most of the day, but the views and the experience will be worth every step. You’ll earn a big dinner back at camp tonight!

We break camp today and make the drive to Maclaren Glacier. We take a boat ride to our remote backcountry location. Settle into the remote camp and enjoy the quiet.
We stay in shared cabins with flushing toilets and showers.

We hit the trails today to make the 8-mile hike to a glacial lake. Take a 6-mile round trip trek to Butte or an 8-mile hike to a glacial lake depending on time. Soak in the Alaskan landscapes in remote regions of the state. Back at camp, test your competitive spirit during games at the campsite. Share stories around a campfire

We depart Maclaren today to head to the town of Glacier View. On the way, we stop to top up on more perishable goods. Then we set up camp
Set up camp and enjoy some downtime!
We camp fro the next two nights at campground without running water or electricity, and with pit toilets.

Today we head out on the ice. Meet with your local ice climbing guides and learn the ropes. Put what you’ve learned into action on a glacier.

Get set for a day of rafting! We’ll get your adrenaline pumping for a moderate to challenging white water rafting experience on the Lions Head section of the Matanuska River. After we get out of the water, we head to Seward. On the way, we’ll stop for an optional polar plunge in the Lower Trail Lake.
Set up camp for your next two nights.

Learn about the effects of climate change while visiting the Harding Icefield. Head out for and 8.3 mile round trip hike with impressive views of the icefield and surrounding area.
Recover during a nice dinner at a local restaurant. Go souvenir shopping in Seward.
At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Hop aboard a boat to cruise through the waters off of Alaska. We’ll explore Kenai Fjords National Park from the boat and see sea birds, otters, puffins, and maybe even whales. We head back to Anchorage for a final night at a comfortable hotel before we all head home tomorrow. Get a great night’s sleep and soak in your final night in Alaska!

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.