Pura vida - is the best suitable word to describe this park…read more Located two miles south of Talkeetna downtown, we walked from downtown to here to enjoy peaceful time. Parking is $5. Outhouse is at the parking area. They have several lakes with lots of trails. We spent a few hours at the park but only saw another group of people just once. Trails are well marked and mostly flat. When the weather cleared up, we started hearing many airplanes take off but until then, all we heard was the sound of wind. We took a break at one of the dock area where they have free life jackets to use if you bring your own canoe. We just sat at the dock and used our backpacks as pillow. Laid there and enjoyed a whole lot of quietness and tranquility. Water was very cold. I saw some small fishes swimming. Away from people, away from deadlines and busy work. This was truly a vacation. Loved this park.

This is how you access one of the most famous backpacking trips in Alaska: Kesugi Ridge…read more There are numerous trailheads that access the route, this the first. Calling it a "ridge" is a bit extremely, it's more like a long, flatish hill. Its claims to fame is the jaw-dropping views of Denali, Moose's Tooth, and Broken Tooth. Other things you can do here: Car camp, right next to your car. Backcountry camp ~1 mile from your car. Rent cabins. (even in winter) Canoe in the lake. This is a great place to get out of your car and get some fresh air. It is WAY less crowded than Denali National Park and the views are nearly just as good.

Great campgrounds, great history, fun hiking trails, you can eat almost everything! Take a guided…read moretour, its very much worth it!

Great place to stop and view Denali. The entrance is kinda difficult to see so make sure you slow…read moredown as you approach as you turn into the area off a highway. Restrooms nearby. Very walkable and short trail takes you higher and gives you a better view of it all! Loved my time here on the way to Fairbanks.

We weren't lucky enough to catch Denali on a clear day. It was rather cloudy. But we got to see the…read morebase of the giant mountain. Not a particularly special or awe inspiring spot, but maybe that's different on a clear day. Still cool to know we were technically staring at the largest peak in North America.

5 star for a primitive camping site. They do offer bathrooms, picnic area. They have a fire ring at…read moreeach site and a table. There is a hand pimp where you may get your own freshwater. The park is based on honesty system. There's a small drop box to ask you to please deposit the correct amount of money. The sites also very short walk from a nice River. I didn't see any animals there but I saw a big pile of moose poop and moose tracks.

This might be my favorite hike from my trip to Alaska. I'm not an expert hiker so I typically look…read morefor a hike that has moderate difficulty (which means some incline, but enough places where it flattens out). This hike is really close to the highway, has a decent outhouse, and a $5 parking fee (unless you have the yearly pass). This hike has it all. Very early on, it passes right by a beaver dam. It has absolutely incredible views of the mountains, including Denali (provided it is a clear day). You can see two creeks (one from close-up and another from far away). I'd put this hike as easy to moderate, which is perfect for hikers of all levels. It is 6.2 miles (one-way I believe). We didn't do the whole hike (maybe half of it), which still allowed us to take advantage of incredible views. We went during the week and only ran into one group of hikers, which was nice. Would highly recommend this hike if you happen to visit Denali National Park!

Short but great, easy hike for an old timer. Beautiful views. Definitely bear country though!read more

"Oh, if I could talk to the animals, And learn their…read morelanguages just imagine it" (Sammy Davis) When you have a tour guide that talks to squirrels, chipmunks, and loons, and can rattle off facts about just about every plant, bush, berry, leaf, and tree on the trail, you know you are in the company of someone very special. Words do not exist for me to explain how awesome our guide Cadia was. Her love and devotion to nature was something to behold. She was almost evangelical in her zeal for the outdoors. We were so fortunate to have Cadia as our guide for a Byers Lake Nature Walk. Every minute in her company was pure joy as we pulled off to the side of the road to see a majestic moose, learned about the edible berries and leaves around the lake, and learned about and listened to the cries of the loon among other gems. Cadia gave our tour some added value by taking us to a few Denali Mountain viewing platforms. She was one of the very best tour guides I have ever had.

Had a wonderful time on the Denali Wilderness Hike. Annie is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic…read moreguide. She made sure all members of the group were comfortable and had breaks when needed. She adjusted the pace to meet the needs of the group. Definitely recommended.

