Days 3: Denali
Denali is wilderness. Denali is adventure. Denali is Alaska. It’s the highlight for travelers to Alaska, including us. Denali is the name of the highest mountain in North America. It’s the name of the national park and reserve. And it’s the name of the borough. Your Alaska travel with your kids should including going out into the wild for outdoor adventures.
Highlights
- Ride an ATV, booked through Denali ATV Adventures. You get to drive an ATV for 10 miles (around two hours) through wooded trails, rugged terrain, and rocky creek beds with stunning vistas. Very bumpy and fun!
- Do whitewater rafting booked through Denali Raft Adventures. We did the McKinley Scenic Run, which took us 11 miles along Nenana River for two hours. It’s a combination of Class I and II, which are relatively mild, as well as Class III, which offered more thrilling white water rapids. It was exciting as our group was divided into two rafts, so we were racing to the finish line.
- Eat at Denali Doghouse for yummy reindeer hotdogs and fries.
Day 4: Denali
The whole point of going to Denali is to explore Denali National Park & Preserve, six million acres of tundra, spruce forest, and glaciers, and home to wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep. Your kids will forever remember their Alaska travel. And of course, it’s the best spot to see the majestic Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), the main attraction of the park.
Highlights
- Explore Denali National Park & Preserve. You can take one of the buses allowed inside the park and hop on and off. Or you can take the Tundra Wilderness Tour like we did. This is a whole-day guided tour that will travel for 62 miles into the park. We spotted bears, Dall sheep, caribou, and mountain goats.
- Eat at Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse for great pizza and beer.
