• Image of Mount McKinley and the Alaska Range

    Denali

    National Park & Preserve Alaska

Information for Researchers

Don't forget the research fellowship deadline!

NPS photo

Research Fellowship Programs
Eight research fellows have been selected for 2013. These selected fellows work in Denali or other subarctic Alaskan national parks and provide an education outreach project. Check back in late 2013 to see posted information about 2014 fellowships.

Read about 2013 Fellowship Projects.

The Faces of 2012 Research in Denali
Read about researchers and their projects.

2012-2013 Researcher-in-Residence Program
Two researchers conduct field studies in Denali and share their expertise with park staff and visitors. One science illustrator creates a mural depicting Denali in the age of dinosaurs.


Parks for research. Research for parks.

Welcome to the possibilities of conducting research in the shadow of Denali.

Please consult the following documents to better understand the research opportunities and research responsibilities in Denali National Park and Preserve.

 
Caribou strolls on the gravel bar of the Teklanika River

Caribou in Denali

Lucy Tyrrell

Handbook for Researchers

Useful contact information
Research needed by park managers
Applying to conduct studies in Denali
What are the obligations of researchers?
Resources available to researchers

 
Proposals should be written carefully to be compatible with wilderness values.

Observing Dall's Sheep

NPS Photo

Are You Thinking about Applying to Conduct Research at Denali?

General and specific guidance for developing research projects and writing study plans (research proposals) for Denali that will be most compatible with Denali's wilderness landscapes, and thus encounter the least obstacles during review.

 
Snowshoe Hare

Getting Ready for Winter

Rob Hannawacker

Checklist for Requesting Support

Checklist of research-related support potentially available and how to request it (e.g., housing or camping, road permit, storage space, office space).

 
Researchers may wish to stay at campsites along the park road.

Camping at Wonder Lake Campground

Kent Miller

Potential Housing Options for Researchers

What campgrounds, cabins, and other lodging in the park are potentially available for researchers? Table of options and amenities that might be available, arranged by "east" and "west" ends of the park road.

 
Physiography map of a small part of Denali National Park and Preserve

Researchers can better plan fieldwork knowing about Denali's geography

NPS image

Park Geography for Researchers
Map of Denali focusing on Denali Park Road, showing locations of interest to researchers (pdf 5102 KB)

Inset Map A of Park Entrance Area (pdf 753 KB)

Inset Map B of Park Headquarters Area (pdf 554 KB)

Inset Map C of Kantishna - Wonder Lake Area (pdf 1077KB)

 
Temporary wildlife closures may include an area where a grizzly is defending a kill.

Please respect wildlife closures

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Maps of Current Wildlife Closures

Learn the locations of permanent and temporary wildlife closures by consulting these maps. These areas are off limits to research except in rare instances. Closure maps are arranged by section of the Denali Park Road (Miles 0-30, 30-60, 60-90+). Researchers, please walk and work around these wildlife closures.

 
How does White Sweet Clover (an exotic plant) impact floodplain plant community structure?

Recording Data

Blaine Spellman

Performing Environmentally-Sensitive and Safe Field Research in Denali National Park and Preserve

Minimizing impacts of conducting research
Staying safe while conducting research

 
Adolph Murie based some of his park research out of the East Fork Cabin.

East Fork Cabin

NPS Photo

Curatorial Requirements for Researchers Intending to Collect in Denali

How to comply with regulations about collecting in Denali--arranging a loan repository, what to do before you arrive at the park to collect, what needs to be recorded during your field collections, and responsibilities for researchers after collecting (including labels and cataloging) and after cataloging.

 
Sharing research information helps others be supportive of research in Denali.

Researchers can provide information for interpreters to incorporate in programs

Kent Miller

Sharing Your Research

Ideas for sharing your research with others. Sharing your research builds support for future research opportunities.
  • Research Fellowship Programs Research Fellowship Programs

    Discover Denali and MSLC Fellowship Programs Read More

  • Research Permit and Reporting System Research Permit and Reporting System

    NPS Webpage for Research Read More

  • Research Results and Resource Information Research Results and Resource Information

    Learning about Denali's resources through research Read More

  • Research in Wilderness Research in Wilderness

    Learn about conducting research in wilderness areas of parks in Alaska. Read More

Did You Know?

Visibility is an important component of measuring Denali's air quality

Visibility is an important component of measuring Denali's air quality. Visibility data, such as that from the Wonder Lake camera, supplements chemical data from filter samples. Air here is still clean, but traces of pollution from local, regional and international sources exists on filter samples.