Also called Totem Park by locals, this forested area protects a historic site for the Tlingit people of the region and displays many historic and replica totem poles from the Indigenous people of Southeast Alaska. Read more about the Great Kobuk Sand Duneshere. At Kenai Fjords you go on epic hikes, take once in a lifetime boat tours, see massive glaciers, spot stunning wildlife, and more. Brooks Camp is the sole developed campground at Katmai National Park located near the Brooks Lodge. View of turquoise lakes flying into Lake Clark National Park. Driving/Car Rental - expect to pay $300 . Which of Alaskas National Parks Can You Drive To? Yes. The hike from the footbridge to the Kennecot mine is 5 miles. Glacier Bay National Park | How to Experience The Park | ALASKA.ORG There are lots of other activities and things to do in Denali and the surrounding area, including flightseeing (with a glacier landing! The wilderness is preserved around them. I remember learning about the Bering Land Bridge in school growing up in Alaska and visiting a museum called Beringia in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory on summer vacations with my family. The park is extremely remote located in King Salmon. Lois Alter Mark Updated: May 04, 2023 Eager to cruise to the 49th State but don't know where to start? Once you've settled in, head to the National Park Visitor Center (located on the second floor of the lodge). My work (along with my brother) has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks. Discover The Best Way To See Alaska - The Wildlife Diaries Like all of Alaskas National Parks, the best time to visit Kenai Fjords National Park is during Summer. Even in Summer, average high temperatures will range in the mid 60s to low 70s with lows in the 40s. Day 5: Drive to Anchorage. When suggesting parks to the occasional traveler, I surely warned them about the crowd size, but almost always tell them to go anyway Is in places like Zion and Yosemite as the scenery is just that spectacular! If youre visiting an Alaska National Parks there is automatically a much higher chance youll encounter a grizzly bear than parks in the lower 48. The reason: we didnt have a boat, says Kirk Hoessle, president and chief exploration officer at Alaska Wildland Adventures, which operates theKenai Fjords Glacier Lodgein the Southcentral park. But perhaps in a broader sense, its the parks complete, untrammeled, healthy ecosystem there arent many places left like this on Earth.. What gives? Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska, Want to learn more? Ive spent our entire adult lives exploring and filming Americas national parks and public lands. We found a lot of great hiking trails from Port Allsworth that made for a really low-key stop, just absorbing all the amazing nature. Id love to go back and do that. Hooray for the pocketbook! From there youll enjoy bear viewing and a rustic lunch. This is twice the size of Denali National Park, and frankly a bit inconceivable even once youve visited both parks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Whenever I read one of your pieces of work, I find myself nodding in agreement 99% of the time. Like, really north. Towering snow-capped peaks. Choosing the right season to visit Alaska isnt hard. Alexyn Schellers dream was to visit all 8 of Alaskas national parks. They offer interpretive hikes, walks, and talks to bring this unique park to life for visitors. Denali Best national park for wildlife-watching If Alaska has a symbolic heart, Denali is it. Fox also says Gates of the Arctic is one of the least visited of the national parks because its remote location in the Arctic bush requires a flight and an adventurous landing on water or a gravel/sand bar by the river. Alaska has eight national parkswhich will you visit first? Alternatively there are several lodges and hotels in the Seward area that start at around $150/night and range upwards from there. Where to stay. Seeing bears on the coast, at Silver Salmon Creek or Chinitna Bay, is always a slam dunk. Plan Like a Park Ranger - 10 Tips for Visiting Alaska's National Parks Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, vacation-planning tips from local experts, Spectacular Mountains from Denali to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, A Local's Guide to McCarthy & Wrangell St-Elias National Park & Preserve. I am thinking August 2024 timeframe. It is one of the best national parks in Alaska to see varied landscapes and learn about the impact of Alaska glaciers. There are currently 8 national parks in Alaska which combine for 54 million acres of the most beautiful places on earth. 2-5 day small ship explorations. There are a number of other backcountry options (even on the Harding icefield). I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. Things to Know Before You Visit an Alaska National Park, Planning a Trip To Alaskas National Parks. 