Any DIY Alaska Land Tour Advice or Suggestions?

[rwa]

Our original plans were to do a Princess Cruisetour but after considering the land tour itinerary, we're thinking that we can probably do the land portion on our own without much difficultly and with more flexibility. Here's our tentative schedule that includes the things that we'd like to do in the time that we have while there.

 

Our biggest question/concern is which is the best travel arrangements to & from Anchorage, Mt. McKinley, & Denali. We'll have the rental car and can drive the entire way if that's the best way to go. Or maybe take the bus from Anchorage to Mt McKinley & Denali and ride the train back?  We definitely to want take the train at some point during our time in Alaska, possibly on our day to Seward if the Denali/Mt McKinley tour doesn't work.  Any suggestions will be much appreciated!!

 

Tentative Plan:

Day 1/2: Arrive in Anchorage, rent a car and spend the next full day in Anchorage.

Day 3: Drive to Seward for the day (Kenai Fjords Tour) and back to Anchorage

Day 4/5: Drive/Rail/Bus(?) Anchorage to Mt Kinley (Stay for 2 nights)

Day 6/7: Drive/Rail/Bus(?) to Denali (Stay 2 nights - Tundra Wilderness Tour 2nd day)

Day 8/9: Drive/Rail/Bus(?) to Whittier (Prince William Sound Tour 2nd day)

[AKStafford]

I think DIY is the best way to see Southcentral and Interior Alaska and having a rental car gives you the flexibility to plan your trip your way and gives you more options in lodging and dining. If you want to incorporate an experience on the Alaska Railroad, that can easily be done as a day trip.

Car rental prices will only go up from here, so reserve soon.

Mt McKinley: I'm assuming you are referring to Princess's Mt. McKinley Lodge? I wouldn't spend any time here. It's an hour away from anything and is just used by Princess to warehouse their guests in transit.

And unless there's a lot of specific stuff you wanted to do in Anchorage, I'd spend as little time as possible there. It's not that Anchorage is bad, its just that the rest of Alaska is so much better.

And at Denali National Park: Don't do a "tour". The shuttle buses travel the same road, have the same view and are much cheaper. https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

I'm assuming your cruise is departing from Whittier? Is that on day 9 or would it be day 10?

You gave a list of locations, but what were you hoping to do in those locations?

 

[donaldsc]

You are planning to drive to Seward, do the Kenai Fjord tour and come back on the same day.  That is not enough time.  Assuming that you are going to arrive in Anchorage on day 2, I would immediately drive to Seward on day 2 and overnight there.  You can then do the full day Kenai Fjord tour and then either overnight in Seward drive back to THROUGH Anchorage to your next stop on day 4 or else leave late on day 3 and stop somewhere between Seward and your next stop.

 

I agree with AKStafford on 2 points.  McKinley is in the middle of nowhere.  What do you plan to do there?  Do you actually know where it is in relation to other really interesting spots in AK.  The only thing that it is sort of close to but not really close to is Talkeetna and IMHO, Talkeetna is not worth visiting.  

 

You have not said what you are planning to do anywhere except the Kenai Fjord Tour and I don't think that you have even thought much about that.  You should take the 8 1/2 hour Fjord Cruise and that leaves at 9:00 so how did you plan to get to Seward on day 3 by 9:00.  Also, there is a lot more to do in Seward beside the Fjord cruise.

 

I would go back to square 1 and start really planning your trip.  You have not done that yet.

 

DON

[dyeadave]

If you are planning a cruise as well as a land tour, have you even considered a ride on the historic, narrow gauge railroad here in Skagway?

at least as scenic as any part of the Alaska railroad.

[meandbc]

1. Anchorage is the place to do a seaplane tour over the interior.  We did one for 2 hours for $250 each. and we landed on a lake in the middle of nowhere. This is about what you will pay for a 20 minute tour on the ship. Google seaplane tours for Anchorage and call them.  One bit of advice... don't sit in the very back of the plane.  I got really sick and it ruined my experience!

 

2. The Deadliest Catch tour in Ketchikan.  My hubby and I both loved it.  Very entertaining and scenic.  You will see a lot of eagles and crabs.  It seemed to be the same price booked through the ship or direct.  We thought it was the best tour we took for 2 cruises.

 

3. Yukon and White Pass railroad in Skagway.  We just did the tour that went up the mountain and turned around and came back.  You can buy tickets online direct from them and save a bit.   Very scenic and  informative ( there is a tour conductore in each car ).  You take the sme path the gold miners took.

 

4.  The sled dog tour in Skagway.  Ours was on a dirt path and a sled that sat about 6 people.  Same experience as snow without the high cost.  We also bought this directly from the tour company 

 

5.  We also had a rental car in Anchorage and I agree with the one comment above.  There isn't much to see there.  We did pan for gold near  Alyeska and that was fun. A lot cheaper than the cruise ship tour.  Also took the tram to the top of the mountain at the ski resort.  Covered with snow at the top but green and lush at the bottom.   We just parked and went in.  

 

6. You can take a shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and save a lot of money.  You do n't need to do an organized tour there.  You can grab the bus in the Juneau central area.

[rwa]

Thank you all for your replies. This will be our first visit to Alaska and we really are trying to do our research ahead of time but we've learned along the way that's there's A LOT to learn and a lot to do! We've read many, many reviews from both Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor and ask lots of questions from friends who have been. Of course, there are so many options and opinions based on personal preference! We're trying to take what we learn from everyone's experiences and suggestions to help us decide how to choose the best plan for us and get the most out of the short time we are there!

 

Let me clarify and a few things and then we'll try again! Ha!  We are cruising on Coral Princess, boarding in Whittier. We'll arrive in Anchorage on Monday around 10pm and board the ship the following week on Wednesday - so we have 8 full days for a land tour. Our rental car has already been reserved for the full time.

 

We originally thought that we'd overnight in Anchorage the first night since our flight will get in late and we'll probably want to get something to eat and get a good night's rest. Our plan was to then drive to Seward the next morning (Tues) and take the 6 hr Kenai Fjords Tour which leaves at 11:30. Maybe that's not the best plan after all. We were just going by Google maps to estimate driving time to get there since we aren't familiar with the area. That might be pushing our time to close. New plan may be to look around  Anchorage on Tuesday and then enjoy a leisurely drive to Seward Tuesday evening, overnight there and do the 9 hr Kenai Fjords tour on Wednesday, instead.  After the tour, we will head out and drive a while and overnight somewhere along the way to Denali. Possibly at Palmer B&B??  Is there anything to do around Palmer for the evening??

 

New plan is to skip Mt McKinley (Talkeetna). Thank you for input on that area. We still want to ride the train at some point, maybe day trip one day or consider excursion from ship. We've ridden on a smaller narrow gauge train before and would really prefer the larger train if we can work in the time.  We love the SCENERY and WILDLIFE but we're not really interested in hiking or water activities such as kayaking, etc.

 

On Thursday we will be driving (to Denali?). We'll stay overnight for 2 nights and plan to take the Tundra Wilderness Tour on Friday (considering the park shuttle for this vs. the tour although we enjoy the narration). 

 

Our next definite plan is to be in Whittier by Monday evening. We're taking the Prince William Sound Tour on Tues and would like to have some leisure time Tuesday evening before boarding the ship on Wednesday.

 

** This leaves us 2 open days between Denali and Whittier. INPUT / SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!  Even adding a stop in the middle of the schedule is fine as long as we are back to Whittier by Monday evening. 

 

Thank you for taking time to give your thoughts and ideas!

 

[AKStafford]

1 hour ago, rwa said:

 We were just going by Google maps to estimate driving time to get there since we aren't familiar with the area.

Google Maps does a good job with the distances, but underestimates the drive times.

[DogLover]

Several years ago, we spent 5 days on a DIY tour of the Seward highway area and loved it. We stayed in a lovely town, Girdwood, at a B & B. Not to be missed in Girdwood is the tram that goes to the top of Mt. Alyeska. If the weather cooperates, the view is spectacular. https://www.alyeskaresort.com/resort/about-aerial-tram Also, stop and have lunch at the Girdwood Bake Shop - the homemade soups and breads are phenomenal! http://www.thebakeshop.com/

 

Another stop worth mentioning is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It's a wonderful opportunity to see moose, bears, bison and more. https://www.alaskawildlife.org/visit/

 

If you are a dog lover and interested in Dog sledding, Seavey's (they are Iditarod racers) has a great tour down in Seward: https://ididaride.com/tours/

 

Last but certainly not least, we thoroughly enjoyed Portage Glacier and the Begich Boggs visitor center (this is on the highway exit towards Whittier, before the one lane tunnel.) There are some beautiful hiking trails in this area! https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chugach/recarea/?recid=71946

 

Just an FYI, there is nothing (and I do mean nothing) in Whittier! We made the mistake one time of spending a night there at the Inn at Whittier. It was such a disappointment and other than to get on a cruise ship or take a scenic boat tour, no need to plan any time there! Just be sure you know the tunnel schedule so you don't miss your ship!http://www.alaska.org/detail/whittier-tunnel

 

Off topic - in Anchorage, one of my favorite (and iconic) restaurants is the Moose's Tooth Saloon. Great atmosphere, great food (their salmon dip is to die for) and always running a wait. http://moosestooth.net/

 

I could go on and on, but since you already have lots of plans and are only looking to fill up a couple of days, I'll stop. We love Alaska! I have been multiple times both on land and sea, cruise ships and a small 12 passenger cruise out of Petersburg, AK (which was probably one of the best trips ever!https://www.sikumi.com/  )Going back this summer for a week on the Celebrity Eclipse to escape the dreadful heat of Phoenix in August! Can't wait 🙂

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[SuperCrewBear]

AKStafford is correct about Google Maps.  I would estimate TWICE the travel time Google says between destinations.  The highways are mostly 2-lane and a wreck or construction can foul up your time estimates.  Even if you have clear sailing you will undoubtedly see plenty you may want to stop and investigate or take to take pictures.

 

Someone above said Talkeetna wasn't worth the time but I think it's work a short side trip when traveling between Anchorage and the Denali area - just for lunch or whatever.  It's a cool little town but a couple hours was enough for us.  Talkeetna is about 15 miles off the main Parks Highway.

 

A scenic spot (another couple hour side trip) is at Eagle River just north of Anchorage.  Take Eagle River Road about 10 miles to the end (east of town) to the Eagle River Nature Center.  There are some walking trails out around the river with several wooden viewing platforms - the scenery is pretty spectacular.  We stumbled onto this place by accident by driving at random one day.

 

I can't stress enough to allow PLENTY of time while driving - the distances are deceiving time-wise.  The upside is during the summer you will have plenty of daylight for site seeing even in what are normally late hours.  I think your DYI land tour will be great - I wouldn't do it any other way but doing it myself.  If you have a portable GPS (like a Garmin) you can use it to keep track of how much further it is to a destination - you probably will never get lost because Alaska is easy but I use my Garmin to keep track of time and distance.  I also preload the destinations at home so I only have to select them from the list as needed.

 

Good luck!

[kennicott]

By all means, try and get your hands on a copy of "The Milepost", 2019 edition should be out shortly but they don't change much from year to year. They are fun to read during your planning for a visit here, no matter how or where you are going to travel in Alaska.

 

Your two night stay at Denali is a must since a good tour along the north slope of the mountain takes a full day. However, the Princess Mt. McKinley Lodge in the Denali State Park on the south slope is much superior to the Denali Princess. For one thing, you are looking right at Ad Summum ("To the highest peak"---- motto---U of A) when you are at the McKinley Princess. We like to stay a night at the McKinley Lodge for our anniversary and other holidays. The big mountain has been out in all its splendor each time we stayed there too. 

 

It is very true that the McKinley Princess is in the "Middle of Nowhere" (The Tokositna Wilderness, where the great Sydney Lawrence did his most noted work, at the Museum in downtown Anchorage they have one of his best, takes your breath away, don't miss it) and that is precisely why many people like that lodge, same goes for the Copper River Princess and the Kenai Princess (Real Alaska). The Denali Princess is smack dab in the middle of what we call "Glitter Gulch" with the George Parks Highway running through the middle. If you like to shop where multiple retail tourist outlets exist, then you want Glitter Gulch or Talkeetna.

[rwa]

Thank you to everyone for your input and suggestions! After continuing our research and hearing everyone's suggestions, we've decided for sure to do the land portion on our own! We're still searching, planning and confirming reservations but excited to do this!  We decided to stay a day in Anchorage, 1 12/ days in Seward, a overnight at a B&B in Palmer, 2 nights in Denali, and then back to Anchorage so that we can drop off our rental car. We'll take a dome rail day tour from Anchorage to Talkeetna the following day, overnight again in Anchorage and then transport to Whittier that afternoon.

 

At this point, we're thinking ahead on what will be the easiest and least expensive mode of transportation to get from Anchorage to Whittier. We need to arrive in Whittier a day early because we want to take the Princess William Sound tour on the day before our cruise. It looks like we can take the train for $89 pp but haven't found a cost for uber or taxi. We can take Princess transfer but they won't get us there the day early. We realize that there's not much else to do in Whittier but we'll enjoy the leisure time after the tour and before our cruise. Has anyone done this? What's the easiest way to get from Anchorage to Whittier in July if its not a day to board your ship?

[AKStafford]

48 minutes ago, rwa said:

anyone done this? What's the easiest way to get from Anchorage to Whittier in July if its not a day to board your ship?

The Alaska Railroad would be pretty simple. A one way rental car from Avis would work too but it'll have a drop off fee that might shock you. You could check with these guys: https://www.bearvalleyroadrunner.com/

Or arrange something with https://www.bactrans.com/  or    http://auroralimousines.com/

[rwa]

Thank you so much! I'll check each of these tomorrow! 

[sadoan]

We did a DYI before our Princess cruise last summer.  We flew into Anchorage and arrived at 7 pm, ate dinner and went to the hotel and crashed. 

 

Day 2 we called an Uber to take us to Avis downtown to pick up our rental car.  We spent a full day in Anchorage going thru the shops downtown and taking a trolley tour which we caught outside of the Visitors Center. 

 

Day 3 we drove up to Talkeetna and the views were beautiful.  It was a long drive and I don't know what all the hype is about therefore, this would be the one thing we did I would not do again.  Others might enjoy this tiny town but us not so much.

 

Day 4 we got up and left our hotel at 5 am to drive to Seward for our tour with Major Marines which we had to be there around 10 am.  I wanted to have time to stop and pull over for photo ops and it was perfect timing, this is the most gorgeous landscape I have ever seen in my life!  After the tour was over we drove to Girdwood and stayed at the Alyeska Ski Resort and it was beautiful. 

 

Day 5 we drove into Anchorage and just hung out and had lunch at Moose Tooth Pizza (yum) and turned in our rental car.  On our last morning before the cruise we called Uber to take us to the train station and we took the train into Whittier.  It was an awesome ride and we were one of the first ones on the ship.  I hope my little story has help a bit and enjoy your cruise, we can't wait to go back!!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

The Alaska Railroad has a route between Anchorage and Whittier.

https://alaskatrain.com/routes/anchorage-whittier.html

 

We're planning a DIY for 2020 before our cruise out of Seward.

[rwa]

On 1/24/2019 at 1:22 AM, AKStafford said:

The Alaska Railroad would be pretty simple. A one way rental car from Avis would work too but it'll have a drop off fee that might shock you.

 

Yes, $150 rental car drop off fee in Whittier is a bit steep! We'll return our car in Anchorage, take the railroad and enjoy the scenery along the way.

[rwa]

On 1/24/2019 at 12:52 PM, sadoan said:

we drove up to Talkeetna and the views were beautiful.  It was a long drive and I don't know what all the hype is about therefore, this would be the one thing we did I would not do again. 

 

We're staying a night at a B&B in Palmer and going to Denali from there. We've decided that we're going to make a quick stop in Talkeetna on our way to Denali. Maybe spend an hour or two and be on our way. 

 

Where did you eat in Girdwood?  Would you recommend it? We'll be going there also. 

 

What time did you get to the cruise terminal  by taking the train? Was there a line? Easy check in?

[kennicott]

4 hours ago, rwa said:

 

 

 

Where did you eat in Girdwood?  Would you recommend it? We'll be going there also. 

 

 

The best for dinner for years has been the "Double Musky". But since you apparently will just be passing through I wouldn't recommend it unless you spend the night. The next best is a very popular little place called the "Bake Shop" very popular with the skiers in the winter. Next is "Chair 5".  Been a while since we have eaten down there so maybe some locals can chime in with the latest.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31000-d451351-Reviews-Double_Musky_Inn-Girdwood_Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31000-d532491-Reviews-The_Bake_Shop-Girdwood_Anchorage_Alaska.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31000-d5084361-Reviews-Chair_5_Restaurant_and_Bar-Girdwood_Anchorage_Alaska.html

Edited January 27, 2019 by kennicott

[rwa]

23 minutes ago, kennicott said:

The best for dinner for years has been the "Double Musky". But since you apparently will just be passing through I wouldn't recommend it unless you spend the night. The next best is a very popular little place called the "Bake Shop" very popular with the skiers in the winter. Next is "Chair 5".  Been a while since we have eaten down there so maybe was some locals can chime in with the latest.

