Just got off the bus driven by Jason. Great tour of Denali for our first visit to Alaska. We were…read moreon the 11 am tour but still managed to see caribou, a bull moose, a wolverine, ptarmigans, and a ground squirrel that nosed for the bus! We did not see Mt McKinley, we weren't one of the lucky 30% unfortunately. Jason was a great narrator and guide and a very safe and accommodating driver.

We went on the early 4:50am tour yesterday with our guide, Jennifer. She was very knowledgeable and…read morewove a wonderful presentation of the history of the park, the flora and fauna, sustainability, and her personal journey. We saw grizzly bears, dall sheep, golden eagles, ptarmigans, red fox, snowshoe hares, ground squirrels, etc. We also had a nice clear view of Denali (Mt McKinley). It was an experience of a lifetime! Highly recommended. Check out my YouTube video of the grizzly mother and her two 2 year old cubs. Grizzly Bears Sighted at Denali! https://youtube.com/shorts/OUEIbzwdupw?feature=share

An amazing tour into the Denali Wilderness area. Our tour guide, John, was very informative with…read morethe history of Denali as well as facts about the fauna and flora. We saw bull moose, caribou, and Doll sheep. Highly recommend this tour!

1. More flexible rescheduling opportunities for people when impacted by natural disasters such as…read morewildfires 2. Communication in advance about whether the tour/park will even be operating 3. Stop putting a corporate profits over an easy fix for what would have been a very loyal client with multiple family groups coming to visit Alaska these next few years. A refusal to accommodate a hundred bucks just to lose thousands in the future.

I hate to say it but our visit to Denali National Park wasn't as good as I was expecting. Denali…read moreNational Park is a gorgeous place and provides you with all the views that you would expect to see when you come to Alaska. But your visit is limited... now let me explain. If you have the American the Beautiful park pass, then your admission is free to the park. You can drive your car into the park, but only up to Riley Creek. If you don't have much time for a full day's worth of a visit then this is your best option if you want to visit this national park. But if you do have time, then you definitely want to check out one of the tours or transit buses. Please note that if you wish to take a tour or one of the transit buses, the American the Beautiful park pass does not cover that. You just have to head to the visitor center and purchase your tickets or you can purchase online. On NPS.gov, it warns you that tickets can be sold out if you do not purchase in advance but my husband and I were able to show up and purchase for the time that we wanted. We came on a Thursday morning though, in the month of August. Please note that if you visit Alaska in August, this is towards the end of the summer season and a lot of places already close for the season (Although this is now towards the off peak season and that prices are cheaper, just keep that in mind). Also want to mention that August is the 2nd rainiest month (September and August get the most rain of the year) so make sure to plan for that. There are also a lot of annoying mosquitos too so make sure to bring bug spray for that. Anyways, we took a transit bus. The bus driver is also your park guide to inform you of the sights and also will help you to spot some wildlife of the big 5 (bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves). But you are not able to get in and off the bus whenever you want. There were only 2 stops on our visit. If you choose to stay (which you are allowed to), you will have to wait for the next transit bus. The problem with this is if there are no seats available, you will have to wait until the next bus comes by that does have enough seats for you and your party. Because of this, this really worried many of the people on the bus (including us), so we never stayed at one stop. We just got back on the bus when it was time. We did see this problem as our bus driver did stop for a group of 6 and told the group that there were only 4 empty seats on our bus and so they had to wait as our bus left them. Both of the stops on the bus do have restrooms. The first stop just has a porta potty but the second one has numerous of toilets (but the the cleanest and it may be in your best interest to bring some alcohol spray because there are no sinks). Your views for the rest of the park is just limited to what you see out of your window from the bus. I really wished that we could have driven our own car so that we could get in and out whenever we wanted. Although I will say that the bus driver was friendly and very informative. He also answered questions from the group that was on the bus. My husband and I visited this park over 2 days. Only part of the national park is dog friendly (not on the bus). So we were able to have our little girl join us (yep, our little girl dog travels with us and has been to 49 states so far and we have visited all 50 states). Dogs are also allowed to be on some campgrounds, in case you wish to camp (we ended up staying at an Airbnb not too far from the national park). I don't regret visiting this national park and still recommend that you do when you visit Alaska because Alaska truly is beautiful. You really get to see Mother Nature in all of her glory here. But just keep in mind how the visit may be.

