Preliminary Itinerary
Saturday June 22
Arrive in Anchorage 7pm (10pm home time) Springhill Suites
Get rental car, find hotel, crash
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Sunday June 23 Drive time: 6-7 hours Overnight: Riley Campground
Hit Walmart for Camping supplies. Drive to Denali
Alternative 1: Talkeetna Flightseeing tour ($400 pp)
Booked 12/28/2023. 100% cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
Depart Anchorage: 9:30am Arrive Talkeetna: 12:30pm (2 hour google drive plus added time for construction). Talkeetna taco food truck, if open and time. Packed sandwiches if not.
Check in with Talkeetna Air Taxi by 12:45 for 1:30pm Southside Explorer with Glacier Landing Tour
Depart Talkeetna: 3:30pm Arrive: Denali NP: 6:30pm (2 hr 40min google drive).
Alternative 2: Later start with no flightseeing
If weather is not good and flight is cancelled, slow drive to Riley Campground with possible stops along the way. Include Wasilla stops, Sock-eye Burn and then skip on June 26th.
Depart Anchorage: 10am Arrive Denali: 5pm
Drive 34 min for 1 mile hike at Thunderbird Falls or Reflections Lake Trail. Possible stops: Iditarod headquarters, Reindeer Farm, Musk Ox Farm, Denali viewing.
Stop in Willow to visit Sock-eye Burn an area of boreal forest which was ravaged by fire a few years ago and the aftermath has provided good habitat for Black Backed woodpecker and Three Toed woodpecker
Arrive Denali one hour before visitor center closes. Pick up transit pass, sign up for Disco hike. Eat dinner and set up camp.
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Monday, June 24 Drive Time: 0 Overnight: Riley Campground
Morning
Purchase mid-afternoon East Fork Transit Pass ($34 pp) BOOK for 4.5 hour shuttle ride through park. If able to sign up for a Discovery Tour, exchange for Disco pass
Thinking best time to purchase a pass is 3pm. That would give most flexibility for day. Morning options could include sleeping in and hanging around camp, going for a morning discovery hike, visiting nature center, morning ranger led hike, etc. Meet up for late lunch. Pack dinner to take on bus. Arrive back to camp somewhere between 7:45pm (no stops) and 9:15pm. Thinking evening bus may be less packed, closer to sunset, and if we are tired at the end of the day, we just sit and relax while watching scenery.
Morning Choices
Visit Denali Visitor Center: Open 8am - 6pm
Sled Dog Demonstration: 9:20am, 1:20pm, 3:20pm. 30 minute presentation, free bus leaves from Denali Visitor Center
Horseshoe Lake Trail: Horseshoe Lake Trail: 2 miles, 2 hours Access via Mile 1 of Denali park Road, or across Park Road from third upper parking lot
10am and 2pm: 2 hour ranger led hikes from visitor center
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Tuesday, June 25 Drive Time: 2 hrs Overnight: K'esugi Ken Cabin
Morning Options and early afternoon:
Discovery Tour, if available.
East Fork Transit, if Disco tour previous day
Sled Dog Demonstrations (if didn't make previous day): 9:20am, 1:20pm,
Savage Creek Hike: Either take free shuttle or drive 1.7 miles, 1 hour hike
Mount Healy Overlook: 6 miles, 4 hour hike. Accessible from Visitors Center. This would be the only thing we’d really do this day.
Break camp in late afternoon and head south. Check into cabin then eat dinner at McKinley View Lodge, open until 8pm.
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Wednesday, June 26 Drive Time: 2 hrs Overnight: Camping Finger Lake Campground
If didn't make on Day 1. Leave cabin early at 6:45am to drive 1 hour to Talkeetna. Check in 7:45am for 8:30am tour.
Depart Talkeetna 10:30am. Arrive Hatcher Pass 12:30pm. 45-min tour Independence Mine State park. ($15 pp) Visit whatever wasn't seen on way up: Iditarod, Musk Ox and/or Reindeer Farm.
Possible sightings of white-tailed ptarmigan and smith's longspur at Hatcher Pass
Leave cabin at 9:15am to drive 1 hour to Talkeetna. Check in 10:15am for 11am tour.
Depart Talkeetna: 1pm. Arrive Hatcher Pass: 3pm Tour Independence Mine State park. Plan for Wasilla attractions following morning.
