A map of the best Alaska road trip itinerary for adventurous travelers. The nearby gateway town of Gustavus is a good barometer for the weather in Glacier Bay: the months of May through August have the least precipitation, clearest skies, and average daytime highs between 60-65F. Tour Alaska On Your Own: Driving Its National Parks - Frommer's To do this, campers must complete a mandatory backcountry camping orientation and fill out a permit with the park service. Day 5: Drive to Anchorage. Alaska National Parks - Princess Cruises Read about the seven principals of Leave No Trace here, great guide on fishing in southeast Alaska, The BEST National Park in America (2021) (https://youtu.be/CAZiIc4j-Ps), 8 Amazing Alaska National Parks (Tips for Visiting), 11 Amazing Glacier Bay National Park Facts, 10 Fascinating Facts About Denali National Park, All 63 Best US National Parks Ranked from Best to Worst, Official List of US National Parks (Alphabetical & by State), The ULTIMATE Oregon Road Trip: Seeing the Best of Oregon in 2023, 10 INCREDIBLE Saguaro National Park Hikes (+ Helpful Tips & Photos), 10 (INCREDIBLE) Things to Do in Voyageurs National Park 2023, Riley Creek Campground (located at mile .25), Savage River Campground (located at mile 14), Sanctuary River Campground (located at mile 22), Teklanika River Campground (located at mile 29), Igloo Creek Campground (located at mile 35), Wonder Lake Campground (located at mile 85). Getting into the park requires multiple flights, a guide (to do it safely), and thousands of dollars. I recommend theVan Gilder Hotelwhich is in downtown Seward, the Harbor 360 Hotel right on the water, or theSeward Windsong Lodgewhich is a little way out of town but one of the nicest options. The best time to visit Katmai National Park is during Summer months. Paddle a kayak amidst bits of glacier remnants with a tidewater glacier and snow-capped peaks as a dramatic backdrop. The Ultimate Guide to Planning a National Park Wedding - Travel Warning: their impassioned insights may not help to eliminate any parks off your must-visit list. Hopefully you feel a bit more prepared to plan your trip to one or more of Alaskas national parks. Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage. Then we rented camping gear from REI in Anchoragethey were super-helpful. The Most Beautiful National Parks In Alaska - Culture Trip Then you make a call from a pay phone to get someone to pick you up. Or Both? Good news here, folks! Additionally, its common to see wildlife in Glacier Bay, including seals, otters, sea birds (like puffins! Best Way To See Alaska The short answer: Stay away from the crowds and experience Alaska in an authentic way. $30 per vehicle OR if you plan to visit more National Parks within the next 12 months we suggest you go ahead and purchase the America the Beautiful Pass (which can be found at the entrance gates to most national parks). The drive to Wrangell St. Elias National Park (Kennecot) from Anchorage (the closest city with a major airport) is nearly 7 hours long, so buckle in and pack lots of snacks & drinks! Brooks Camp is the name of the primary site for tourism within Katmai National Park; its where you can stand on viewing platforms to watch the bears at Brooks Falls. Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. There are no roads or trails in the park at all! No, you cannot drive to Gates of the Arctic National Park as there are no roads. Alaska National Parks Tours | Day and Multi-Day Tours We went hiking on the glacier in the middle of it all; then, just a couple hundred feet away, youre in the middle of a green forest. (907)442-3200, Northwest Arctic Heritage Center(Get your stamps here). There are a number of reservable public use cabins available in Lake Clark National Park. Prices per person vary but the average for adults are around $180 and kids are around $80. Its certainly not a day trip it takes 4.5 hours to drive from Anchorage to any access points for Wrangell-St. Elias, but it can be done in a 2-3 day trip. There are lots of other activities and things to do in Denali and the surrounding area, including flightseeing (with a glacier landing! In addition to those great Alaskan pastimes like hiking and backcountry camping, you can also learn about Alaskan history by visiting Kennecott Mines. There are a number of other backcountry options (even on the Harding icefield). Fly to Anatuvuk Pass and hike into the park. Kenai Fjords National Park & Glacier Bay National Park can be accessed by cruise ship and ferry. Ma Johnsons Hotel (http://www.mccarthylodge.com/), Details: Meet in front of hotel at 8:30am. Make sure to practice Leave No Trace and be bear aware in these areas! For travelers to learn more about that culture, he recommends visiting theHuna Tribal Housein Bartlett Cove. Also worth considering are mosquito net hat, mosquito net pants, & mosquito net top cover. Denali National Park Denali National Park is infamous for its namesake peak, the tallest mountain in North America which stands proudly at 20,310'. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. Alaska Magazine | Visit all eight of Alaska's national parks Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage Because of Alaska's remote location, it may take you a while to get there! Crowds will still be a factor because in places like Zion, Yosemite, Yellowstone etc it really can hurt the overall experience. Denali is one of the most easily reached Alaska National Parks. Plan Like a Park Ranger - 10 Tips for Visiting Alaska's National Parks Alagnak Wild River, Alaska Public Lands, Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument , more A Hiker enjoys an alpine lake in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve NPS/Neal Herbert If you dont want to do the driving to the park yourself there are bus options from Anchorage to Wrangell St. Elias National Park. How Big is Alaska? Where can I see polar bears? | Visit Anchorage, Alaska Alaskas flagship national park named for its tallest mountain which happens to be the highest peak in North America, Denali is on every park-goers bucket list. You can also take a bus from Anchorage to Seward (see this link) as well as a train via the scenic Alaska Railroad (see this link). It is a park of otherworldly and seemingly impossible landscapes. You might be wondering: What is a National Park? How is that different than other National Park units? If you want to plan a multi-day trip, youll need to arrange an air taxi. Visit Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Palmer, and Seward on this nine-day vacation package featuring travel by rental car for the utmost freedom to explore as you go. