Denali National Park Extension

Following your Southeast Alaska cruise, fly from Juneau to Fairbanks and transfer to the Springhill Suites downtown on the Chena River. This evening, meet your trip leader and traveling companions at a welcome dinner.

Begin the day with a visit to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum, featuring collections representing over 11,000 years of natural and cultural history in the North, including “Blue Babe,” a restored 36,000-year-old bison found preserved in permafrost. Then drive 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks for an afternoon at Chena Hot Springs, located on the Yukon-Tanana Plateau. Visit the Aurora Ice Museum, created from more than a thousand tons of ice and snow harvested from the resort grounds, followed by a soak in the boulder-lined wading lake fed by the natural hot springs. Return to Fairbanks for dinner and to spend a second night.

Board the Alaska Railroad in Fairbanks this morning and enjoy first-class GoldStar Service en route to Denali, with breakfast served aboard. Lavishly appointed glass dome cars feature custom-designed interiors highlighted with original Alaska art and a private outdoor viewing deck. Enjoy a 360° view of the passing scenery as we follow the Nenana River south through the boreal forest into the Alaska Range. Disembark at Denali Park station, our portal for discovery at the entrance of this 6-million-acre wilderness sanctuary, established as a national park in 1917.  On arrival, transfer to our hotel, located high on a hillside with a panoramic view of the mountains and Nenana River beyond, where we spend the next three nights. Then set off with our guide for an afternoon of introductory exploration.

Over the next two days, search for Denali’s famous wildlife and learn about the Alaska Range ecosystem on a host of daily activities. A highlight is the Tundra Wilderness Tour, offering an opportunity to scout for moose, Dall sheep, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears. Raft the Nenana River, turbid with glacial silt, through Nenana Canyon, and hold a puppy at Husky Homestead—the sled dog training facility of four-time Iditarod winner Jeff King. Come away with a deeper understanding of Denali’s natural and cultural history including birds, mammals, wildflowers, tundra ecology, geology, mountaineering, land use and natural resource issues.

Depart this morning for the scenic half-day drive to Anchorage. Rise above tree line to crest Broad Pass, the north-south divide through the Alaska Range, then leave the black spruce forest of the Interior behind to follow the Susitna River into a vast expanse of paper birch and balsam poplar. If the weather cooperates, we may see Denali’s huge white hulk on the western horizon, the highest point in the glaciated spine of the Alaska Range—and the highest point in North America—at 20,310 feet above sea level.

Once we reach Anchorage, spend an enlightening afternoon at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, an interactive cultural destination celebrating  Alaska’s rich Indigenous traditions. Set on 26 acres, the center features indoor exhibits, storytelling and demonstrations, while outside, tours are offered through recreated villages representing five different Native cultures, showcasing their traditional crafts, practices and subsistence lifestyles. We spend our final night at Anchorage’s most prestigious address, the Hotel Captain Cook, and share a farewell dinner together.

After breakfast, a transfer to the airport is included to meet your flight home.