The Interior of Alaska is a truly remarkable place to visit and explore. I designed a 3-leg trip, which took place in September of 2020 — during the pandemic, when it was still (just barely) warm enough to camp outside most nights, and at the very start of the Northern Lights season. We were a group of 10 outdoorsy, intrepid travelers.
Leg 1: RV Trip to Denali
On our first day, we picked up our RV in Fairbanks and drove down to Denali National Park, where we would spend the next 3 nights in Savage River Campground — half of us in tents and half in the RV.
We started our adventure with a Tundra Tour of the park, where we saw Grizzly Bears at least half a dozen times and moose even more than that!
The next day, we went whitewater rafting on the Nenana River. After that, we spent a day hiking, first on the Horseshoe Lake Trail, and then way up to the summit of the Mount Healy Overlook Trail.
At night, we enjoyed campfire-cooked salmon, steaks, and the local Alaskan beer. Two of my clients brought their instruments along, a guitar and a ukulele, and we had lots of fun singing around the campfire.
Leg 2: The Dalton Highway
We returned the RV and switched to a 15-passenger van. From Fairbanks, we embarked on a scenic drive up the Dalton Highway, into the Arctic Circle, where less than 1% of the people who visit Alaska ever make it.
On the first night, we camped near Five Mile Camp Camping Area and saw the Northern Lights above us for the first time. The next day, we camped near Coldfoot, hiked to a beautiful waterfall, and drove up into the Brooks Range, all the way into the famous Atigun Pass before we finally turned around.
We saw the stunningly beautiful arctic, alpine environment, and then had a wonderful time around the campfire. The route offered many breathtaking views of the Alaskan wilderness and wildlife.
Leg 3: Fairbanks vicinity
For the final leg of this adventure, we returned to the charming city of Fairbanks. We returned the van and rented two minivans to get around. First, we paddled a full day 5-canoe trip (2 people per boat) down the Chena River, stayed in a local hotel and again saw the incredible Northern Lights.
We then took off to relax and soak at Chena Hot Springs Resort, where we got a cozy cabin and toured the Aurora Ice Museum (https://chenahotsprings.com/aurora-ice-museum/) to see amazing ice sculptures and learn about ice carving. We climbed way up on nearby Angel Rocks Trail to see fantastic views of the area.
We spent our final night camping on a local friend’s land, outside his cabin, where we shared one last night of music and fun around the campfire.
Back Home
This trip was an amazing opportunity to experience the natural beauty and wildlife of Alaska. I would be happy to lead another one like it, including these or perhaps other activities, tailored to my clients’ abilities and sense of adventure, should anyone like to hire me to do so. I have also (privately) explored and am familiar with Anchorage and could design a trip based on that area. Please contact me to discuss further.
