TALKEETNA: Rise & Shine to visit the home of the Iditarod. Race Headquarters expose you to the lure of the dog sleds of the past. Meet an Iditarod musher and dog team and share in the thrill of the race, as you take a ride on a summer dog sled ride around a quarter acre track. Today will present one of many highlights of your adventure. Talkeetna is a local town sporting the most photographed scenes in our state, the towering peaks of Mt. McKinley & the Alaska mountain range. Only 1 ½ hours north, this town is a hub of international mountain climbers. You will be able to choose one of the following adventures to enjoy in Talkeetna.
ACTIVITY ONE: Denali Flightseeing & Glacier Landing:
This magnificent flight takes you within six miles of Mt. McKinley’s summit. As your flight departs Talkeetna, you begin to see how the last ice age has shaped the land. Moments later you enter a world of rugged high mountain peaks and wide glacier filled valleys. Listen as your pilot describes the natural wonders of Denali National Park. See the Sheldon Amphitheater, beautiful Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge (the worlds deepest – almost 2 miles from top to bottom). “No visit is complete without this experience!” Land on the Sheldon Amphitheatre glacier beneath Mt. McKinley, The aircraft is equipped with skis, floats, and voice activated headphones. Passengers, each with comfortable window seats, enjoy narration by an experienced pilot-guide highlighting points of interest including geology, wildlife, and history. Flight time is 1.5 hrs and includes a glacier landing. Upgrades for longer flights can be purchased.
ACTIVITY TWO: 2-Hour Riverboat Adventure:
Your exciting trip will begin aboard the fifty-one passenger “Talkeetna Queen” as it whisks you into the heart of the wilderness in comfort. This is the most technologically advanced river jetboat in Alaska designed to safely navigate rivers that were previously inaccessible. It is glass-domed, environmentally controlled, and has an onboard restroom for your comfort. You will visit an authentic trapper’s cabin and view how trappers lived in “Bush” Alaska at the turn of the century. Your experienced guide will display raw furs from the local area and demonstrate trapping methods. Naturalists will acquaint you with the wildflowers and plants that grow in abundance along the river system and you will learn about the edible plants that were used by the Native Indians for cooking and medicines. As you travel ten miles of river you will have opportunities to view nesting bald eagles, beaver activity, and moose and you just might see black bear and grizzly bear roaming the shore. Wildlife, folklore, artifacts and a panoramic view of Denali in the Alaska Range combine to make this an unforgettable Alaskan river adventure.
This afternoon, enjoy late lunch before continuing our adventure to Denali National Park. Crossing over Hurricane Gulch, have your cameras ready. The vistas are breathtaking. Upon arrival in Denali National Park, this evening is at your leisure for shopping, dining or sightseeing. Tonight you will overnight near Denali National Park.
View our preferred accommodations for this area:
Denali National Park Area Lodging
