With staggering mountain peaks, enormous wildlife, and remote wilderness lodges. Alaska offers jaw-dropping experiences that every traveler should have on their bucket list. Read on for some of the most quintessential (and mind-blowing) bucket list moments in Alaska.
Flightseeing over Denali National Park & Preserve
One of the best ways to experience Denali is by air, soaring hundreds of feet over the diverse landscape. Take in everything from rolling meadows and fields of flowers to jagged peaks and glaciers. If you do take to the skies, keep your eyes peeled for moose, wolves, and Dall sheep.
Fancy an adventure? Your trained bush pilot can gently land on a glacier, in a meadow, or riverside for a picnic. Giving you anything from an impromptu fishing trip to a private hiking experience.
A Stay at Sheldon Chalet
Accessible only by helicopter, Sheldon Chalet is the only five-star hotel inside Denali. Resting on the magnificent Ruth Glacier. What began as a homesteading project turned into a family’s labor of love. A five-room luxury property at 6,000 ft of elevation.
There’s no wifi and no cell service. What there is, however, is gourmet food courtesy of Chef Dave Thornhill. Chef Thornhill has cooked for the likes of Barack Obama, Justin Timberlake, and Neil Young. There’s also the mind-blowing Aurora Borealis, delivering a nightly show hosted by Mother Nature herself. If that’s not enough, you can enjoy mini mountaineering rope courses. Trek across the glacier, go sledding or snowshoeing or warm up in the sauna.
Cruising the Kenai Fjords
Rising from the water like something out of a science fiction movie. The tall moss-covered fjords and narrow rocky outcrops dot the waterways of the Kenai Fjords National Park. This national park contains the Harding Icefield. Outflowing glaciers, coastal fjords, and islands. Visitors to this region may spot black or brown bears, moose, gray wolves, or even porcupines.
Touring this region by boat is truly magnificent. A unique vantage point with which to explore Alaska. During a boat tour of the Kenai Fjords, spot seals, Steller sea lions, orca, gray whales, humpback whales, or even harbor porpoises. If you are really lucky, you’ll get to witness glaciers calving. Watch in awe, as pieces of ice crumble from the massive glaciers into the frigid waters below.
Dogsledding Across an Icefield
Dogsledding is embedded deep in Alaskan history. The famed Iditarod race was created to preserve and promote the sled dog culture in Alaska.
Today, visitors to Alaska don’t have to compete in a grueling race across the great state. You can simply board a helicopter and touch down on the Juneau Icefield. A team of friendly pups will be waiting. Expect kisses, cuddles, and an enthusiastic jaunt across the ice field by a team of friendly (and furry) locals. This is an experience you will never forget.
Want to learn more about exploring The Last Frontier and experiencing these and more bucket list moments in Alaska? Contact me here.