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 birds. Arctic Air Expeditions offers polar bear tours that include airfare from Anchorage, meals, and transportation. Then we saw it, backdropped by the rocky coastline: amassive humpbackwhale,. Was it still worth it? This is what brings the vast majority of people to the park each year. Behold the Great One. Bikers can start at the beginning of the road or take the bus to a specific point before hopping off and beginning their journey. The most intimate multi-day cruise option. Best Alaska Cruise 2023 | Best Time to Cruise to Alaska - Reader's Digest Also, while the national parks are amazing, dont miss out on the in-between placesthey give Alaska its character, what makes it this great frontier. Lodging - $15-$25/night for camping; $200 - $400/night for hotels; something in between for cabins, vacation rental homes and lower end hotels (sometimes lower end hotels are also $200/night!) Tour Alaska On Your Own: Driving Its National Parks - Frommer's No BS! Flying there is $1200 for all 4 people and includes a 30 minute landing. May 11, 2022 Which Alaska National Parks Should You Visit? By far the most popular activity in Lake Clark National Park is bear viewing. Anchorage - Highs in 50s, lows in 30s/40s. Get excited: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is accessible by car! To get there, one must first fly (1 hour 45 minutes from Anchorage) to the extremely isolated town of Kotzebue. Even the location itself is like a location thats a celebrity, since its one of the worlds most videotaped places. For backcountry camping information be sure to visit the park service backcountry page. A Camper's Guide to Visiting All 8 of Alaska's National Parks - The Dyrt Another great way to see Denali National Park is via a bicycle. I knew I wasnt the first to visit these parks, of course, but sometimes we were totally alone and it felt like we were the first people there. We had to trust he would come back for us! This backcountry lodge is accessible only by plane and gives you a chance to unplug in the expansive wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias. Second, there can be towns right in the national parks, like Anaktuvuk Pass in Gates of the Arctic or McCarthy in Wrangell-St. Elias. Eielson Visitor Centerat Mile 66 of the Park Road has fantastic views of Denali and amazing interactive exhibits for visitors to learn more about the park. To get deep into the park, you have to take a bus. Driving this road into Alaskas largest national park takes at least 3 hours each way so plan accordingly. Theres also regular boat tours out of Seward that take visitors by many of the most breathtaking areas and sites. Best Way To See Alaska | Cruise or Land Tour? Inside the park, you can enjoy backcountry adventures or float the Noatak River on its 425-mile journey to the sea. And it should almost go without saying, but a visit to [naturalist and conservationist] Dick Proennekes log cabin at Twin Lakes is well worth the expense of getting there. A: Fascinating. An interesting fact about Kobuk Valley is that its actually home to massive sand dunes. Were big fans of Leave No Trace, here at MTJP. We didnt see a soul, and paddled the bays, inlets and islands by kayak for a week and a half and had incredible wildlife experiences. The whole Glacier Bay experience from our perspective is written there on the totem poles and the screens, Grant says. If camping isnt your style (its NOT mine!) never fear! But the journey is worth it every time. The easiest way to get to Gates of the Arctic National Park is to catch a flight from Fairbanks to the small town of Bettles which is an hour or so by flight. See below map with the locations of all eight of Alaskas National Parks. You can also go off the beaten path for some backcountry hiking and camping in Katmai, though be sure to educate yourself on bear safety since its pretty much a guarantee in this part of Alaska. (907)442-3200, Northwest Arctic Heritage Center(Get your stamps here). ), river rafting, and hiking. Like Denali, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is one of the most popular parks in Alaska in part because so many of the cruise companies make it a stop on their itineraries. Looking for another Alaska National Park where you can escape the crowds? We found out you could arrange to be dropped off in the Glacier Bay backcountry and camp for a few days. Day 7: Denali National Park. You could stay at the Kobuk River Lodge in Ambler (a flight from Kotzebue) and arrange day tours into Kobux Valley with a local outfitter like Onion Portage Adventures, or similarly stay at Bettles Lodge and do the same. In a state with more national parklands than any other, how do you choose which ones to visit? Denali is one of the most easily reached Alaska National Parks. Today, Denali National Park is the crown jewel of the National Park units in Alaska; it draws many of those millions of visitors each year. Theres also the Kennicott Glacier Lodge in nearby Kennicott. Closest lodge: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge. Juneau Ketchikan Seward Sitka Homer Denali National Park and Preserve Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Kodiak Skagway Fairbanks Valdez Katmai National Park. The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center (visitor center) is located in Kotzebue roughly 80 miles from the park, and is open between May and September; the park is technically open year-round for those willing to brave the elements. Getting to Katmai typically requires multiple flights and thousands of dollars which puts it squarely out of reach for most Americans. Finally, you can arrange a flightseeing tour to Glacier Bay; operators fly from Haines, Skagway, Juneau, Yakutat, and Gustavus. As you might guess from the limited access to Glacier Bay and limited infrastructure in a town the size of Gustavus, there are limited options for where to stay. