We’re on our way to a very special celebration in the wilderness — Camp Denali’s 60th anniversary, which has brought back one of its founders and many who have helped make this small, 18-cabin enclave one of the most iconic National Park lodges anywhere.
Wood showed us a film after dinner of the building of “Camp” as they call it—hauling logs with a World War II surplus jeep, sawing huge trees with hand saws, giving climbers who successfully summited the largest mountain in North America (20,320 feet!) a free spaghetti dinner.
We’ve already seen a huge Grizzly munching on a ground squirrel, four Dall sheep, Caribou, a moose and two recently born calves, a red fox …and we’d only been in Denali National Park a few hours.
What is special about Denali National Park, besides the wildlife and the fact that it contains the tallest mountain in North America, suggests Kris Capps author of “A Wildlife Guide: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska,” is that it continues to flourish on its own largely without human intervention.
What people also don’t realize is that hiking here is far different than hiking in Yosemite or Yellowstone or most other places. There are no defined trails, and no trail signs. You either need to be experienced in the backcountry and know how to use a compass and map or be fortunate enough to be hiking with someone like Brian McCormick who has been guiding visitors for years.
They said the views from the ridge at the top of the Tiga Trail are spectacular. We ask can we do a “moderate-slash-strenuous” hike (translation: slower). Everyone laughs and the six of us in our family—three nursing bad knees—head off with the naturalists
Explore the joys of taking the kids on the most iconic trips. Create unforgettable family memories and learn valuable lessons.
Our small UnCruise ship, known for Alaska wilderness experiences, enabled us to kayak and hike away from crowds, but get close to the bears
Kantishna Air Taxi mostly flies visitors around the mountain, said our pilot Andy Young. “A plane in Alaska is like a car anywhere else,” he explained. “It is how we get around. There just aren’t any roads in a lot of the state.”
Taking a road trip in Alaska means miles and miles of majestic mountains, peaceful coastline, lush forest or flat tundra streaming past your car, RV or camper van windows
Just one road leads into Denali National Park’s 6 million acres, and after mile 15 the road is restricted to park buses. You can’t get much more remote in Alaska.
As I thought back about this past year’s trips, I realized that each one enabled us to challenge ourselves in different ways, whether in the outdoors, navigating in an unfamiliar culture, or learning a new skill. That’s not counting the challenge of getting along with each other along the way — not always easy, especially these days as families who don’t spend a lot of time together gather for vacation.
Travel above the Arctic Circle for an exhilarating dogsledding adventure. Enjoy the stunning scenery and the magic of winter.
Plan your next family cruise with our comprehensive guide. From multigenerational travel to unique adventures, find the perfect cruise for your family.
According to Travel Alaska, 1.65 million tourists will visit this summer, more than half on 60 large and small cruise ships.
A growing number of families believe they can head outdoors in the snow safely — and not just to head to the downhill slopes
You can’t get much more remote — or farther away from cruise crowds than at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, which opened 10 years ago — the first and only lodge in the national park and accessible only by a four-hour boat trip from Seward
There’s no better time than autumn to get outdoors and get away, whether you have a day, a weekend or a week. ACES should be on everyone’s list when they visit Aspen with its terrific in-town nature preserve
At the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), environmental educators including Denali Barron and Bowman Leigh think a grab bag of nature challenges can help kids engage with the outdoors—and get off their devices.
Did I mention this father and child are Bald Eagles and we are listening to their conversation from kayaks in spectacular Saginaw Bay on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska?
Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s the need to reconnect with friends and family. At beach houses and on sailboats, city condos and mountain cabins, families and friends are joining forces on vacation