Alaska: Ocean Wildlife to Interior Wilderness Adventure - 9 Days

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Welcome to Alaska!! Your BrushBuck Guide will pick you up in the lobby of your local Anchorage hotel. Then, we will make our way towards Denali National Park, one of the most wild places left in North America! Along the way, your guide will stop at scenic pull outs and wildlife sightings. We will stop in the tiny hamlet of Talkeetna- a perfect picture of small-town life in Alaska! There we will have an orientation lunch to start off your tour and answer any questions you may have. Afterwards, you will be able to enjoy the town's artistic and creative culture. After your Talkeetna stop, we head to Denali Park where we will check in to our hotel.

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The day will begin with a presentation of the Denali Sled Dogs and a tour of their kennels! Denali is the only National Park with a team of working sled dogs. It is a fascinating way of life for these park rangers. After lunch, you will board a Denali National Park bus for a tour to see wildlife in the pristine wilderness! You may have an opportunity to see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, Grizzly bear, wolf, coyote, ptarmigan or others! We will learn about the history of the park and various wildlife facts. You will also have your best opportunity to see North America’s tallest peak, Denali, standing an impressive 20,310 ft!! 

Whether you like flying over impressive glaciers, whitewater rafting on the Nenana River, off-road ATV driving or hiking in one of North America's most beautiful wilderness areas, you will have your choice of adventures!

Choose your FUN!! On this day, you will be able to choose one or two of these exciting activities: 

Guided Whitewater rafting 

ATV Tours

Helicopter tour with glacier landing

Airplane sightseeing tour

Guided hiking

Guided fly-fishing (not salmon) 

*These activities are NOT included in the trip cost*

On this day, we will be traveling to the beautiful Kenai Peninsula, stopping for scenic pull outs and wildlife sightings! Driving by the Chugach Mountains, the Knik and Turnagain Arms, you will be overwhelmed with scenic beauty! We will be stopping in Wasilla for lunch before a visit and short hike to the Byron Glacier. From there, we will continue our journey through the Kenai Mountain Range to Seward, sitting on the shores of Resurrection Bay and the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park! After checking into your hotel, guests will have the opportunity to explore and shop the seaside town of Seward. 

Day 5 includes the breathtaking scenery at Kenai Fjords National Park which boasts abundant wildlife as well as alpine and tidewater glaciers. Orcas, humpback whales, harbor seals, sea otters, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, black bears, bald eagle, mountain goats, puffins, along with countless other species of marine birds can all be seen within this picturesque national park.

You will have a choice of the following activities on your free day in Seward:

Kenai Fjords National Park boat cruise with lunch

Sea kayaking and boat ride

Ocean Fishing Trip (Salmon and Rockfish)

*These activities are NOT included in the trip cost*

Today, we will visit the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward, Alaska’s premier public aquarium and Alaska’s only permanent marine mammal rehabilitation facility. Then, we will drive to the enchanting town of Homer, nestled on the shores of Kachemak Bay. Along the way, you will have beautiful views of the Kenai River and mountainous landscapes where we will stop and glass for black bear, Dall sheep and mountain goats! This evening, you will be given the opportunity to explore the Homer Spit, with its charming shops, galleries, restaurants, bars and a bustling marina! 

You’ll depart with your guide by sea plane and fly through the beautiful Cooke Inlet where we will see grand views of volcanoes, ocean and mountains. You’ll check into Bear Mountain Lodge, then enjoy the day with short walks, bear viewing and sitting by the fire in one of the best places in the world to see brown bears.

Schedule for this day will be flight and tide dependent. Your BrushBuck guide will update you on the flight times. 

Once at the lodge, the lodge owners will greet you with coffee and a short video about Lake Clark National Park. 

All meals are home cooked and provided on site at Bear Mountain Lodge!

Wake up to one of the most beautiful and remote places in the world, Lake Clark National Park. We will be one of the few guests in the area viewing bears and the scenery around our remote and comfortable lodge. Our Alaskan guides will take you around the area for the best bear, salmon and wildlife viewing to be had in the park. You may see as many as 40 different bears in a day! 

We say goodbye to Bear Mountain Lodge by flying back through the Cook Inlet and back to Homer. Views of the Iliamna and Redoubt Volcanoes, the Kachemak Bay and Homer Spit will be sure to amaze! From Homer, we will make the scenic drive around the Turnagain Arm back to Anchorage. Arrival time into Anchorage is estimated to be 5:00 pm. There we will say our goodbyes and hope for future trips together!