Stop in Willow to see Sock-eye Burn Drive time 1hr 15 min
Arrive Hatcher Pass: 12pm. Set up camp if available. Visit Independence Mine
2-3pm Iditarod headquarters, Reindeer Farm, maybe Musk Ox Farm. Could possibly hit these the next morning before 2pm glacier hike
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Leisurely start. Visit any Wasilla attractions missed previously
Depart Wasilla: 9am Arrive Lion's Head: 10:30amHike for 2 hours then lunch. Lion's Head Trail: 2.1 miles out and back, 2 hours hike, difficulty: hard. Trailhead in on private property, park near AT&T tower near mile 106 on Glenn Highway.
Arrive Matanuska: 1:30pm for 2pm 2-hour Glacier Hike, if available. Confirmation delivered via text at 907-232-9046
Depart Matanuska 4pm: Arrive: 5:15pm Tolsona Campground and set up camp. Fish at river, hike to Mud Vocano or bird Tolsona Lake. Horned (or Slavonian) Grebe, and Surf and White-winged Scoters on their breeding grounds.
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Wrangell St Elias NP Visitor Center
1pm Copper Center Discovery Tour ($120pp) This 4-hour tour gets really good reviews and gives a in-depth look at Alaska's flora and fauna. Only a short hike, but it seems interesting. Kind of expensive, but could be a fun geek-out kind of tour. Booked
5pm: Dinner in Copper Center than head to Blueberry Lake to set up camp
Hike the Thompson pass trail: 2.4 mile out and back. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. This trail is great for birding and hiking
Visit Worthington Glacier and short .3 mile loop trail. Might also be a lower trail that is nice. Do not take higher trail!
Old Railroad Tunnel
Visit Crooked Creek info center and Duck Flats Hike: Milepost .9 Richardson Highway, 2 minutes from downtown. Staffed by guides, short path to waterfall, across from Highway is the intertidal wetlands of Valdez "Duck Flats" a 1000 acre salt marsh. Harlequin duck, artic tern, and red necked grebe
Solomon Gulch Hatchery The facility is permitted to incubate, rear and release 270 million pink salmon, and 2 million Coho salmon annually. This production capacity provides for an impressive release of 250 million pink salmon fry and 1.8 million Coho salmon smolts each year
Hike Homestead Trail: 1.2 miles Follows Mineral Creek to a salmon-viewing area. Along with the fish, you may see the bears that come to feast on them. On the way, expect to see lots of birds and summertime wildflowers, as well as some fantastic ocean views.
Valdez Museum
Sunday, June 30 Drive Time: 0 min Overnight: Bear Paw RV Camp Booked
Wait to book trip until after ferry schedule is published. If ferry is not on Tuesday, book for Saturday
8am - 6pm 10 hour trip. 2.5 hour boat ride, 1.5 hour paddle, lunch break, 1.5 hour paddle, 2 hour return boat trip
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Monday, July 1 Drive Time: 0 min Overnight: Bear Paw RV Camp
Anything we did not get to do already in Valdez, or sign up for a fishing trip
Salmon Fishing tour with Valdez Water Taxi ($325 pp)
6:30am - 1:00pm 6-7 hours. Plus whatever we haven't already done in the afternoon Booked
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Tuesday, July 2 Drive Time: 0 Ferry Time: 5 hours Overnight: Anchor Inn Hotel Suite
Tough morning, we will have to break camp and get to the ferry by 5:30am. At least it won't be dark!
Whitter Ferry - 5 hour trip ($450 total) BOOKING # 1943660
Check in at 5:30am Depart 7:00am Arrive: 12:45pm
Visit Whittier Bay campground and Whittier Parking and Camping or Williwaw Campground on other side of tunnel for possible over nights
Prince William Sound Museum - inside the Anchor Inn in downtown Whittier where a small but fascinating museum gives a glimpse of Whittier's incredible history
Possible Portage Pass hike: After cresting Portage Pass, the trail drops through glacial scrub before popping out on the wide gravel shores of Portage Lake, directly across from the snout of gorgeous Portage Glacier
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Wednesday, July 3 Drive Time: 2 hrs Overnight: Sourdough Sue's Yurts
Morning Options
Whittier Tunnel - one way tunnel shared by cars and train. See schedule, but looks like on the hour to leave Whittier. Arrive 10 minutes before scheduled opening
Begich, Boggs Visitor Center - learn about the Chugach National Forest, America's farthest north national forest. Award-winning exhibits, educational presentations, the film Retreat and Renewal: Stories from Alaska's Chugach National Forest,
Turnagain Arm - Beluga point. Too early for Belugas, but a pretty place to stop
Bear Creek Weir to see salmon
Afternoon Options
Exit Glacier Hike for 2:30pm ranger guided tour
Alaska Sea life Center:($40 pp plus $100 pp encounter) Toursaver has buy 1 get 1 discount for entrance Puffin Encounter at 2:30pm or Marine Mammal Excursion at 1:45pm
Explore Lowell Pointe: Tonsina creek trail: 3 miles, 2 hours to hike. Gorgeous temperate rainforest hike. Go at high tide to catch sight of marine mammals and shorebirds. Return at lower stages or minus tides to view intertidal life
Evening Options
4th of July Parade begins on July 3rd at 11:00pm, followed by fireworks at midnight.
