Denali Alaska

If your cruise ends in Seward, you can take the train and/or bus to Denali. Here's some information: http://www.alaskatrain.com/advice/denali-to-seward.html

Note that going by train requires an overnight in Anchorage. If you go by bus, you can get there in a day. It's a ten-hour ride.

Thanks, Lane, but our cruise starts and ends in Juneau. Mainly, we are trying to decide whether to include Denali on this trip at all? We just don't know enough about it to decide .

I don't know about the best way to get from Juneau to Denali, but I assume you'd have to fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks and then take a bus or train. You'll have to decide whether that is a reasonable option for you based on how much time you have and your budget.

I would suggest, however, that if you want to extend your vacation in Alaska after the end of your cruise, you look into some other options that might involve shorter distances. There are some good websites that give great information on Alaska tourism, and there are other parts of Alaska that are worth seeing besides Denali and the "panhandle."

Denali is incredibly beautiful and very different from what you will see and do on your cruise.

I assume you are doing something like an Un-Cruise Adventures trip from Juneau, including Icy Strait, Glacier Bay, etc? Given your choice of that experience over a standard mega-ship Alaska cruise, I will suggest that you would best enjoy Denali by staying at a wilderness lodge deep in the park, specifically one of these two ( they are owned and run by the same family and have the same programs of guided hikes, etc.).

http://campdenali.com

Let me explain why I recommend this. Denali is a "wilderness"park with one restricted road and very few trails or amenities inside the park. The road goes some 90 miles into the park to Wonder Lake and then to the small settlement of Kantishna. This road is closed to private vehicles, except to some campers who have campground reservations. And they can only use a vehicle to access their campsite, not to explore. All other road travel in the park is by shuttle bus or tour bus, to view wildlife and see the magnificent scenery.

The "standard" way to visit Denali is to stay at a hotel in "Glitter Gulch" near the park entrance ( so named for the fancy cruise ship hotels there) or a more modest cabin resort 5-10 miles away. Then you take a Wildlife Tour or shuttle bus to see the park, spending 8-12 hours on the bus depending on how far you go. With the shuttle bus you can get off where you like (as long as the area is not closed due to bear presence) and board a later bus going either direction.

Most visitors do this bus ride one or two times and most of them see bears, moose, and other wildlife from the bus. But it makes for a long day. Other activities near the park entrance include dog kennel visits and river rafting, but I would not rate those very highly. And honestly,the bus ride idea does not thrill me, as I worked in the park before the shuttle system was in place and enjoyed the freedom of driving ourselves, so I would miss that. (But I completely agree that the shuttle system is necessary these days, to protect both the wildlife and the visitors. That road is tricky and downright dangerous in places, and the bus drivers have extensive training in navigating it).

A stay at the wilderness lodge is different in that they meet guests at the train station on "travel days" ( Monday and Friday) in their own very nice roomy buses. They transport guests, luggage, and needed supplies 90 miles to the lodge over 6-7 hours,with stops along the way to view wildlife and use bathroom facilities at three places. They also provide an excellent picnic dinner, and a narrated journey on the history and other aspects of the park.

You arrive at your lodge around 7-8 and are greeted with tea and dessert, then shown to your cabin or room. Over the next 3-4 days, depending on the length of your stay, you will enjoy wonderful food, guided hikes at various levels, evening talks, and the camaraderie of other guests. On the final day, after an early breakfast, they return you to the train station in time for the southbound train to Anchorage.

So. . . To include this adventure in your Alaska trip, you can fly from Juneau to either Anchorage or Fairbanks, and either rent a car to drive to Denali ( our choice) or take the train. If the latter is your preference, I can explain more about the logistics. Alaska Airlines has direct flights from Juneau to Anchorage and you can connect there to Fairbanks if you prefer that.

Can you tell I love this place? Our third visit in four years was this past June, and I am already scheming to go again in a couple of years.

Should you visit Denali? It entirely depends on you and your interests, but with only a week on your cruise you could easily add five days to include North Face Lodge or Camp Denali, and have a fantastic Alaska experience.

what date does your cruise end?

Lola,
Yes, we are on an Uncruise which ends on September 1. Your suggestions are incredibly helpful and I cannot thank you enough for responding in such a thorough way and sending me this information. This will really help us plan our trip! Thank you , thank you , Thank you! Just what I was looking for.
Sders

Thank you. It is always nice to have time spent on a reply acknowledged with appreciation!

So with a Sept. 1 completion date for your cruise, you would be looking at Sept. 4 for a start date at the lodge. They are offering a special program on the aurora at that time:

http://campdenali.com/live/page/special-emphasis-series

( scroll down). I will say that the two times we have been there in late August people have seen the aurora, around 2-3 am. We were not awake and did not see it but heard of it the next morning. ( I have seen spectacular auroras before, when we lived in Fairbanks, so did not deem it necessary to stay up late).

In early September the weather can be anything from sunny and blue skies to blizzard, but the tundra will be brilliant red. it is one of my favorite times, as long as I have warm clothes. If you are concerned about cold, maybe consider seeing Denali before the cruise?

You should consider cancelling your cruise and booking a one way cruise Seward to Vancouver or reverse. This would make visiting the main part of Alaska far easier.

Also, don't book a cruise unless it includes Glacier Bay. Your ship goes up very close to the glacier, it is a fantastic experience.

Here is my cruise review that includes other travels as well:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=547125&et_cid=2764671&et_rid=17221689&et_referrer=Boards

Thanks to all for the help!
Sders

Geovagriffeth--- the small-ship cruise they have booked--- a boat with only 36 passengers--- is a very different experience than your cruise on the Norwegian Sun. Much more geared to active travelers and those interested in an "up close and personal" experience in Alaska. Most people I know would love to do such a cruise, and they are fortunate they were able to book it.

They can easily get to Denali from Juneau if they wish--- no need to change to a mega-ship just to end up at Seward or Whittier.

I also stayed at Camp Denali (in 1992) and it was the highlight of my trip all around Alaska. I got there via train from Fairbanks.

The train from Fairbanks works best, as it arrives in Denali around noon and the Camp Denali buses are timed to meet that train. If you come from Anchorage, you do not arrive until around 4 pm so have to spend the night near the park entrance and meet the Camp Denali bus the following day. This adds time and expense to an already expensive trip. Plus it is awkward to spend a night at the park entrance without a car, as the lodging and dining spots are all spread out.

There is a taxi service but it would be expensive for multiple trips.

For this reason we prefer to get to Denali by car, even if it means leaving it parked for the four days we are in the park.

You absolutely CANNOT skip Denali. You will regret it forever. I was born and lived in Alaska until I was 18 and still have most of my family living there. Whenever I go back I click on tourist mode. Last summer we took the bus tour into Denali and saw all of the big 5. The narrated tour is better than the regular park bus.