 

Awesome! Thank you. Checking them out now and adding them to our list! We'll make final decisions closer to travel time or when we get there!

[Northern Aurora]

On 1/21/2019 at 2:24 PM, rwa said:

.....

 

Our biggest question/concern is which is the best travel arrangements to & from Anchorage, Mt. McKinley, & Denali.

.......

 

rwa:  Am I correct when you refer to "Mt. McKinley" and "Denali" in this post you are referring to the Princess lodges?  McKinley and Denali were competing names for the mountain.  Alaskans have generally called the mountain Denali in deference to its First People's name.  It was highly confusing for years as Denali National Park featured Mt. McKinley, but the name of the mountain itself is now officially Denali.  And for clarification, the McKinley Princess Lodge is located at mile 133 of the George Parks Highway, with the Denali Princess located just north of the sole entrance road into Denali National Park (roughly mile 237 of the Parks Hwy.).

 

I am late to this discussion, but some random thoughts:  First I have taken the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks, albeit a number of years ago.  While scenery is subjective I don't remember the scenery from Anchorage to Talkeetna to be special.  Actually, the drive may be more scenic.  

 

Is there some particular reason for the train trip from Anchorage to Talkeetna?  I realize that some visitors to our state find Talkeetna to be interesting but as someone who lives here I see it as the quintessential tourist trap.  However, the train trip from Seward to Anchorage is generally (again, scenery is subjective) considered to be very scenic.

 

So with those comments, have you considered just taking the train from Anchorage to Seward to spend your time in Seward?  There are several motor coach companies who do transfers between Anchorage and Seward, so you could do train one way and the motor coach for the reverse.  While the two routes are roughly parallel from Seward to Moose Pass they then diverge so you would see something different.  Once you return to Anchorage then pick up the rental car for your trip up to Denali National Park.  And consider taking the NPS shuttle (they are narrated) into Denali National Park as far as Eielson Visitor's Center.  I really feel that folks who do not go into the park as far as Eielson short-change themselves.

 

The best option for transferring from Anchorage to Whittier may likely be the train.  But check on motor coach transfers.  As you research this trip you will realize that there is a shared tunnel to factor into the timing, and I doubt a taxi or uber will be a viable option.

 

[rwa]

15 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 Am I correct when you refer to "Mt. McKinley" and "Denali" in this post you are referring to the Princess lodges?

 

Yes! Our original plan was to take one of the Princess Cruisetours. Both Denali Princess Lodge & McKinley Princess Lodge stops were on the same tour. As we've researched and gotten other people's suggestions, we've changed our plans and decided to rent a car and plan our own itinerary. We're excited and really looking forward to doing this! 

 

33 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

Is there some particular reason for the train trip from Anchorage to Talkeetna?

 

We were wanting to ride the train at some point during our time. Since our new DIY itinerary consisted of driving the entire way, we thought we might end our trip in Anchorage, return the rental car and make our final day a day trip on the train to Talkeetna, stay a couple of hours and then ride the bus back - BUT we've changed those plans yet again! Train to Talkeetna is out. We've shuffled our plans many times but they're finally starting to fall into place. We've decided now that we'll take the train from Anchorage to Whittier. We'll take the Prince William Sound tour there and begin our Princess cruise. 

 

 

50 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

And consider taking the NPS shuttle (they are narrated) into Denali National Park as far as Eielson Visitor's Center.  I really feel that folks who do not go into the park as far as Eielson short-change themselves.

 

Several others have suggested this also and we're definitely leaning this way. This it the park tour that you are talking about, right. The one that is the same as the more expensive Tundra Wilderness tour? It's interesting to know that it's also narrated - we were thinking that we might miss the narration if it wasn't included. 

 

 

[donaldsc]

On 1/24/2019 at 10:52 AM, sadoan said:

We did a DYI before our Princess cruise last summer.  We flew into Anchorage and arrived at 7 pm, ate dinner and went to the hotel and crashed. 

 

Day 2 we called an Uber to take us to Avis downtown to pick up our rental car.  We spent a full day in Anchorage going thru the shops downtown and taking a trolley tour which we caught outside of the Visitors Center. 