Found this park to be incredible. Had a veteran tour guide,who knew the park inside & out…read more Spectacular views everywhere you look. Saw a fox up close & a rabbit quite cold when you arrive higher up

Myself, my wife, and our friend had a great hike with Kierre in the Talkeenta mountains this past…read moreAugust! The guided hike was a great way for the 3 of us to get a get a crash course in routefinding, bear awareness, and even some flora/fauna/scat identification. The hike was a great way to prepare for the other un-guided off-trail hikes we had planned for the rest of our trip. Once the hike was over, Kierre even gave us several recommendations for other hikes, museums, and restaurants in the area!

Sharon H. - Boulder, CO AUGUST 2013…read more "I was pleasantly surprised and quite pleased to experience a superb trip with Traverse Alaska during late summer. The attention to detail and care that was given me as a client was matched by the experience and knowledge of my guide. For me, this included a night spent camping near a glacier, experiencing the scenic Alaskan Highway, hiking near Denali, and seeing caribou, bear, moose, eagles, and beavers along the way. For anyone not sure about what to do during their time in Alaska, I would definitely recommend Traverse Alaska. The staff is very helpful, and willing to tailor a trip that suits your desires and abilities. I was pleased to have experienced a "ultimate" Alaskan adventure while feeling safe and cared for--all while I was learning about this incredible land and its unique, majestic inhabitants." --

This activity was amazing. Seriously so fun and you get to go on a trial that isn't accessible by…read moreother vehicle. The tour guides were super knowledgeable and even provided information about other things to do around the park. It was great to get a locals prospective. I loved learning about the trial and going on the adventure. After the tour, we got to sit by a fire with reindeer hot dogs and blueberry popcorn and got to enjoy the view and hear about alaska - it was amazing!

Really fun and unique experience. Our guide was certainly knowledgeable and friendly. Can't say…read moreI've ever been on a tour like this before, I highly recommend it for anybody visiting the area. Jordan and Susan made us all feel welcome and gave us a really cool view of the tundra and history of Denali, the National Park, and the region.

Denali safaris are amazing. This whole area is breathtaking! The guides are very informative and…read morefriendly. I highly recommend this excursion!

Once in a life time adventure - this is one for your bucket list! Awesome time had and we went…read moreplaces that only a monster truck can go, up mountain hills, through rivers and into areas where the views were spectacular. We saw beavers at work and play, bears and beautiful birds that I'd never seen before. The sights alone make the trip amazing but the wildlife is the icing on the cake. Nature at it's best. We'll be back again ...... way fun.

For the price an excellent door to door experience.' Helpful…read moreknowledgable guides with great stories about the places you are going to even in the dark! Would have been a tad helpful to get picked up a little earlier the night the skies show more promise but that's often hard to do with a larger group I understand. Recommend their night experiences! Book early- THANKS!!

Guides were very patient even with inexperienced riders. Got to see moose and a grizzly bear…read more Guides very knowledgeable about the area. The lunch was fantastic

I visited here last year with my husband and our experience was simply amazing! Right from holding…read morethe little puppies, dog show to Jeff King's entertaining and engaging session, everything was just perfect! The way they take care of the canines just won our hearts! We are so glad we came there and got to experience something we will cherish for long!

