Trip Overview

Our Denali adventure begins in Anchorage, where we check our gear and kick off the trip with a welcome dinner. Next morning we board our floatplane and fly up and over the mountains to Denali National Park, spending six days backpacking the "Whale’s Tail" between Ruth Glacier and Tokositna Glacier.

Although we’ll use the following itinerary as a guide, our exact route will not be confirmed until we arrive in Denali. We will make continuous adjustments each day based on weather, terrain, daylight, ability and animal movements. Out here, we roll with what Mother Nature gives us—that’s true Alaska.

We'll cover up to 6 wilderness miles a day, roughly five to eight hours a day, with up to 2,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. While the mileage may not sound like a lot for experienced hikers, due to the terrain in Alaska, the focus here is on total hours hiked more than total mileage. Your body must be able to keep up. Physical conditioning and consistent exercise prior to these trips is essential (see Get Ready).

Day-by-Day Itinerary

DAY 1: ANCHORAGE

  • Day One! Meet at 4pm on Monday, August 22, 2022, at Lakefront Anchorage Hotel

  • Gear check & orientation

  • Group dinner at pizzeria / craft brewery

  • Accommodation: Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage

DAY 2: ANCHORAGE > DENALI

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • 60-minute floatplane flight to Denali National Park

  • Set up campsite

  • Afternoon day hike

  • Camping: Denali backcountry

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DAY 2 HIKING SUMMARY

  • Distance: 1.5 miles

  • Approx. time: 2 hours

  • Elevation gain: 600’

DAY 3: DENALI BACKCOUNTRY

  • Hike along the 'Whale's Tail' overlooking Ruth Glacier

  • Pitch camp on glacial lake

  • Camping: Denali backcountry

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DAY 3 HIKING SUMMARY

  • Distance: 5 miles

  • Approx. time: 5 hours

  • Elevation Gain: 1,000’

DAY 4: DENALI BACKCOUNTRY

  • Break camp and head out along Ruth Glacier

  • Set up camp in late afternoon

  • Camping: Denali backcountry

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DAY 4 HIKING SUMMARY

  • Distance: 4 to 7 miles

  • Approx. time: 5 to 8 hours

  • Elevation gain: 600’

DAY 5: DENALI BACKCOUNTRY

  • Longest hiking day, blazing a trail through tundra between Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers, source of Tokositna River

  • Camping: Denali backcountry

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DAY 5 HIKING SUMMARY

  • Distance: Up to 7 miles

  • Approx. time: 8 hours

  • Elevation Gain: 1,500’

DAY 6: DENALI BACKCOUNTRY

  • Last day of backpacking

  • Descent to final campsite

  • Camping: Denali backcountry

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DAY 6 HIKING SUMMARY

  • Distance: 4 miles

  • Approx. time: 4 hours

  • Elevation Loss: 2,100’

DAY 7: DENALI > ANCHORAGE

  • Final backcountry breakfast

  • Break camp

  • Early afternoon floatplane flight to Anchorage

  • Your onward flights from Anchorage should depart at 8pm or later

Where We Sleep

Lakefront Anchorage

4800 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, AK 99517
Tel. 907-781-2208
lakefrontanhorage.com

We spend our first night in Anchorage, doing a final gear check and getting ready for Denali's backcountry. Set up on the shore of Lake Spenard and the city’s only lakeside hotel, it has prime real estate and marvelous views of towering pines and the snow-capped Chugach Mountains, as well as the dulcet hum of float planes taking off and landing on the crystal waters out front. Head down to the dock for a fishing or flightseeing excursion to take your vantage to a whole new perspective.

Denali National Park


We'll camp for five nights in the remote backcountry of Denali—a rare opportunity to sleep in this wild wonderland, camping fully supported. We provide expedition-quality tents, trekking poles, and group-size tarp shelters to house the best nomadic cooking equipment in the camping world. We’ll eat well along the way, with delicious campsite meals to restore ourselves after a day on the trail.

Inclusions & Exclusions

INCLUSIONS

On a Modern Adventure, we’ve worked out all the details for you. Included in your experience are all the gear, delicious food, private air transport, expert local guides, and much more. Here’s what’s included:

  • Hotel accommodation for one night, backcountry camping for five nights

  • All group gear (see Gear & Packing)

  • Internal floatplane flights

  • All meals and beverages

  • Trekking poles

  • Satellite phones, medical kit, rescue equipment

  • All permit and entrance fees

  • Ground transportation

  • Departure transfer to Anchorage's ANC airport

EXCLUSIONS

  • Roundtrip airfare to/from Alaska

  • Travel insurance (see Get Ready)

  • Activities not included in the trip itinerary

  • Hotel incidentals

  • Personal camping gear such as sleeping bags & mats (see Gear & Packing for full list of items you'll need to bring)

  • Gratuity for Modern Adventure trip leader & guides