 

Day 3 we drove up to Talkeetna and the views were beautiful.  It was a long drive and I don't know what all the hype is about therefore, this would be the one thing we did I would not do again.  Others might enjoy this tiny town but us not so much.

 

Day 4 we got up and left our hotel at 5 am to drive to Seward for our tour with Major Marines which we had to be there around 10 am.  I wanted to have time to stop and pull over for photo ops and it was perfect timing, this is the most gorgeous landscape I have ever seen in my life!  After the tour was over we drove to Girdwood and stayed at the Alyeska Ski Resort and it was beautiful. 

 

Day 5 we drove into Anchorage and just hung out and had lunch at Moose Tooth Pizza (yum) and turned in our rental car.  On our last morning before the cruise we called Uber to take us to the train station and we took the train into Whittier.  It was an awesome ride and we were one of the first ones on the ship.  I hope my little story has help a bit and enjoy your cruise, we can't wait to go back!!

 

Looking at your itinerary, seems to me that you spent most of your time hanging around (Anchorage) and going to places that are not worth visiting (Talkeetna - have never been able to figure out what people see in that place).  The only day that you spent in an interesting place was day 4.  Even there you had to take the short cruise because you drove from Anchorage to Seward on the day of the tour.  Very badly planned in my opinion.

 

DON

[Roo]

Similar but different question for y'all re: DIY.  We are flying to Anchorage and then to Fairbanks to begin our southward cruise tour.  We were thinking of DRIVING from Anchorage to Fairbanks, instead of flying (we have as many days as needed to do so).  Since we will be staying in Fairbanks, Denali and Mckinley during the official tour, can anyone advise what else there is to do/see along the way that we wouldn't necessarily do on the escorted tour portion, if we take a few days to do this appx. 6 hour drive [I know, I know, it depends on many factors in terms of driving time ;-)]. Thanks.

[stevejco]

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Looking at your itinerary, seems to me that you spent most of your time hanging around (Anchorage) and going to places that are not worth visiting (Talkeetna - have never been able to figure out what people see in that place).  The only day that you spent in an interesting place was day 4.  Even there you had to take the short cruise because you drove from Anchorage to Seward on the day of the tour.  Very badly planned in my opinion.

 

DON

 

Other than #3 Talkeetna it seems that they enjoyed themselves. I'm glad that they had a good time and appreciate that they took the time to post their itinerary.  Maybe not everyone's cup of tea.  I hope they're not crushed that you don't approve of how they spent their time and money.

[Northern Aurora]

21 hours ago, rwa said:

 

.......

 

We were wanting to ride the train at some point during our time.

 

 

rwa:  Again, opinions about scenery are very subjective, but there are two train trips in Alaska considered to be scenic by most.  One is the Alaska Railroad from Seward to Anchorage.  The other is the historic White Pass and Yukon Railway out of Skagway.  Most folks are happy with one or both.  

 

 

21 hours ago, rwa said:

 

 

 

Several others have suggested this also and we're definitely leaning this way. This it the park tour that you are talking about, right. The one that is the same as the more expensive Tundra Wilderness tour? It's interesting to know that it's also narrated - we were thinking that we might miss the narration if it wasn't included. 

 

 

 

 

There is one road into Denali National Park.  The road is closed to private traffic at about mile 15 (Savage River).  

 

Tour options to enter the park including the Natural History Tour (which goes only into  Teklanika, which is about mile 29 or 30) and the Tundra Wilderness Tour (which goes either in to Toklat River at about mile 52 or 53 or the Stoney Hill overlook at about mile 60 or 62 -- depending on weather conditions and time of year).  Both the NHT and TWT are what the cruise lines want to sell folks.

 

But there is another option -- the DNP shuttle bus system.  The DNP shuttle buses, which stop along the way to drop off and pick up hikers, go into Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66) for one fee or even further (for an additional fee) to Wonder Lake.  Go to the DNP website to learn how to purchase tickets.  

 

I am not talking about the TWT but the DNP shuttle in to EVC, with is actually less expensive than the TWT which the cruise line will be more than happy to sell you.  The reason I feel that folks who do not go into the park as far as EVC is that when you turnaround at either Stoney Hill or Toklat you miss Polychrome Pass.  Also, the EVC is located above treeline, so with a decent pair of binoculars the options for wildlife viewing increase.  The EVC is staffed with NPS rangers, who offer various programs.  And there is also a certain value to hot and cold running water in the restrooms and water fountains to refill your water containers.