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Denali National Park
A visit to the Last Frontier would not be complete without experiencing Denali National Park, attracting over one million visitors a year who come to marvel at the park’s scenic splendour. Denali National Park and Preserve comprises a massive area of six million acres in Interior Alaska and is best known for being the home to North America’s tallest mountain, the 20,320 foot Mount McKinley, or Denali, the "The Great One," as its called by the Athabascan native people. The tremendous 18,000 foot difference from the mountain's lowlands near Wonder Lake up to its peak is a greater vertical relief than that of Mount Everest. The park is bisected from east to west by the 600-mile Alaska Range which includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers.
Denali National Park is an incredible wilderness area and is the largest protected ecosystem in the world, with 750 species of flowering plants, 39 mammal species, 165 bird species and 10 species of fish. The park was created to protect its abundance of large mammals. Today it is common to see grizzly bears, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and foxes throughout the park. Golden eagles patrol the higher elevations and ridgetops. Less common but still regularly seen are the park's many wolves. Black bears are also occasionally seen, and the very lucky visitor might glimpse a wolverine. Spring, summer, and fall (the cruise season) provide a compressed respite from the sub-arctic's long season of deep cold. For most animals, it is a busy time during which they must garner most of their annual food supplies.
The dynamic glaciated landscape provides large rivers, countless lakes and ponds, and unique landforms which form the foundation of the ecosystems that thrive. The terrain of Denali includes "tundra" and "taiga" zones. Taiga zones are made up of the stubby evergreen, spruce and aspen trees that are found in areas around the Arctic Circle. The taiga zone within Denali extends to approximately 2700 feet above sea level, above which few trees are found. The treeless areas of the park can generally be classified as tundra. Within a tundra zone the plants are often miniaturised, including tiny flowers, extensive mosses, and various shrubs.
Denali National Park & Preserve is located in the state of Alaska, 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 miles south of Fairbanks and is a popular destination on most Alaska Cruisetours.
Shore Excursions
Canyon Run Rafting - Approx. 3 hours
Hang on! It's whitewater ahead! You'll get wet and enjoy every minute of it as we head for Healy. Get into real whitewater rafting as you hang on through thrilling rapids. A knowledgeable river rafting guide will lead you, and state-of-the-art gear will be available for your use. What an experience!! Get ready for the rafting adventure of a lifetime!
What to Wear:
All guests are provided with Mustang flotation suits or Gortex dry suits and neoprene booties. Mustang suits are far more insulated, so fewer layers will be necessary for those who opt for them. Dry suits provide no insulation, but provide the utmost of waterproof protection and allow for upper body movement necessary on paddle rafts. We recommend that you wear layers suitable for being outdoors for hours at a time. We highly recommend synthetic (fleece, polyester, polypropylene, etc.) or wool materials as opposed to cotton, as they keep you much warmer. We also recommend wool or fleece hats, gloves, and two pairs of socks.
Denali Back Country Adventure - Approx. 13 hours
Your journey begins along the Denali Park Road taking you the entire length of the restricted 95-miles to Kantishna. Your Guide/Driver, a trained naturalist, provides natural history interpretation along the way, while helping you search for bears, moose, caribou and other wildlife. This a fantastic opportunity to view and learn about the biology and geology of the region as your journey continues with stops along the way for you to stretch your legs and take photos. Lunch is served at the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna - sandwich bar, soups, fruits, snacks, fresh baked goods and drinks. After lunch, activities will be available with a trained guide plus you can try your luck at gold panning near the lodge or take a guided nature walk to Fannie Quigley’s historic pioneer cabin, which was recently restored by the National Park Service.
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