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve If youre hoping to be able to add Wrangell St. Elias National Park to some sort of Alaska National Park Road Trip, youre in luck! In this post, I promote travel to national parks that are the traditional lands of the Ahtna Nenn, Alutiiq (Sugpiaq), Deg Xitan Ngan, Denaina Enena, Dnndeh, Eyak, Gwichin Nanh, Hn, Holikachuk, Iupiat, Koyukon, Kuuvuan KaNianiq, Tanacross, Tanana, Tlingit, Upper Kuskokwim, Upper Tanana, Unangax /Aleut, and Yupik/Cupik peoples. Wild. Can you guess? The main waterways of Kenai Fjords National Park are accessible only by boat; there are a number of tour operators that offer glacier and wildlife viewing tours all summer . There are some cool other experiences too, including interstadial stumps (old trees from before the last major ice age), cultural experiences (at the Huna Tribal House near park headquarters), and hiking near Bartlett Cove/Gustavus. Wrangell is an Alaska national park full of superlatives and a world unto itself. Great news here, folks! There just isnt any place like Alaskathe wilderness and the freeness. Take a canoe or kayak out onto Lake Clark itself and experience it for yourself. There are a few more visitors, sure, but you can still find your private seacoast paradise. View of a tidewater glacier from the day cruise in Glacier Bay National Park. I havent actually been to those parks so I dont have a recommended provider, but the National Park Service always has a list of concessioners who are allowed to operate in the park if you take a look at the page for each park. Then you make a call from a pay phone to get someone to pick you up. The breadth of this mountain is hard to appreciate and so is the size of the park itself at 6.1 million acres. The mountains go on and on forever.. Visitors shouldnt miss the sand dunes, shifting and moving across the tundra, consuming on one end and revealing on the other.. Fewer than 150 people visit Aniakchak annually, but it offers many of the same experiences in other parks: backcountry hiking, camping, and river rafting. The name of the game is being flexible with your plans and taking rough weather in stride. There are eight National Parks in Alaska - Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Wrangell-St. Elias - and all together they protect some 41,460,625 acres or roughly the size of Wisconsin! 6 best road trips for visiting national parks - The Points Guy Park along the Dalon Highway and htike into the park. Everything you need to know about Alaska's famous (and less famous) national parks. Once youre in the park, youll need to arrange for yourself either by bringing the gear for a backcountry adventure or staying at one of the communities or cabins in Lake Clark. Here are five tips to see the real Alaska: 1. A: Two things. Its hard to ask for more breathtaking scenery than what you can find in this Alaska national park. Knowing that, It probably shouldnt bother me I disagree with the design of your scoring system but somehow it does! We recommend reserving your accommodations as early in advance of your trip as possible as they tend to fill up quite a ways out. Hi guys, thanks for this extremely useful guide. Denali National Park Denali National Park is infamous for its namesake peak, the tallest mountain in North America which stands proudly at 20,310'. There are several different tours available that vary in destination & length. From there you can pick up a flight (and guide) into the park. As such, there are very few formalized ways to visit Gates of the Arctic and basically no infrastructure for tourism. There are two driveable roads in Wrangell St. Elias National Park making it perhaps the most vehicle friendly of all Alaskas national parks. The difference at Wrangell vs some of Alaskas national parks is that you can take a car and drive to some of them. Visit 4 National Parks: Kenai Fjords, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Katmai (or Lake Clark National Park for bear viewing). Despite the carnage you might see, 200,000-400,000 salmon make it past the bears to reproduce further upriver and continue the salmon run each year. Whats so special about each park? Gates of the Arctic is a wilderness park, located entirely within the Brooks Mountain Range. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Katmai has the largest concentration of brown bears of any park in the United States. These parks are largely wilderness and some are so remote they might as well be entirely wilderness (rather than a national park) Im looking at you Kobuk Valley and you, Gates of the Arctic. I cant get over each of the 5 scoring categories carry the same weight because I dont think anybody would agree that they do! As its name suggests, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve is north, in Alaskas Arctic region. The campground has 12 walk-in, tent-only sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. There's one more type of national park wedding location to consider a tropical getaway at Virgin Islands National Park. I'm R.J. Time: At least 3 days: 2 to get there and back, and another to explore the park. Especially this one which we never leave the house without because it plays nice with our dear friend, earth . 1. And if youre feeling more ambitious, do the rugged, all-day hike up Tanalian Mountain, which offers astounding views of Lake Clark, Kontrashibuna Lake, and the vastness of the Aleutian Range. We asked him some questions about his experiences and what impact Alaska had on him and you can read his full itinerary below. Thats a wrap folks! Alaska is incredible. At one point, a whale surfaced just ahead of where we were paddling. If you want to visit all of the National Parks in Alaska, it helps to learn more about each one and what it takes to reach them. Weve all seen the famous bearcam of the grizzlies savagely hunting salmon at Brooks Falls, and we all want to see that in person (safely behind the plexiglass viewing area) along with the countless other hard-to-fathom landscapes that exist within this amazing park. A: It truly feels like a frontiera place where you could explore new lands and make discoveries. There is one way and two directions from which you can access Kobuk Valley: you can fly from Anchorage to Kotzebue or from Fairbanks to Bettles (like Gates of the Arctic), then take an air taxi to reach the National Park itself. You should probably know that I didnt just make this list up out of thin air. We have stories that make it a part of our culture. The cost of getting to the park is high enough I suppose. 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. Alaska's Best National Parks - Horizon Guides From Fairbanks, there are a couple of ways to reach Gates of the Arctic National Park: Youll need to visit Gates of the Arctic prepared with everything you need for the duration of your trip all food, water, and wilderness gear, as well as bear-resistant food containers to deter the local residents from visiting your camping spots. Prices per person vary but the average for adults are around $180 and kids are around $80. Denali National Park is one of three Alaska national parks that folks can drive to. we were lucky enough to see Denali, which is often obscured by clouds. Visit September to April to see the Northern Lights. 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. I was born on Kauai but currently live in Phoenix, AZ. As mentioned, youll take two planes to reach Brooks Lodge if you book a stay there. Paddle a kayak amidst bits of glacier remnants with a tidewater glacier and snow-capped peaks as a dramatic backdrop. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. The amount of wildlife there is spectacular. 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 Brooks Lake - Highs in 50s/60s, lows in 30s. There is one developed campground in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Bartlett Cove. Then we rented camping gear from REI in Anchoragethey were super-helpful. 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. Warning: their impassioned insights may not help to eliminate any parks off your must-visit list. It is a park of otherworldly and seemingly impossible landscapes. Tourism peaks in July and August, as it does across Alaska, so a good time to avoid the crowds is in late May or late August. The park itself is massive; youd need to spend at least a week there to really get into it. So, if you spend the money to get here, crossing the finish line into the park does not require extra wallet-opening. The answer is no, Glacier Bay is not accessible by road and therefore you cannot drive to Glacier Bay. Roaring Fork: A scenic motor nature trail. For these reasons, the best time to visit Gates of the Arctic National Park is during the summer months of June, July, and August. Weve got some improvements coming for this years rankings starting with our upcoming (and long time in the works) rankings of all 128 national monuments. How to do it: You have 2 route optionsboth primitive. Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. The main park road opens in late May and usually stays open through late September each year, but the best time to visit Denali National Park is in late August and early September when the tundra begins changing color for autumn and the animals are more active while they prepare for the winter months. As one of the more accessible Alaska national parks, Wrangell makes it into our top 20 US national parks for that reason alone. With long days, less precipitation (but still precipitation), and actual sunshine, Summer is by far the best time to visit Alaskas national parks. . If I want to fly in and go see Northern lights where is the best place to fly to And what hotels line up trip to see lights? Reservations are not required ahead of time for Denali campgrounds but are encouraged as you may find limited. Whilethis mapmay make it look like you can hop, skip and jump between our parks, theyre spread far and wide across the state and most visitors are lucky to visit two or three in a vacation. Getting to Kenai Fjords National Park is easy. Your must-have activity guide + map while in Alaska. Lake Clark is open year-round, but most people visit between June and October and most flightseeing companies only offer tours during that time. How to See Alaska's National Parks - Fodors Travel Guide For more fare & schedule