Great Alaska Adventure

Land Tour

11 days

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Great Alaska Adventure
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  • Itinerary
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$AUD 699 per day

Departure: Anchorage, United States of America

Adventure

Alaska’s greatest asset may actually be its diversity and the state’s superlatives simply defy the imagination. Alaska is home to Prince William Sound – a diverse maritime complex of tidewater glaciers and deep fjords, Wrangell-St. Elias – America’s largest National Park and home to 9 of the 16 highest peaks on the continent, Denali – the highest peak in North America at 20,320’, and to countless treasures that fill the pages of coffee table books around the world. Our popular itinerary will allow you to sample the wonders of Alaska by hiking, kayaking, rafting, cruising and flying through its vast wilderness all while enjoying the hospitality and character of rustic, yet comfortable lodging. If you want to actively experience and participate in the “real” Alaska but would prefer not to camp, then this 11-day itinerary is the quintessential adventure.
About
10 breakfasts and 9 lunches
10 nights twin share accommodation in lodges and hotels with mostly private bathrooms (shared facilities in McCarthy)
Scenic bush plane flight to McCarthy
Private transport in good quality vehicles throughout
Anchorage hotel airport shuttle
Denali National Park wildlife-viewing shuttle
Prince William Sound ferry (or over flight)
Guided hiking and paddling as described
Professional guide throughout
All group gear and safety equipment
All park permits and fees
Hightlights
Experience true Alaskan wilderness
Keep an eye out for sea lions, curious seals and otters, porpoises, whales, caribou, moose, and bear
Hike, raft and go on a nature tour in Denali National Park
Canoeing on Maclaren River
Walk atop a glacier and cross Prince William Sound by ferry
Take a scenic bush flight into incredible Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Explore the Chugach Mountains
Hike and paddle amongst mountains, glaciers and turquoise lakes

Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Anchorage
Arrive in Anchorage and make your way to the group hotel. Settle into your room, and explore wonderful downtown Anchorage. The hotel offers complimentary airport shuttles for ease and convenience. NB: If you wish to spend more time in Anchorage then we are able to book additional nights for you.
Accommodation: Coast Inn Hotel or similar
Day 2 - To Denali National Park - Hike en route (3-4hrs; 8km; +/-500m)
We'll meet in the morning at the hotel lobby in Anchorage for a short tour briefing before heading north into the vast Alaskan Interior. We’ll stop along the way for a hike and picnic lunch in Denali State Park. This is a really great 3-4 hour alpine hike and, if the weather is kind, we may enjoy our first views of Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the rest of the mighty Alaska Range. That evening, we will check into our comfortable lodge at Denali National Park (3 nights).
Total drive time is approximately 4-4.5hrs total, with the hike about mid-way through.
Day 3 - Hiking and rafting in Denali NP
A fun day of activity today as there are a few short hikes to choose from in the morning (from 1.5 to 3 hours in duration) and then enjoy a half-day (approximately 2hrs) rafting trip on the mighty Nenana River. The Nenana is an exciting Class III/IV whitewater river and our expert guides will take us through canyons and rapids as we enjoy spectacular views of the peaks of the Alaska Range. Rafting the Nenana is a true classic.
Day 4 - Denali National Park & wildlife spotting
We’ll enjoy an delicious early breakfast at the lodge before boarding the park shuttle bus. The park road we travel is closed to regular vehicle traffic after the initial 15 miles. The shuttle bus provides the only way to visit the park’s amazing interior. Along the road corridor, keep your eyes peeled for Denali’s famous furry inhabitants carving out their existence amidst the some of the most amazing scenery in North America. Probability is high that you'll see caribou, moose, wolves, grizzlies, and Dall's sheep. And If the weather is kind, numerous chances to view Mt. McKinley – North America’s highest peak at 20,320’ - will greet you at every turn!
Day 5 - Maclaren River via the Denali Highway (hike approx 2hrs; 5-6km; +/-250m)
Today, we pack up and head east along the even more remote Denali Highway, paralleling the scenic southern side of the Alaska Range. This unlikely gravel 'highway' passes through some of the wildest, most remote, road-accessible country on Earth with amazing mountain, glacier, tundra, and river valley views. A beautiful short hike at the pass/divide is next, with tremendous 360-degree views of the mountains, rivers, and glacial lakes that are all about. There are lots of rare and interesting birds as well as moose, foxes, Arctic ground squirrels, beavers, muskrats, and occasionally grizzly bears to be seen throughout the whole area. In the afternoon we will check into our rustic and friendly, riverside lodge for the evening.
Total drive time is approx 3.5hrs with breaks in between for hiking and photos.
Day 6 - Wilderness Canoe Paddle and on to Wrangell-St. Elias NP / McCarthy
This morning it’s time to go caning! We will be transported upstream to the put-in in the lodge’s air boat, an adventure in itself. We’ll float downstream (calm waters),
on the lookout for wildlife. Afterward, we’ll continue on to the Copper River, where small planes will meet us for a scenic flight across the volcanic and glacier-clad Wrangell Mountains into immense Wrangell-St.-Elias National Park, the largest in the USA and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our destination is the historic Copper Rush boomtown of McCarthy (pop. ~35), everyone's favourite ghost town! We’ll spend three nights here in our rustic lodge accommodation at the foot of the mighty Kennicott Glacier, deep in the heart of the park (twin share accommodation with shared facilities). 16,390' Mt. Blackburn looms up the glacier and other huge peaks are all about. Four major mountain ranges, 9 of the 16 tallest peaks in thee US, and the largest non-polar ice field on Earth all converge in this little-known and seldom-visited gem of a national park.
Day 7 - Glacier walk (~4-5 hrs; 10-11km; and up to 100m elevation gain)
After breakfast, we’ll strap on some crampons and venture out onto the ice with a local mountaineering guide to explore the blue crevasses, moulins, and the rest of the fascinating glacial geography. The walk starts from the small town of Kennicott and follows the lateral moraine of Kennicott Glacier out to were the blue ice begins. The more adventurous can challenge themselves with an optional introductory ice-climbing course on the glacier (at additional cost + and an additional 2hrs). Other optional extras include flight-seeing over the immense fields of glacial ice, various ranger-led activities, and/or the Historic Kennicott Copper Mine tour. Our glacier hike is suitable for beginners and is an amazing adventure on a real moving glacier.
Day 8 - Day Hike or Free Day in Wrangell-St. Elias NP (5-8hrs; 15-16km; +/-1250m)
Today, wehike up to the abandoned Bonanza Mine for incredible mountain and glacier views. This vigorous hike is the consensus favorite of both clients and guides, year after year. Less strenuously, you can either hike along the lateral moraine of the Root Glacier, along the old Wagon Road, or out to the t of the huge Kennicott Glacier, where you can witness it actually moving, depositing the boulders and debris it has carved and carried from the mountains into the terminal lake it has formed (headwaters of the Kennicott River). Or, if you prefer, take a day off to simply relax and soak up the mountain village ambiance. You won't want to leave McCarthy!
Day 9 - Worthington Glacier Hike and Valdez (approx 2hrs; 5km; +/-100m)
Driving out of Wrangell-St. Elias NP, we'll cross yet another tremendous range: The heavily-glaciated Chugach Mountains. The Worthington Glacier, a Natural Historic Landmark, is a spectacular glacier that tumbles from the Chugach Mountains. At alpine Thompson Pass, we can hike either to the t or up the sweeping moraine to stunning views of the blue ice and crevasses of the glacier and magnificent vistas of the mighty Chugach. Dropping down and out of the mountains toward the picturesquely-set town of Valdez, we'll get our first taste of magnificent coastal Alaska. The young and geologically very active Chugach range rises up literally out of the sea, ringing super-scenic Prince William Sound. Glaciers are all about, some of them spilling their loads of ice directly into the sea. Tonight choose from Valdez’s many restaurants. This walkable town offers many options just steps from our hotel, the centrally located Totem Hotel and Suites.
Total drive time is approximately 4-4.5hrs broken up by the hike and other scenic stops en route to Valdez.
Day 10 - Sea Kayaking at Columbia Glacier (approx 9-10hr day with 4-5hrs of paddling)
Today we'll experience some of the best sea kayaking anywhere - in calm and spectacular, glacier-carved Prince William Sound. Timing with the tides, the trip will begin with an orientation by our sea kayaking guides, followed by a water taxi ride down the Valdez Arm. We'll continue to the face of incredible Columbia Glacier and enjoy lunch at the foot of the ancient tidewater glacier.
Day 11 - Prince William Sound Crossing and Return to Anchorage
This morning, we'll board the Alaska state ferry for a beautiful crossing of Prince William Sound, on the lookout for whales, bald eagles and other wildlife. Following a short hike (time permitting), we'll drive back to Anchorage (approximately 1hr). On some trips (depending on the ferry schedule), a flight over the glacier-clad Sound from Valdez back to Anchorage may be substituted, but the ferry is preferred. Either way, the trip will end in Anchorage around 5pm. Please schedule homebound flights to depart after 8pm.
Location

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