Tour Alaska Snowshoe And Northern Lights Tour Southbound

Others

Top-of-the-line daypack, snowshoes and trekking poles Entrance fees and national park permits Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device (InReach Explorer or satellite phone) Mandatory 5% national park fee that passes through directly to the national parks

Guide

Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.

Accommodation

5 nights of double occupancy lodging (single occupancy requires an additional single supplement)

Transport

Transportation from your hotel in Fairbanks and ending Anchorage

Meals

All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day

Not included:

Flights

International flights are not included

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Others

Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations) Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight Alcoholic beverages Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost) Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Drive Time: 1.5 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: 1.5 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet

Our trip begins with a departure from Fairbanks and into the Chena River Valley, home of the Chena River Hot Springs. This state park is famous as a winter wonderland for both Alaskans and visitors from all over the world. During the day we will snowshoe through the tundra along frozen creek beds and get acquainted with a scene that most people picture when they think of Alaska. Situated in the heart of the ‘Aurora Oval’, it is where people come from across the globe to see the northern lights in their prime. We’ll enjoy a soak in the hot springs after our snowshoe adventure, and then – if conditions look good – after dinner we’ll go outside and find a quiet space to watch the northern lights dance in the night sky.
Day 2 Drive Time: 6 Hours Hiking Distance: 3 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 300Ft
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: 6 Hours Hiking Distance: 3 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 300Ft

Stopping in Denali National Park, we’ll visit the Science Center in a quaint park village that looks entirely different in winter than it does during summer. If we’re lucky, we might even see the park’s working sled dog ‘canine rangers’ before continuing south. This afternoon we will snowshoe around the frozen Byers Lake in hopes of viewing the summit of Mount Denali, then make our way to Talkeetna where our lodge sits nestled on a hillside facing North America’s tallest peak.
Day 3 Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 800 Feet
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 800 Feet

This morning we’ll watch the sun rise and shine its first light upon Denali and the Alaska Range in the distance, as we prepare for a hike in the nearby Denali State Park. We’ll strap on our snowshoes and make our way up to Curry Ridge, nestled between the Talkeetna Range and Alaska Range and take in views of some of the largest mountains on the planet. In the evening we’ll return to Talkeetna and the banks of the Susitna river to enjoy a warm dinner, warm drinks, and hopefully another night with chance to view the incredible lights.
Day 4 Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet

Making our way further south in the Talkeetna Range, we depart the town of Talkeetna to discover the snowsports paradise that is Hatcher Pass. Nestled in mountains buried by blankets of snow, Hatcher Pass will feel like the remote alpine snowcapped peaks of the Alps or Himalayas. But, at only 3,000 feet and so close to the coast, you will be surprised with mild winter weather conditions that have Anchorage locals referring to the pass as their best kept secret. We’ll snowshoe out towards Glacier Pass and Reed Lakes for breathtaking mountain views, then get settled into our lodge for the evening just up the hill from our trailhead, or along the shores of Wasilla Lake with is a 40-minute drive down from Hatcher Pass.
Day 5 Drive Time: Minimal To 45 Minutes Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 700 Feet
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: Minimal To 45 Minutes Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 700 Feet

Today we explore the views of Murphy Ridge towering above the Independence Mine historic site. This will be our first destination of the day, hitting the trail from the front steps of the Hatcher Pass Lodge. It’s an easy-going hike on a road buried in snow that is now a groomed ski trail for the winter, and we’ll explore the buried structures of the Independence Mine that made Hatcher Pass an important part of Alaska’s mining industry in its early days. In the afternoon, we’ll go for a longer hike up the Gold Mint Trail along the headwaters of the Little Susitna River. This evening we will celebrate our final evening of an incredible winter adventure, and hope the auroras make an appearance to bid us farewell too.
Day 6 Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 3.5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 400Ft
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 3.5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 400Ft

Leaving Hatcher Pass and the Talkeetna Mountains, our final day takes us into Chugach State Park – one of America’s largest state parks. We’ll enjoy one last snowshoe hike from the Eagle River nature center to enjoy the dense forests of south-central Alaska. At only a few hundred feet above sea level, the scenery will look a bit different as we’re surrounded by cottonwoods and a greater variety of trees than the forests of the tundra that we’ve become familiar with this week. There is a greater opportunity to spot more variety of wildlife in this valley, as this area is home to many moose, lynx, fox, eagles, owls and even wolves. After hiking we’ll depart for Anchorage and say our goodbyes as our winter Alaskan adventure has come to an end.

6 days tour

Alaska Snowshoe And Northern Lights Tour Southbound

This tour includes:

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Alaska Snowshoe And Northern Lights Tour Southbound

Drive Time: 1.5 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet

Drive Time: 6 Hours Hiking Distance: 3 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 300Ft

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 800 Feet

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 Feet

Drive Time: Minimal To 45 Minutes Hiking Distance: 4 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 700 Feet

Drive Time: 2 Hours Hiking Distance: 3.5 Miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 400Ft

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