information visit the Alaska Railroads Denali page. Before you go booking your flights we thought you should know exactly how to access each of these parks. We will be dropped off at 6:15pm, Kennicott Mines (5 dollar bus ride, $28 tour we can take through the same as the glacier hike), 7:00am Flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth, Alaska, Home to the park visitor center as well as trails to waterfalls and kayaking locations, Walk the 7.5 Miles trail to Tanailan Falls, Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (Downtown/Coastal Trail), Wildlife Conservation Center (Home to a bunch of animals), Beartooth Theatrepub and Grill (Dinner/Movie). The gateway town to the park is Port Alsworth which can be reached from Anchorage or another one of the small, nearby coastal towns like King Salmon, Homer, or Kodiak. Us too! But what really makes this dynamic, glacier-studded, marine wildlife-packed fjord special is its history as the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit clans. Lake Clark has been called, Alaskas epitome, a description that is both fair and accurate. Dominated by Alaskas most iconic landmark, the tallest mountain in North America, Denali National Park is the six-million-acre heart of Interior Alaska. Read about the seven principals of Leave No Trace here. Good news here, folks! Your email address will not be published. If you are fascinated by history especially World War II history , and are willing to travel for it* then Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area is a must-visit. The whales are a part of the Tlingit family. As long as you bring the appropriate gear and practice Leave No Trace principles, you can have free reign of the land to explore as you see fit and are able. We Recommend Alaskan National Parks Wild Alaska 12 Photos 12 Things To Do in Alaska 12 Photos My wife wants to go back to Katmai. Getting there is misleadingly easy. Accessing the park (not via cruise) requires a flight followed by either another flight or ferry. Good news here folks! If Alaskas National Parks comprised their own state, that state would be the 14th largest in the union, ahead of Utah (thank you, Jimmy Carter). Dont let that deter you though: each one is a special place worth visiting if you have the time and resources to make it happen on your Alaska trip. While Denali National Park has no official park lodges, there are still some epic lodging options most of which come with pretty epic price tags. Alaska's National Parks & Public Lands | ALASKA.ORG For that reason it ranks at the bottom as the official least accessible Alaska National park. While 99% of folks dont have to use it, its always better to be prepared with a can of bear spray. There are also one-day flightseeing options from Kotzebue and Bettles if you dont need boots on the ground to consider a park seen or been.. The Perfect Alaska Road Trip Itinerary: How to See the State in 7 to 10 Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. Seward is the closest city to the park and consider the gateway to Kenai Fjords. Getting There: To the town of McCarthy inside the park, it's about a 7-hour drive from Anchorage and a 9-hour drive from Fairbanks. But if I was going to suggest the one very favorite thing, it's getting in the air and seeing the landscape. Find how many days you need based on what you want to see and do in Alaska. They also have a gallery featuring work from the artists-in-residence programs, which I love to spend time in. Kenai Fjords National Park is the other most accessible Alaska National Park, as its a short drive from Anchorage to reach the gateway town of Seward; this is the park my family and I used to visit the most often when I was growing up in Alaska. 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. As just mentioned late summer is the best time to visit Lake Clark National Park, as its when the salmon run up the waterways of the park and bears enthusiastically stock up on calories before the coming winter. Jokes aside, there are no hotels in Gates of the Arctic National Park; backcountry camping is the only way to stay in the park itself. But we met a guy with a plane who was going to pick up a hunter and offered to take us to Anaktuvuk Pass, a village inside the park. The planning took a year, and we did the 8 parks over 2 trips, taking 10 days for each in 2017 and 2018. Denali National Park is home to 6 developed campgrounds that can be accessed by the main park road. 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). Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, The 9 Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse! No spam. There are eight National Parks in Alaska Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Wrangell-St. Elias and all together they protect some 41,460,625 acres or roughly the size of Wisconsin! Kobuk Valley National Park is located north of the Arctic Circle making it the most remote national park in Alaska. When we went to Gates of the Arctic in September, they said snow was likely and we couldnt go in. The campground itself has no designated camp sites, rather a 60 person capacity that is filled (rapidly) on a reservation basis via recreation.gov. Be sure to bring a spare tire and be prepared to use it.
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