Denali is America’s quintessential National Park.  With over 6 million wild acres, the tallest peak in North America, and countless rivers and glaciers, Denali National Park lives up to this title as America’s crown jewel. While most visitors experience the park via its main northern corridor, the Denali Park Road, the south side of the park sees little annual visitation and remains completely road-less and virtually unexplored.

Accessing the park by bush plane, your first treat will be a phenomenal flight around the Ruth Gorge and Mt. McKinley.  You’ll then spend 4-days and 3-nights camping and hiking Denali’s wild side from the comfort of our wilderness basecamp situated on the edge of the mighty Ruth Glacier, and only 17 miles from the summit of North America's highest peak.  This exclusive wilderness camp, on the shore of a small lake, puts you right in the epicenter of the Alaska Range and in a place where you will feel humbled by the scale and majesty of Denali National Park. 

With a light daypack, you’ll spend your days hiking miles of vast tundra and exploring the seemingly endless glaciers; returning to camp each evening for a delicious lakeside feast under the midnight sun. See Denali in a way that few ever have.  See Denali unexplored.

This trip originates in Anchorage, Alaska. Getting to Anchorage is a snap. Alaska Airlines, your travel agent, or the carrier of your choice can easily arrange roundtrip airfare from the lower 48.  Once you land in Anchorage, your adventure really begins. For this trip into Denali National Park, you'll find that the areas we visit won't be found on any road map; out here there aren't many roads!

Bush Flights: All bush flights, both into and out of Denali National Park, are included in the cost of your adventure and your flight will certainly be one of the highlights of your Alaska hiking tour. For most of you, this will likely be your first trip in a bush plane, and a memorable one to be sure!  This 1.5 hour scenic flight will take us over alpine tundra, braided rivers, and cascading waterfalls; past Mt. Mckinley, the highest peak in North America; and finally down through the mighty Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, the deepest trench on earth!  Our skilled bush pilot will then take us down to a small lake nestled in a cleft between the Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers, where we will unload our gear on a small beach and then wave the airplane goodbye.

Accommodations: This is a real wilderness camping trip and you will be sleeping in expedition quality tents for the three nights in the Denali wilderness.  You will have the choice of a single, double, or family size tent which is capable of sleeping 2 adults and 2 children.  You will need to bring a sleeping bag, rated to 30 degrees F. or warmer,  and a sleeping pad (details below).  We will also have a group tent erected for eating, relaxing, and getting out of the weather.  While comfortably provisioned, our camp is both rustic and simple.  There will be no hot running water, showers, beds, or cabins.  This is "real" Alaska and you will be completely immersed in it for the 3 nights.

The Experience: Your trip originates in Anchorage, and we'll meet as a group for the first time for a morning hike in Chugach State Park and Anchorage's spectacular back yard.  By early afernon we'll make our way to Rusts Flying Service on Lake Hood.  As you prepare for your flight, your guide(s) will be available to aid you with your gear and answer any questions you might have.

We'll then load up and begin our flight into the wilderness by floatplane. Our first afternoon in camp will allow us to collect our senses, gaze at the surrounding beauty, and get a feel for the terrain we will be covering.  You will quickly become acquainted with our style of wilderness travel and camp etiquette.  Meals are planned to be sumptuous, filling culinary adventures of their own.  Because weight and packaging is critical, careful consideration is taken in planning and packing the ingredients.  You can be assured every meal will be something you may never have experienced in the wilderness. We use organic and real food products when possible and the very best freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients available.

What’s Included:

• All group gear (tents, stoves, fuel, cooking & eating utensils, etc.) and safety equipment.
• Trekking poles.
• Ground Transportation to Chugach State Park & to Lake Hood on Day 1.
• Roundtrip scenic bush flights from Anchorage to Denali National Park
• Professional guide service at a maximum 5:1 client to guide ratio.
• All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary.
• Storage for your extra travel items while in the field.

What’s Not:

• Lodging in Anchorage prior to and after your adventure.
• Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.).
• Trip cancellation insurance.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Guide gratuities.

Everyone asks:

What about the mosquitoes?
In case you've heard horror stories... the number of mosquitoes is greatly dependent on hatching season and annual weather conditions. While we are bound to encounter some mosquitoes during the course of our adventure, their numbers have not generally presented major problems on past trips in these specific areas. That said, please arrive prepared with insect repellent and a head net to fend off any mosquitoes that are present.

