Summary
Trip Length
10 days / 9 nights
Price
from USD$ 3,245
Details >
Outline
Arrive Anchorage
2 nights Denali
1 night Meier’s Lake Roadhouse
2 nights McCarthy
1 night Gakona
3 nights Hope
Depart from Anchorage
Starts
Anchorage, Alaska
2009 Dates
June - September
Accommodation Secluded camping and Cabins
Options & Upgrades
Pre/ post nights & extra tours
Denali float plane excursion
Ice-climbing in Wrangell -St. Elias
Alaska Wilderness Adventure
For those looking for active Alaska’s incredible wilderness, this trip is for you! From hiking to rafting to kayaking, experience the best of the exhilarating outdoor pursuits of this rugged Northern region. By staying in cozy lodges and comfortable camp sites in remote areas you can get off the typical Alaska tour beaten track and into the real Alaska. This will surely be an Alaskan Adventure Holiday you will never forget!
ITINERARY
Day 1 – Anchorage and the Great Outdoors
Your Alaska adventure holiday will begin bright and early when you leave Anchorage and head to the mountains. A stop in Wasilla at the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race will offer an insight into a uniquely Alaskan tradition. Moving further north will take you near Mt. McKinley, North America’s highest peak, as you enter the breathtaking mountain range. Spend the afternoon hiking the area with its wonderful scenery and abundant wildlife – maybe you will come across a crowd of caribou or a lonely moose! Set up camp on a private alpine bluff overlooking the Jack River in the shadow of Mt. McKinley.
Day 2 – Denali National Park
Leave camp in the morning to drive north to the entrance of Denali National Park. After an orientation in the Visitor’s Center take off on an Alaskan wildlife tour of the park with beautiful scenery and great opportunity for wildlife viewing (the Park is home to bears, caribou, moose, wolves, and many others). The afternoon can be spent hiking the trails or on an optional but exquisite flightseeing tour bringing you right up the face of “the Mountain”. Return to camp for dinner and an evening exploration of the tundra.
Day 3 – Glaciers
Departing after breakfast you will travel the spectacular and remote Denali Highway with its vistas of wide valleys, alpine tundra, and haunting scenery. This will be a great opportunity for wildlife viewing as you cross the glacial river and lake country. Brief stops to mingle with the locals will give you real insight into this remote terrain. A gradual climb will see you at Maclaren Summit for a great walk along the second highest point of Alaska’s road system. The hike along the alpine tundra will have the backdrop of the Maclaren Glacier and the mountains of the Alaska Range, with expansive views in all directions. Paxson will offer another opportunity for a great hike as you cross a swinging bridge onto the Gulkana Glacier’s terminal moraine. The comfortable and scenic Meier’s Lake Roadhouse will form your home for the night.
Day 4 – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Driving southward along the Richardson Highway will see you at the Visitor Center of the nation’s largest National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias. A pristine piece of nature that, when coupled with the adjoining Kluane National Park, is the largest piece of protected wilderness on the planet. Taking remote roads you will pass the near ghost towns of McCarthy and Kennicott before arriving at a private island facility. This camp is an incredible spot with views from towering icefalls up high to glacial creeks tumbling below. Explore the region on active Alaska walks to the tiny town of McCarthy (perhaps choosing to stop at the local tavern) and an untrailed hike over glacial moraine. This beautiful and eerie landscape is sure to stick in your mind. Spend dinner over an evening fire at camp.
Day 5 – Ghost Towns
Today will be a very unique experience as a post-breakfast drive takes you to the abandoned mining town of Kennicott. The town is almost exactly as it was when the mines closed in 1938 – stores have dusty but stocked shelves, the hospital still contains records, and the buildings are deserted but intact. This is a real ghost town which owes its preserved state to its remoteness. A hike along the lateral moraine of the Root Glacier will take you to the abandoned Erie Mine site where you can explore the ruins before returning to the now apparently bustling town of McCarthy. Evening at camp.
Day 6 – Flights and Volcanoes
Spend the morning at your leisure, hiking, relaxing, or taking advantage of a fantastic flightseeing option for some incredible sightseeing. Head north towards Glennallen where you’ll set up at another private campsite, this time situated on the edge of a bluff with fantastic views overlooking the Copper River and Valley. The volcanoes of Mt. Sanford and Mt. Drum are prominent in the views, with the plain below full of movements of Alaskan wildlife. Look out for all the eagles that fly around the bluff.
Day 7 – Hiking to Hope
Spend the morning on a beautiful mountain drive heading southwest to the valley of the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. An exciting stop will be an active Alaska experience with a 3-hour glacier hiking trip equipped with crampons. Continuing the drive you will find yourself at the small road community of Hope, the second oldest gold rush town in Alaska. This charming town is still predominately built of log, and it’s here in cozy log cabins overlooking Bear Creek that you’ll make your home for the next three nights. Hope will be a great place to unwind in the evening with fine local establishments and time for campfires and hot tubs.
Day 8 – Kayaking in the Fjords
Start the day off right with a great breakfast before heading south to Seward. Here you’ll take part in the extraordinary sea kayaking available in beautiful Resurrection Bay. Following the fjord shoreline punctuated by icefield-fed waterfalls there will be plenty of opportunity to witness the Alaskan wildlife – sea lions, eagles, sea otters, orcas, and humpback whales all make their home in the area. Spend the evening in Hope, perhaps indulging at the local watering hole.
Day 9 – Rafting Six Mile Creek
Heading down the road to Six Mile Creek you’ll prepare yourself for the Alaska adventure of the day – white water rafting! This is sure to be an exciting opportunity, with exhilarating Class IV and V rapids and incredible scenery as you raft down the beautiful and narrow canyon. You’ve definitely earned the night’s activity – a leisurely BBQ dinner on the deck and a soak in the hot tub.
Day 10 – Saying Goodbyes
Leaving the comforts of Hope you will wind alongside mountains and rivers before landing in Girdwood. This area is a unique microclimate which features a temperate rainforest and flora entirely different than that in Hope, only a couple dozen miles away. Get to know these unique surroundings with a hike up Winner Creek to a beautiful gorge with its own hand tram. Enjoy a late lunch at the Bake Shop before heading back to Anchorage in the late afternoon. Reflect on all you’ve seen and done on your Alaska adventure holiday as you depart from Anchorage at your leisure.
2009 Departure Dates
June 12 - June 21
July 12 - July 21
Aug 6 - Aug 15
Aug 27 - Sep 5
| Dates | USD$ | CAD$ |
| Double | Double | |
| June 12 2009- Sep 5 2009 | 3,245 | 3,894 |
Options & Upgrades
Pre and post-trip accommodation is not included, but Fresh Tracks would be happy to assist you with booking your accommodation upon request
Price Notes
• Prices are per person based on two people
Includes
• 5 nights secluded private camping
• 4 nights rustic cabin accommodation
• Denali guided wildlife tour
• MaClaren Summit Alpine tundra hike
• Gulkana Glacier hike
• World class Six Mile River rafting
• Girdwood rainforest hike
• All meals
• Experienced professional Alaska adventure guides
• Ground and boat transportation
Not Included
• Transportation to Anchorage
• Personal items
• Optional activities
• Meals and accommodation while staying in Anchorage
• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuities
• Hospital, medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance
