Alaska
Portage Glacier Hike
Kenai Fjords - Major Marine Tours
Kenai Fjords - Major Marine Tours (Stellar Sea Lions)
Exit Glacier Overlook Hike
Note
This summer itinerary assumes up to ~16 hours of daylight and was designed for a group (we had six). You’ll drive an RV for most of the trip and rent a 4WD vehicle for the rugged sections (Wrangell–St. Elias). Two drivers are required for those days. This plan focuses on summer activities; winter would be different.
Day 1: Anchorage → Kenai Fjords
Scenic Drive, Pull-Offs & Hikes
Pick up your RV. We do not recommend the company we used.
Grocery stop: Walmart Supercenter – Anchorage (store curbside/pickup)
Drive ~3 hours to Kenai Fjords National Park — plan many stops; Alaska scenery is constant.
Recommended stops: Beluga Point Lookout (Seward Hwy, milepost 110.5)
Nature does what nature does, but mid-July - August during high tide is the best time to see Beluga whales here.
Stop at the Girdwood Brewing Company for lunch and some locally brewed beers.
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (Whittier Tunnel) — check schedule & tolls.
Portage Pass / Portage Glacier hike (4 miles round trip)
Tern Lake day-use / picnic area
Camp for the night: Seward Waterfront Park (RV camping/parking). Pay on arrival.
Day 2: Kenai Fjords National Park
Wildlife Cruise + Exit Glacier
Major Marine Tours — Kenai Fjords wildlife & glacier cruises (book ahead)
Over about 8.5 hours, you will see a variety of wildlife and nature formations most likely to include puffins, seals, whales, ice bergs, glaciers, a frozen rainforest, sea otters, and more.
Dinner options in Seward
Tidewater Taphouse (outdoor seating & fire pits).
Firebrand Barbecue (casual BBQ in Seward)
Exit Glacier Overlook Hike — ~2.2-mile loop with glacier retreat markers.
Evening: Drive back toward Anchorage; overnight at Mirror Lake State Wayside Park (unofficial parking lot overnight).
Denali National Park
Denali National Park (Grizzly Bear)
Day 3: Anchorage → Denali
Scenic Drive, Pull-Offs & Hikes
Breakfast at Mirror Lake and then head north toward Denali.
Stops en route: Thunderbird Falls (easy 1-mile out-and-back to a 200-ft waterfall).
Eklutna Lake (glacier-fed lake, early mornings are quiet).
Reflections Lake (1.1-mile loop)
Talkeetna — book in advance a glacier-landing helicopter tour (Talkeetna Air Taxi or K2 Aviation).
Unfortunately, the helicopter ride is weather dependent. When we showed up, it was canceled and we had to go a different time in a different location with another company. They didn’t connect with us ahead of time to let us know it would be canceled, claiming they were hoping the weather would be better by the time we got there. Had we known this was a possibility we would have called ahead, and we recommend you call ahead the day of, just to ensure you are still on.
The rest of the day can be spent exploring this little town of Talkeetna and enjoying the restaurants and bars.
Continue to Denali; stop at Denali Viewpoint South & North if clear.
Camp at Riley Creek Campground (Denali area) (3 nights).
Day 4: Denali National Park
Tundra Wilderness Tour + Sled Dogs
Denali National Park
Tundra Wilderness Bus Tour (narrated) — book in advance via Denali transit info (NPS).
Available May–September. Wildlife is abundant; bring snacks and water.
This narrated bus tour takes you through Denali National Park, stopping along the route for viewpoints. Not only are the view points amazing, but the park is abundant with wildlife.
In two days we saw over 20 grizzly bears, several moose, caribou, and dozens of Dahls sheep. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a wolf!
You’ll need to take this tour to truly see the park, as personal vehicles are only allowed 15 miles into the park.
You’ll find the start time when you book. Be sure to be on time, as this is a timed route, not a hop on hop off.
You will only have a certain amount of time at each stop. They will provide a baggie with a water and snacks, but you might still want to bring a few of your own.
Once back from the bus tour go visit the Denali Sled Dog Kennel where you can visit working sled dogs (check hours).
Dinner back at RV.
Denali National Park (Caribou)
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park
Day 5: Denali National Park
Eielson Shuttle / hop-on-hop-off buses — plan for early start and bring food. Book in advance.
There are no designated hiking trails in this park, you can ask the bus to drop you off anywhere but then you will need to flag down another bus later on.
We found a dried riverbed to walk along for a while. We also “stumbled” upon a large grizzly bear on one of our hikes.
After exploring, drive ~3.5 hours to Anchorage to pick up your 4WD rental.
Midnight Sun Car & Van Rental (Anchorage) — 4WD options. Book in advance.
Tip: If you pick up after midnight you may save a daily rate.
Day 6: Wrangell–St. Elias National Park
Remote Roads — Nabesna Road (North Road) Exploration
McCarthy
Very early morning drive (~3 AM departure recommended) — you’ll need two drivers (RV + 4WD).
Do NOT take the RV into the park — roads are rugged and unsafe for large RVs.
Once you get close to the park, you can stop at a roadside pull off for another hour of sleep, and to park the RV for the day.
As with any time you leave an unattended vehicle, you take a risk. The risk was worth it to us since the campground didn’t open for check in until 4 pm. The park is so unfrequented by guests there isn’t much to worry about, and as expected, our RV was totally fine when we got back to it. Take this chance at your own risk.
Nabesna Road (North Road) planning & stops (NPS).
Hikes we enjoyed:
Mile 19.2: Caribou Creek Trail: We found an eerie devoured moose carcass on the route and saw a black bear far off in the distance.-
Mile 36.2: Skookum Volcano Trail (steep, volcanic rock field)
Camp and reserve for 3 nights: Northern Nights Campground & RV Park. For the second night you will be staying the night in McCarthy but leaving the RV here.
Day 7: Wrangell–St. Elias (McCarthy Road) → McCarthy
Kennicott (Kennecott) Mines National Historic Landmark
McCarthy Road, Bridges & Tiny-Town Charm
Drive McCarthy Road (South Road) — use NPS visitor info and narration.
Stop at Kuskulana Bridge (view and optional under-bridge path) & Gilahina River Bridge
You can also bring a fishing pole and bait, and get a license and fish in any body of water in the park. We did so, but never had luck.
Stay at Ma Johnson’s Hotel (historic McCarthy lodging). Rooms are very limited, book as far in advance as possible.. We recommend this hotel as it is right downtown, walking distance to the dive bar and restaurants. It is also just a very neat hotel that is worth the experience
You will not be able to drive all the way to this hotel. You drive as far as you can, and then stop in the parking lot. There is a walking bridge and you can walk the rest of way to Ma Johnson, or you can take the shuttle, but you cannot take your own vehicle. You will have left the RV at Northern Nights Campground for the night and drive your 4X4 vehicle in.
Dinner & bar: the town is tiny — choose a local restaurant and enjoy the atmosphere.
McCarthy River Tours
White Water Rafting - Beginning
White Water Rafting - Middle
White Water Rafting - After
Day 8: McCarthy + Kennicott
Historic Mines & Whitewater Adventure
Kennicott (Kennecott) Mines National Historic Landmark — explore the mining site.
Arrange with Ma Johnson front desk to leave your luggage for the morning.
There are free shuttles that you can take from McCarthy to the mines
Once you are back, grab your stuff from Ma Johnson and take a shuttle back to the vehicle.
McCarthy River Tours — whitewater rafting & glacier hiking. Book months ahead; prepare for cold water and wet-suits.
Enjoy a raft down a glacial river in Alaska and walk on an ice burg. The website says you can jump off a glacier, but at this point the glacier has shrunk and it is more of an iceberg.
This activity is definitely for adventure lovers that aren’t afraid to get a little chilly and rip through some rapids. We did have people of all sizes and activity levels do this raft trip. Our raft also took a spill, but we collected our four “swimmers” and had the best story to tell.
Return to Northern Nights Campground for campfire dinner.
Day 9: Wrangell–St. Elias → Anchorage
Scenic Drive Home, Final Stops & Return
Drive back toward Anchorage with scenic pull-offs. Two drivers required (RV + 4WD).
Return RV.
Optional extras on the way back: Glacier landing helicopter (Talkeetna/Girdwood options): Talkeetna Air Taxi or Alpine Air Alaska. (If your day 3 helicopter tour was canceled, this is a good alternative time.)
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (Anchorage) for a relaxing end.
Potter Marsh Boardwalk birding (near Anchorage).
Beluga Point (try again if you missed belugas earlier).
Final dinner in Anchorage and drop-off car rental and shuttle to the airport.
Alpine Air Alaska
Safety Reminders:
Always carry bear spray in bear country and travel with a buddy for hikes.
Double-check all bookings and weather conditions the day before any flight seeing or glacier activities.
Parts of Wrangell–St. Elias are remote and very rough — rental RVs are not allowed on many park roads for good reason. We witnessed a van roll off a mountain when the road gave way; everyone survived but the vehicle remains on the mountainside. Take restrictions seriously.
