Lush forests. Exotic wildlife. Abundant wildflowers. These are all staples of Denali’s boreal forest. But why? Denali is a frozen wasteland in the winter. Why is it so spectacular during the summer? That’s one of the many questions we answer on the Naturalist Walking Tour. “But helpful stranger,” I can hear you saying. “I’m not a hiker! I like walking, but I can’t climb a mountain!”

Well, my lovely friend, guess what? You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy this tour. You’ll be on well-maintained trails the entire time. The leisurely pace will let you take in the beauty of the National Park as you walk.

Listen to the twittering birds. The chattering squirrels. Stop and smell the delicate wildflowers. Later in the season, enjoy a bounty of delicious berries. Cloudberries, crowberries, lingonberries, nagoonberries, bog bilberries, and more. I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of many of those. Want to know what they taste like? You should. They’re delicious!

The truth is, I can’t touch on everything that you’ll learn on the Naturalist Walking Tour. You’ll have to book it to find out. What I can promise you is this: Your fellow travelers will be shocked by your Denali knowledge after this tour. Don’t believe me? Just watch their face when you point to a clearing and tell them the depth of the permafrost there.

The benefits of delving deeper in Denali don’t stop there. When you understand something, you appreciate it. Think about your favorite things in life. You understand them pretty well, right? The same goes for your vacation. You’re traveling thousands of miles to see Denali. Don’t let it be the cookie-cutter vacation that leaves so many feeling disappointed.

Chances are, you’ll learn more on this tour than on the rest of your vacation combined. You’re the type of person who wants more than the average tourist experience. You’re here after all! That’s admirable. It’s what we’re here for too. Don’t just see Denali. Experience it. Understand it.

Adventure. Authenticity. Exploration. This tour embodies these three ideas. Leave the trails and cookie-cutter tours behind. Venture off-trail through Denali’s magical boreal forest. Leave the navigation to your guide - they’re an expert.

Put your present self into your future shoes for a moment. Your feet sink into the deep peat moss that carpets the forest floor. Your guide hands you a fistful of wild blueberries. They’re tastier than the ones you bought from the store. The complex flavors wash over your palette as your guide tells you about the nutritional benefits. Out of the corner of your eye you spot movement! A snowshoe hare. It hasn’t fully lost its ivory-white winter coat yet. Your guide decides to change course and follow the hare. Why not? You’re not on a trail after all.

Now drag yourself back to the present. Did that sound like something you would like to experience on your Denali vacation? If so, the Wilderness Wonders Tour was designed for you. The best part? The scene I laid out for you isn’t an outlier. The magic begins when you leave the trail. The worst part? Due to the high skill level required to guide tours like this, most companies don’t offer them. You won’t get many chances to experience something like this. Don’t let the opportunity slip away. Availabilities are first-come-first-serve, so don’t wait for someone else to decide your vacation’s fate.

Do you like jaw-dropping views? A good workout? Learning about Denali? If you answered “no” to any of those questions, stop reading now. This tour isn’t for you. If you’re still reading, then this might be exactly what you’re looking for. This is the tour that one satisfied customer (Alicia G.) said was “the best guided tour I have ever had.”

Are you ready? Leave the buses and boardwalks behind. Hike high into the Alaska Range. Feel the wind in your hair and the rocks beneath your feet. As the views begin to unfold, you won’t be able to peel your eyes away. The rugged mountains rise around you like monolithic castles. The wide valleys stretch into the distance. The greens, reds, and blues of the tundra create a patchwork quilt unlike any other.

Now pick your jaw back up! There’s more to see, and higher to go! Toil further up the steep ridge. Scramble over jagged rocks. Stroll along saddles filled with beautiful alpine wildflowers. Later in the season, enjoy the bounty of wild blueberries, lingonberries, currants, and more.

Keep an eye out for the elusive Dall sheep. You’re in their domain now! Your guide will point out signs of them everywhere. Maybe they’ll even lead you along a sheep trail for a time. But sheep aren’t the only animal you might see. Our clients have seen moose, bear, ptarmigan, stoats, porcupines, and more on the Into the Mountains Tour.

So what do you think? Will you continue with the buses and boardwalks of most people’s Denali vacations? Or will you embark with us on a grand adventure into the Alaska Range, gaining a vantage point normally reserved for the Dall sheep and golden eagles? The choice is yours.

What comes to mind when you think of Alaska? Is it gift shops, boardwalks, and buses? Maybe commercialized tours where you’re driven along like cattle? Or is it rugged mountains, rugged people, and independent survivalists? If you answered yes to this last question, you’re just like me. Sadly, most travelers settle for the first two.

I want to give you something better. Something more authentic. I want to take you off the beaten path of Denali. And I mean that literally. Our survival tour is entirely off-trail. That means you get the REAL Denali experience. Come with me on a mental field trip to Denali.

Feel the peat moss sink beneath your feet. You’re walking on a lush green cloud. In some places, you sink nearly a foot with every step. As you stare in wonder at the unfamiliar forest around you, your guide hands you a wild berry. You taste it. It’s good! It tastes exactly like banana cream. Your guide tells you it’s a cloudberry, and teaches you how to identify it. By the end of the tour, you know how to identify dozens of edible plants and berries. But it doesn’t end there! Your guide walks through the forest with you until they reach a suitable place to stop. You sit down in the lush moss. It absorbs you while your guide gives you a passionate lesson on authentic Alaskan survival skills.

You learn how the indigenous Athabaskans refrigerated their food. You learn how to build a shelter that will keep you warm, even in the harsh climate of Denali. Your guide tells you stories of the many survivalists who’ve come to Denali. You hear about Chris McCandless, who met his unfortunate end just miles away from where you now sit.

By the time you’re done with your tour, you’re a different traveler. When you look at the forest, you see more than the trees. You see where the permafrost is lower. You recognize moose signs. At a glance, you pick out the best places to build a shelter. You spot game trails, and think about what animal might have made them.

You’re no longer observing Denali. You’re experiencing it! Does that sound better than the cookie-cutter tours everyone else offers? If it does, don’t wait to book. These tours are limited, and getting booked fast. If you decide to change times or cancel, you can do it for free until 24 hours before your departure. Don't lose your spot. The only risk is waiting too long.