AK Range & River

⇒ 6 days trip, small group up to 10 people
⇒ Starts on SUNDAY, finishes FRIDAY

Day 1: From Anchorage to the Matanuska Glacier

Depart Anchorage to Hatcher Pass (60 miles, approx 1 hr)
Hike excursion in Hatcher Pass
Visit to the Independence Mine State Historical Park
Drive to Matanuska Glacier (70 miles, approx 1 hour 45 minutes)
Dinner, Camp near Matanuska Glacier

Beginning from Alaska’s largest city a short a drive will take us into the heart of the Talkeetna mountains for an unforgettable first day hiking among alpine lakes and ridgelines first travelled by gold rush prospectors.  Descending from the Talkeetnas, a late afternoon drive to the headwaters of the Matanuska River will bring us to our first night’s camp, at the face of one of Alaska’s longest inland glaciers. The midnight sun provides plenty of light and the perfect timing to explore this wonder born of ice age at the base of the breathtaking Chugach mountain range, a beautiful welcome to the wild Alaskan summer.

Day 2: On the Denali Highway

Morning hike to Matanuska Glacier face ( 1 mile one way, 1 hour total)
Drive Matanuska Glacier to MacLaren River Lodge, Denali Highway ( 197 miles, approx 3.5 hours) lunch enroute
Transfer at Maclaren River Lodge to boat transport to Wilderness Camp
Afternoon hike from wilderness camp (approx 3 hours hiking time to ridge above camp)
Dinner, camp at Maclaren Wilderness Camp

On Day 2 we will break camp and enjoy a scenic departure from the Chugach Range, travelling across a vast landscape of glacial lakes and black spruce expanse.  After a scenic morning drive we will reach the Richardson Highway, Alaska’s first road north.  Initially pioneered as a gold rush trail, the Richardson subsequently served  as a telegraph route and then a wagon road into the interior.  Today, it is one of Alaska’s more scenic drives and we will make our way north and into the Alaska range via the less traveled Denali Highway.

For the next two nights we will camp in a beautiful, remote setting in the heart of the Alaskan range.

Day 3: Maclaren Wilderness Camp

Full day hiking options from wilderness camp, (approx 4 miles to glacier toe)
Dinner, camp in wilderness camp

The long northern summer days will give us plenty of time to explore this wilderness landscape of clear flowing glacial river braids where caribou herds still migrate. A full day hiking from our base camp to the glacier’s face or the surrounding ridgeline will give you a lasting impression of this unique setting.

Day 4: Maclaren Glacier to Denali National Park

Transfer  gear to boat for transport back to Maclaren River Lodge, return to road via canoe (approx 2 hour scenic float)
Drive to Denali NP, via Denali Highway (78 miles Denali Highway, approx 2.5 hours, plus 30 miles Cantwell to DNP via Parks Highway, 30 minutes.) 
Lunch and short hikes en-route
Afternoon Denali National Park
Dinner, Camp

After breakfast on Day 4 we will leave our wilderness camp and return to the road via canoe, a fun float to say  goodbye to a place you will not want to leave quickly.  Back at the van the rest of the Alaska Range awaits, all the way to Denali National Park, our next destination.
First created after the construction of the Alaska Canada Highway for post-war motorists driving to Denali Park from the lower 48, the Denali Highway is a scenic route too often ignored by the average tourist either in a hurry or intimidated by the scarcity of services along the way. Though it is a slow road it is still the most direct route with spectacular scenery. We’ll arrive at Denali National Park in the afternoon, with time to visit the park for a short hike or whitewater raft a class III river before setting camp for the next two evenings.

Day 5: Explore Denali National Park

Eielson Visitor Center  DNP tour (mile 60 DNP park road, approx 8 hours round trip)
Dinner in restaurant
Camp

Denali National Park is the crown jewel of America’s National Park system and  a must see for any visitor to Alaska. On the Alaska Range and River we will devote Day 5 to a trip into the heart of Denali National Park, with a wide array of  opportunities—wildlife viewing, hiking or even biking the park road, to name a few—to discover this awe inspiring natural setting.

Day 6: Back to Anchorage via Talkeetna

Optional morning return to Park or whitewater rafting Nenana River, Class III
Drive to Talkeetna (164 miles, 3 hours)
Flightsee Denali afternoon, visit Talkeetna
Drive Talkeetna to Anchorage (100 miles, 2 hours)

On the morning of day 6 we will have the opportunity to white water raft the river that forms a portion of Denali National Park’s eastern boundary and cuts an exciting path through some of Alaska’s oldest rock formation. Then we will drive south along the scenic Parks Highway to the charming town of Talkeetna.

Meaning “Three Rivers” in native Athabascan, Talkeetna sits at the confluence of the Talkeetna, Chulitna and Susitna Rivers in close proximity to the Alaska Range. Surrounded by natural beauty and relatively mild winters, Talkeetna has a long been a favorite destination in all seasons. When the Alaska Railroad was routed through Talkeetna the tiny town’s importance was confirmed.  The core of the main street dates to the railroad’s early days a century ago with a number of buildings listed as national historic landmarks.

On a clear day, the riverbank at the end of Main Street offers one of the best views of the celebrated trio of peaks at the heart of the Alaska Range–Hunter, Foraker and Denali.  With Bradford Washburn’s  WWII era explorations of the Alaska Range and subsequent discovery of the West Buttress  climbing route to the summit of Denali, Talkeetna,  emerged in the post-war era as the departure point for mountaineering expeditions. Climbers from all over the world still flock to Talkeetna to fly into the Alaska Range ensuring Talkeetna retains its long tradition as the hub of legendary bush pilots. An opportunity to flightsee into the Alaska Range is a superb way to conclude the Range & River tour. Talkeetna’s proximity to the mountains makes this flight surprisingly affordable, about half the cost versus the flightsee options originating from the Denali Park area. Additionally, flying into the mountains from the south allows the opportunity to add a glacier landing to your excursion, a truly unforgettable experience.

Talkeetna is just a hundred miles north of Anchorage,  so after a short drive the Range & River tour will conclude in Alaska’s largest city in time for dinner or a transfer to the airport for an evening flight.