We were very excited for the Husky Homestead experience because the description led us to believe…read moreit would be an opportunity to interact with and learn about the dogs. Unfortunately, the experience did not match our expectations. While the staff was knowledgeable, our driver was friendly and accommodating, and it was clear that the team cares about their dogs and dog sledding, the overall experience felt misleading. The majority of the 90-minute tour consisted of a presentation about Jeff and Amanda's dog mushing career, some training methods, and racing experiences. While interesting, it felt more like a seminar than an interactive dog experience. Our entire family was given approximately two minutes total with a single puppy. Much of that time was spent positioning us for a photo, which was later offered for purchase for an additional $10. We were also told we would have opportunities to pet the adult dogs, but when the dogs were brought through the audience, they passed by our almost every group without giving us the chance to interact with them. As a result, our actual hands-on interaction with the dogs amounted to only a few minutes during the entire visit. I believe the experience would be improved by either renaming it to better reflect what it actually is--a dog sledding seminar--or restructuring the schedule to provide significantly more interaction with the dogs. For example, dedicating a larger portion of the tour to meeting, petting, and learning about the dogs firsthand would better align with what many visitors are likely expecting. The presentation itself also felt longer than necessary, with many of the same points being repeated throughout. Most of the information could have been communicated in a much shorter timeframe, allowing for more meaningful engagement with the animals. Additionally, the experience felt somewhat rushed, as if the focus was on moving groups through efficiently rather than creating a welcoming and memorable visit. The staff were knowledgeable, but interactions felt more like a lecture than a conversation, and we did not feel particularly welcomed or encouraged to engage. If you enjoy learning in-depth about competitive dog sledding and hearing stories from experienced mushers, you may find value in this tour. However, if you are looking for a hands-on experience with huskies and puppies, you may leave disappointed. Based on our experience, I would not recommend it to friends or family seeking meaningful interaction with the dogs, especially given the price point of $50 per person.

The Denali Backcountry Adventure was a long 14 hour school bus ride from the Park entrance all the…read moreway to the end at MP 92.5. Unless you have a reservation at one of the lodges at the end of the road, your only complete park tour option is this bus. CONS 1. Because of clouds and other weather considerations, actually seeing Denali Peak is problematic. Ours was one of those "too bad" days. 2. Wildlife spotting was hit and miss. We saw lots of Caribou, maybe 1 moose, and no bears. 3. It's buggy at the end of the road, and the State Bird of Alaska were hungry. Bring bug spray. PROS 1. Regardless of Denali Peak visibility, the entire ride was drop dead gorgeous. 2. The long drive was helped by frequent comfort breaks and lots of available snacks. 3. We made friends, particularly Chuck and Kathy, and John and Kathy. We hung out with the first couple after we returned to our lodging and ran into the other for dinner at the Pump House in Fairbanks. Facebook contacts have been established. 4. The Lodge where we had lunch at the end of the road was very nice and we enjoyed our time walking around after. 5. Our driver was friendly, conscientious, and very safety aware. That's important on certain sections of the Park Road. She was also a fountain of knowledge regarding local history, geography, and animal spotting.

A couple of things to know in advance: You can't just drive into Denali for the entire stretch, so…read moreyour only option is to hop on a bus. All of the busses are converted school busses with no added comfort. It could get super cold or super hot depending on the weather or even time of day. If you don't want to spend 13h on the bus, you could book a scenic flight for the return portion instead. You could also call it quits at pretty much any of the stops and take the ARAMARK back if they have a free spot (concessionnaire bus company). There is no way that Denali Backcountry Adventure would fluff the conditions of this trip. It can be a rough day depending mostly on the weather. That being said; I just had the most amazing day with them. Our driver and guide, Missy, is truly the best possible person to have for a 13h bus trip through the park. She sets the stage at the start of the trip and manages expectations really well throughout. She kept us on a great time schedule yet made sure that everyone got to spend enough time everywhere and not feel rushed. She is also very knowledgeable about the park, the wildlife, geology and history, as she has been guiding this tour for 6 years and backpacks in the park in her time off. A truly great asset! There were hot drinks at the start, snacks, and sodas at the end. The lodge where you stop at the end of the road offered lunch included in the form of wraps. They truly try to keep you as comfortable as possible considering the conditions. Sightings of the day: Lots of karibou, a momma and baby moose, a few bears of which one momma and 2 babies close enough for pictures, eagles, rodents,... Aaaaand Mt Denali crystal clear for a couple of hours before it hid behind the clouds. KEEP IN MIND that sightings are entirely up to the people on the bus who need to scan the surroundings the entire trip because the driver/guide is keeping you safe on the windy and narrow road!