Into the Wild
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Tour Bus
Tundra Wilderness Tour
2012 Dates of Operation: May 20 - September 13
Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour operates May 15-19 and September 14-24*
The winter months are harsh in Interior Alaska, and can sometimes take a hard toll on the Park Road. The National Park Service works hard to get the road open before visitors arrive, but sometimes Mother Nature has different ideas. While the road corridor thaws, we offer a shortened version of the Tundra Wilderness Tour called the Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 5-7 hour tour is fully narrated and travels to mile 30 of the Park Road to Teklanika River Overlook.
Traveling 53 miles into the park to the Toklat River rest area, the Tundra Wilderness Tour offers a wonderful diversity for visitors. Incredible scenery, a narrated history of the park road and some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife inhabitants await you on this tour.
While we can’t promise or predict when wildlife will show, the tour allows plenty of opportunity to look for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears. On days when Denali (Mt. McKinley) is visible, it may be possible to travel to Stony Hill Overlook (another eight miles down the road) and view the entire mountain from base to summit. Please note that the Stony Hill Overlook option is not available prior to June 1st due to Denali National Park Road regulations and conditions.
The Tundra Wilderness Tour bus features drop-down video screens. When your tour driver is able, they will take video footage of animals along the road and project the image onto the screen so you can get a close-up look at the action. At the end of the day, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a “Windows into Wilderness” DVD which features some of the video footage shot from your tour! (Note: Since the DVD must be created following your fabulous adventure, it will be mailed to your home. For more information about this DVD, please send questions to denalidvd@aramark.com.)
A small snack and hot beverage are offered on this alaska land tour. We suggest you pre-book a boxed lunch for the trip, as there are no concessions available in the wilderness of Denali National Park. Pre-booking your boxed lunches can be done at the McKinley Village Lodge, McKinley Chalet Resort, or curbside in front of your tour bus.
- Morning or afternoon departures from area hotels. The morning tour departs between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The afternoon tour departs between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, allowing you to arrive on the train from Fairbanks or coach and take a tour the same day. Please note: Exact departure times are not guaranteed and are based on availability - it is possible to be ticketed for any time during the departure windows.
- 6-8 hour tour; 53 miles one-way into the park
- Tour is on comfortable, upgraded coaches
- Tour stops approximately every 90 minutes for a restroom break
- Wheelchair accessible buses are available on request when you make your reservation, and all stops are wheelchair accessible
- Suggested items to bring: warm clothes, raingear, camera and film or memory card, binoculars and personal medication as necessary
- Smoking or consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted on tour buses
- If you’re traveling with children, please take a moment to review the Alaska Car Seat Laws
Advanced reservations highly recommended for the Tundra Wilderness Tour (PDF)
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Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour
The winter months are harsh in Interior Alaska, and can sometimes take a hard toll on the Park Road. The National Park Service works hard to get the road open before visitors arrive, but sometimes Mother Nature has different ideas. While the road corridor thaws, we offer a shortened version of the Tundra Wilderness Tour called the Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 5-7 hour tour is fully narrated and travels to mile 30 of the Park Road to Teklanika River Overlook.