Will bears be a problem?
Alaska is bear country! There are both grizzly and black bears in most of the wilderness areas of Alaska we visit. We love seeing bears in the wild and it really is one of the most thrilling experiences common in Alaska backcountry travel. With that said, traveling safely and taking precautions to minimize a negative encounter are things we take very seriously. In addition to being subject to our thorough bear safety orientation, you’ll also see that we take many precautions when traveling in Alaska’s wilderness – 1 all of our food has been packaged to minimize odors – we vacuum seal most of our fresh ingredients and sauces, we pack our food in bear resistant food canisters, and we store our food well away from camp. 2 We make noise when we’re hiking in thick brush or when we’re hiking in windy conditions to minimize surprise encounters 3 we keep an exceptionally clean camp and 4 as a last resort we travel armed. Our guides carry 44 mags or shotguns. Most of Alaska’s national parks, excluding Katmai and Denali, allow for the use of firearms and our guides are thoroughly trained in firearm use. Again, using a gun is a last resort and thankfully we’ve never had to call one into service on a trip!

What kind of food might we expect?
Our food is excellent – in fact it is something that clearly differentiates us from our competitors. We have spent the past decade fine tuning our backcountry menu. Breakfasts include pancakes, scrambles, various homemade granolas and cereals, French pressed coffee, assorted teas and hot drinks. For lunch we enjoy foccacia sandwiches, bagels and Alaska lox, hummus and toasted pita chips, and assorted wraps. We also have homemade snack mixes both salty and sweet and energy and candy bars available throughout the day. Dinners could include lasagna, pad thai, beef mole’ tacos, penne pasta with a     roasted red pepper pesto, wild mushroom risotto, etc. And we ALWAYS enjoy one of Derek’s home baked desserts after dinner.

When would you require a deposit? and how much?
We require a deposit of $1000 per person to officially reserve a trip. Really the deposit is due as soon as you’d like to book. That way, we have the trip inked in on the schedule and can begin the effort to coax others into joining the adventure. When you decide to book, we then generate an invoice that we send by email. You’ll then have the option to pay the deposit by mailing us a check, calling us with a credit card number or by using a Visa, Master Card, or American Experss on our secure online payment system.

Trip cancellation insurance? Can we get it through you?
As for trip cancellation insurance, Alaska Alpine Adventures is licensed to sell Travel Guard - an industry leading insurance product designed specifically for adventure travelers. Please contact us for details or click here to obtain a quote.

Day 1: This morning, our group will meet at 9am in Anchorage.  After a short orientation and gear check, we will then make the drive to Chugach State Park where you’ll take a beautiful hike and enjoy a trail side lunch with your guide.  By early afternoon, we’ll then make our way to Lake Hood Seaplane Base, the busiest float-plane airport on earth, where, we’ll board a floatplane bound for the Denali National Park and our home for the next 3 nights.  This 1.5 hour scenic flight will take us over alpine tundra, braided rivers, and cascading waterfalls; past Mt. Mckinley, the highest peak in North America; and finally down through the mighty Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, the deepest trench on earth!  Our skilled bush pilot will then take us down to a small lake nestled in a cleft between the Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers, where we will unload our gear on a small beach and then wave the airplane goodbye.  We’ll set up camp on the lake, bask in the newfound solitude, and then take short early evening hike before dinner.  Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 2: The options are staggering! With almost unlimited daylight, we’ll head for the tundra hills above camp, destined for magnificent views of the Backside Glacier, Ruth Glacier, and if weather permits, “The Great One,” 20,320 foot Mount McKinley. On today’s hike, you’ll learn in practice the skills necessary to hike off-trail in the Alaska wilderness – including reading a topographic map, choosing the best route, using trekking poles, and traveling efficiently. After a full day of exploration, we’ll tally our wildlife and mountain peak sightings as we enjoy a filling meal in the wilderness.  All meals included.

Day 3: After a hearty breakfast, we’ll grab our day-packs and again head out in search of adventure in Denali.  Today, we’ll make our way up onto the Backside Glacier.  In all likelihood, this will be your first time hiking on a glacier, and you’ll quickly understand why this area draws mountaineers from all over the world.  While not at all technical, your trek on the ice will give you the chance to learn firsthand the glacial features of this frozen river of ice, the valley that bears the scars of thousands of years of glacial activity, and the more recent visual indications of climate change on the Alaska landscape.  All meals Included.

Day 4: As the float plane descends on the Lake, we’ll depart knowing that this amazing place has made a lasting impact on our souls. We’ll return to Anchorage by early afternoon.  Breakfast & Lunch included.