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Thursday, July 4 Drive Time: 0 hrs Overnight: Sourdough Sue's Yurts
Seward likely to be packed today. We can choose to try the festivities, or explore some of the area hikes.
Harding Ice Field Hike: 6 - 8 hour hike. This spectacular 8.2 mile trail begins on the valley floor and then winds through cottonwood and alder forests, heather filled meadows, and climbs
Explore Lowell Pointe: Tonsina creek trail: 3 miles, 2 hours to hike. Gorgeous temperate rainforest hike. Go at high tide to catch sight of marine mammals and shorebirds. Return at lower stages or minus tides to view intertidal life
Alaska Sea life Center: Puffin Encounter at 2:30pm or Marine Mammal Excursion at 1:45pm
Seavey's Idiatarod Center
Fishing guide
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Friday, July 5 Drive Time: 0 hrs Overnight: Sourdough Sue's Yurts
Major Marine Northwestern Fjord Cruise ($289pp) 8:30am 8.5 hours. Smaller boat with 60 passengers. Goes farther into Kenai Fjords NP. SAVE10 promo code for early booking. $200, so book soon. Can cancel up to 72 hours prior to cruise. minus a 3% credit card BOOK
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Saturday, July 6 Drive Time: 2 hrs 30 min Overnight: Flight home
Spend morning in Seward doing anything missed, then drive 2 hours to Potter marsh, possibly stopping at Alyseka Tram. Explore Anchorage
Short Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Anchorage late pick up rental, head to hotel and crash
Day 2: Depart Anchorage by 9am. Drive to Telkeetna for Flightseeing tour check in by 12:45. Arrive late to Denali, set up camp.
Day 3: Morning options: Denali Visitor center, Sled dog demo at 9:20am, 10 am ranger-led hike, Horseshoe Lake trail hike. Afternoon: 2pm East Fork Transit bus - bring light dinner, jump out somewhere pretty, catch next bus back
Day 4: Morning and early afternoon options: 7am East For Transit tour (if available), Discovery hike, Mount Healy overlook hike (4 hours), anything missed on previous day. Late afternoon: head to K’esurgi Ken Campground
Day 5: Morning options: Stop at Sock Eye burn for woodpeckers, Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine, Afternoon options: More Hatcher Pass, set up camp at Finger Lake campground, Idiatarod HQ, Musk Ox Farm or Reindeer Farm, as time permits
Day 6: Morning options: Anything missed previous day or Lion's Head trail hike (2 hour hike). Afternoon: Matanuska Glacier at 2 pm Overnight: Tolsona Campground
Day 7: Morning options: Fishing or Mud Volcano hike at Tolsona, Wrangell-St Elias Visitor Center. Afternoon: 1pm Copper Canyon Discovery tour. Evening: Late night camp setup at Blueberry Lake Campground
Day 8: Day options: Thompson Pass, Valdez Glacier Lake, Crooked Creek Info Center, Homestead Trail Hike, Solomon Gulch Hatchery, Valdez Museum
Day 9: Columbia Glacier Kayak tour (10 hours)
Day 10: Morning: Fishing with Valdez Water Taxi Afternoon: Anything not already done in Valdez
Day 11: Morning: Ferry trip - pack up camp at 4am to catch Tuesday ferry (!!). Afternoon: Check in to Anchor Inn, Whittier Historic Walking Tour
Day 12: Morning Options: Portage Pass hike, Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, Beluga pointe, other stops, Afternoon options: Check in to Air B&B. Exit Glacier Hike, Tosina Creek Trail, Alaska Sea Life Center, Evening: Independence Day Fireworks at 11pm (!!)
Day 13: All Day options Options: Harding Ice Field Trek, July 4th celebrations, Alaska Sea Life Center or Tosina Creek Trail
Day 14: 8.5 hour Major Marine Glacier tour
Day 15: Head back to Anchorage for red eye home