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park - Highs in 50s/60s, lows in 30s/40s. We highly recommend the Brooks Lodge located near the famous bear-viewing site, Brooks Falls. You can drive, but the McCarthy Road is 60 miles of rough gravel that takes several hours. Denali National Park has six campgrounds within the National Park, all of which are great if you love camping and can get a reservation for the place you want to stay. Take a canoe or kayak out onto Lake Clark itself and experience it for yourself. Dont try to cram everything in. From Fairbanks the ride is 4 hours long and runs around $80/adult and $40/child each way. Its a nice 2.5-hour drive along the Turnagain Arm and onto the Kenai Peninsula, or you can take the Alaska Railroad if you prefer not to rent a car during your Alaska trip. You should probably know that I didnt just make this list up out of thin air. The National Park Service established a management plan that limits private vehicles to the first 15 miles of the 92-mile park road; tour buses are the only way to reach into the heart of the park and see the best views of Denali and the wildlife that live in the area. These range from National Battlefields (there are 11) to National Historic Sites (there are 74) to National Recreation Areas (18) to National Parks (63). Not only is Lake Clark where we guided our first trip 21 years ago, its also where we run most of our summer adventures. Alaska 10 Day Itinerary | Sample Alaska Itineraries | AlaskaTravel.com From Fairbanks International Airport the drive is 2 hours southeast to the Denali National Park Visitors Center. Marine animals patrol the waters in abundance and thousands of Alaska's most fascinating seabirdssuch as puffins and marbled murreletscall it home. Makes you remember how young Alaska is. Lake Clark National Park sits on the Alaska Peninsula north of Katmai, and is thus a closer flight from Anchorage or Homer. If you choose to visit Glacier Bay by flightseeing, youll obviously see glaciers that way, and can spot wildlife far below you as you soar over the dynamic landscape. Make sure to pack plenty of food & water for your trip into the park as there are no conveniences available past the visitors center. The weather gets surprisingly nice, with average daytime highs in the 60Fs in the southern parts of the park (40Fs-50Fs in the northern parts) and lows in the 30Fs-40Fs. Lake Clark National Park - Highs in 50s, lows in 30s/40s. (Getty Images) Fairbanks is known as the "Golden Heart of Alaska" and one of the top places in the world to view the northern lights: Aurora chasers may want to visit the city during . Park along the Dalon Highway and htike into the park. Exit Glacier Campground There is only one developed campground in Kenai Fjords National Park located next to Exit Glacier. Car, train, or group tour. Even in Summer, average high temperatures will range in the mid 60s to low 70s with lows in the 40s. As one of three Alaska National Parks that visitors can drive to, Wrangell ranks among the most accessible. Discover The Best Way To See Alaska - The Wildlife Diaries Most folks stay outside of the park but there are four options inside the park boundaries but on privately owned land. Its all part of our culture. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy, There are currently 8 national parks in Alaska. A: This was our first of the 8 national parkspicked it because it was close to Juneau, and Juneau was the closest airport to home, so it seemed like a good place to start. The ratings system is a work in progress. I was born on Kauai but currently live in Phoenix, AZ. You can also visit Glacier Bay National Park on your own: arrange transport (by plane or boat) to Gustavus, then stay in the area and take one of the official day cruises into the park, which are arranged by the National Park Service. Denali ATVGeneral Manager Evan Orfanidis explains that the parks pristine wilderness snowy mountains, deep valleys, taiga forest and high alpine tundra is so vast that an album full of pictures doesnt even begin to scratch the surface., Whenever I think of Denali, Im always reminded of the [famous quote by local] John Allen, Trying to record Denali in photographs is like going to a party through a keyhole, Orfanidis says. There are no entrance fees to get into Kobuk Valley National Park. Thanks for reading, Carol. The parks that are exclusively accessed by small planes are Lake Clark National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, and Katmai National Park. Located in the heart of Interior Alaska, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is a huge area of protected land east of Fairbanks toward the Canadian border. The campground has 12 walk-in, tent-only sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Towering snow-capped peaks. Canoeing & Kayaking Lake Clark National Park is home to some of the most breath-taking water activities on the planet. There are even backcountry cabins! Required fields are marked *. Here are five tips to see the real Alaska: 1. (Theres also a small visitor center in Seattle since thats where most prospectors boarded ships bound for Skagway and the Klondike fields!).