If you have limited time in the area, do not hesitate to book this tour. Fred will go out of his…read moreway to make sure you have a wonderful, authentic Alaskan experience. During our visit to the Talkeetna area there were wildfires burning, we were unable to make it to the meeting area but Fred and his helper Rich came to the hotel and picked us up so we wouldn't miss out on the fun. He first took us to a secluded spot by a river where the salmon were literally swimming between our feet. We could have reached down and scooped them up, but we were there to learn how to fly fish, so learn we did! Fred was extremely patient with me and my husband....and our limited fishing abilities! He came supplied with everything you could need or want during the tour. The waders fit perfectly, and kept us warm in the glacier water. While driving to our second fishing spot he supplied yummy croissant sandwiches to snack on during the ride. The second fishing spot had just as many salmon and we were able to catch quite a few fish. I had a beautiful trout on my line but unfortunately I didn't snag him and he got off the hook. I was bummed, but Fred is so encouraging before I knew it I had a huge salmon on the line and brought it in successfully. While we enjoyed fishing Rich cooked up some salmon by the shore along with vodka tonic and rum and cokes. We took a break to enjoy a perfect meal of deliciously cooked salmon and a nice cocktail. It was seriously a perfect day, despite the wildfires in area. I just hope that Rich and Fred's property were not impacted. If I am ever back in the area, this would be the first tour I book. It was a great experience and a super fun day!! Thank you Fred and Rich for making this the highlight of our trip!

This was the highlight of our Alaska trip. We did the fishing trip with Fred and He was amazing. We…read moremet up with Fred around 2pm. Had a delicious lunch and drinks and caught fish all afternoon. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. The spot Fred took us the fish were jumping out of the water right before our eyes. As the sun started to go down it was impossible not to catch a fish. We even ate our fresh fish on the beach. We were celebrating my Mom's 60th Birthday and Fred made it an extra special day. My brother is already wanting to make another Alaska trip next year just to fish with Fred!

Definitely stop here on your way to/from Denali. We stopped…read morehere one afternoon in early August. It's a beautiful memorial, and if you're lucky you might see Denali in all her glory (as we did.) She's usually only visible 30% of the time. This stop has lots of bathrooms and parking too. When we stopped we were the only ones there. Well... us and the mosquitoes. In the span of 15 minutes, I got bit 5 times. And this was the only place that mosquitoes were a problem on our whole 10 day trip.

At the start of the land portion of our fall Alaska tour we rode by bus, a good 8 hour bus ride, to…read morethe Denali National Park area. One of the rest stops was this beautiful open memorial park grove which pays homage to military veterans from Alaska. As described, "We dedicate this place in remembrance of the veterans of Alaska who have served their country at home and throughout the world. We honor their heroism and dedication." The memorial consists of five concrete panels about 20 feet high that represent the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard service branches. Each panel describes that branches contribution in Alaskan history. The memorial is located at about 147.1 along the George Parks Highway. It's located on the right side of the highway as you are driving from Anchorage to Denali National Park. A somber and respectful memorial which can be enjoyed when driving to or coming from the Denali National Park area.

Informative and rich in unique history in a stunning place. The placards are full of great…read moreinformation. Love the cross country skiing, hiking, plus blue berries.

This beautiful tourist attraction is located right outside of Hatchers Pass…read more There is ample parking available very close to the mine. We saw many folks park too far away (nearest the lodge, with the popular dry cabins) and then had to trek unnecessarily. Lots of bathrooms, a few snack and drink areas. We recently visited on a sunny day with tons of traffic. We were able to enter and explore a few of the buildings and artifacts. Lots of reading material available throughout the "tour." I would return and bring visitors.

My wife and I went on the 3 hour Matanuska Glacier Family Tour and it was incredible…read more Our tour guide, Liv, was very nice and very knowledgeable and made sure everyone on the tour was safe and that we understood the safety instructions. The glacier was beautiful and the tour was the perfect length to enjoy and not become overtired. I highly recommend this tour.

A must do tour if the Matanuska Glacier. Nova Alaska guide (Jackson) was well versed with the…read moreglacier and helped with the do's and don'ts for our group. An amazing experience in all. We all loved it.