Alaska’s Last Frontier Hiking Tour

Arrive in Alaska’s largest city and transfer to your downtown accommodations. In the early evening, rendezvous with your group and guide at the hotel to go over the journey ahead. Enjoy an independent dinner and evening at your leisure.

Your first day of adventure takes you into Denali State Park. It’s a three-hour drive from Anchorage with great scenery to enjoy along the way, yet it hardly compares to the vistas you’ll enjoy once you arrive!

After setting up camp, head out for a walk around Byers Lake. Keep an eye out for loons and beavers who call the lake home, and on clear days, you might even glimpse the mountains reflected on the surface.

A great hike on the Kesugi Ridge provides your first real introduction to the awesome wonders of Alaska. If the weather’s right, you’ll get your first look at Mount Denali, North America’s highest peak. Boreal landscapes and arctic tundra are spread out below.

After breakfast, pack up camp and hop in the minibus for the two-hour drive to Denali National Park, the more well-known of the two parks. 6 million acres of protected wilderness await!

Meet the Park Rangers for a dog sledding demonstration, then set off on a hike up Mount Healy. A relatively steep trail provides brilliant views as you reach the top of the route. Return to the campground for dinner.

It’s an early start today as you hop in a school bus shuttle for a transfer deeper into the park. Some incredible trekking opportunities are available today, along with even greater chances of wildlife spotting. Please note that today’s off-trail hiking is not guided.

Pack up camp and hit the road with the group, driving south towards Matanuska. Along the way, stop at Hatcher Pass and visit the historic Independence Mine. For a deUSDe in the early 20th century, this was the second-largest gold mine in all Alaska, many of its original buildings still standing.

Continue towards Matanuska glacier, your total drive time around 5 ½ hours. Set up camp near the glacier and enjoy a hearty group dinner.

The highlight of the morning is a hike to the Matanuska Glacier. This is Alaska’s largest accessible glacier, and it makes for an inspiring visit. The round-trip trail leading to its base is only 2km, but rugged enough to take an hour to hike.

Hop back in the minibus and continue into the Wrangell-St Elias National Park. Access can be a bit difficult – but the journey is worth it! 100km down a dirt road brings you deep into the heart of the park, where you set up camp near McCarthy village. The total drive time today is about 6 hours.

The next two days are spent adventuring through this pristine park. Two planned hikes are on tap. The first is the Bonanza Mine Trail, heading up a mountain with plenty of elevation gain. After two days of long drives, this is the perfect opportunity to really stretch your legs!

You’ll also have the option to participate in a guided glacier hike, complete with climbing irons. Please note this is a supplemental cost.

Enjoy a second day of exploring this glorious region today. The second planned hike is a route around the Root Glacier, one of the most accessible in the park. There’s much less elevation change on this one, but it’s just as scenic.

Another optional activity today is a truly spectacular one: a plane ride above the park! Hop in a small plane to see Alaska on a scale simply impossible to replicate on the ground. Please note this incurs a supplemental cost.

It’s time to depart the park and head southeast for the city of Valdez. There will be plenty of stops along the way for stunning photo opportunities. Coastal Valdez was nearly wiped out by a massive earthquake in 1974. Today, it’s a crucial freight and fishing port for Alaska.

Hike the Worthington Glacier’s moraine, with expansive views of the valley below. After the hike, set up camp nearby.

It’s a day of exploring the breathtaking scenery around Valdez, a city perched along the ocean with mountains at its back. The Shoup Bay trail makes for a magnificent hike. Depending on the group’s physical condition, an extension to the hike is possible.

Valdez offers plenty of optional afternoon activities to enjoy. Join a guided glacier observation tour by boat, or hop in a kayak for some fun ocean paddling. The area’s geography provides plenty of protection for a lovely afternoon on the water!

After breakfast, head for the ferry terminal and embark on a crossing of Prince William Sound. There are magnificent wildlife sighting opportunities on this journey. Sea lions, orcas, and even humpback whales are known to frequent these waters. The ferry can take 3 ½ - 5 ½ hours depending on the boat used.

The ferry ends at Whittier, where you’ll continue your journey overland to Seward. Make a stop at the Portage Glacier and its visitor centre to learn more about this beautiful slice of Alaska. Set up camp outside Seward for the next two nights.

Today offers plenty of opportunities to explore the Kenai Peninsula. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge spans over a million acres, a safe habitat for mountain goats, brown and black bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and much more.

Hike the Mount Marathon trail, then make your way to the Kenai Fjord National Park. The collection of glaciers and fjords here is sure to take your breath away! A short hike to the Exit Glacier caps off a fantastic day of adventure.

Hop in the minibus for one last ride as you return north to Anchorage, the drive taking roughly 2 ½ hours. Stop along the way at the resort town of Girdwood for a final hike through forests of spruce and cottonwood until you reach a spectacular gorge.

Once you arrive in Anchorage, you’ll have some free time to rest or explore the city before a big group dinner to celebrate a successful journey!

After breakfast and check-out, depart Anchorage via your own arrangements.