Denali Backcountry Adventures Tour - My Honest Review

When the road in Denali National Park washed out in 2021 visitors were no longer able to enter the park as far as they previously were able to - and so, the Denali Backcountry Adventure Tour was created through Pursuit Collection. This tour offered visitors a chance to experience a different area near the original Denali Highway towards Paxson. From incredible views, wildlife sightings, and even a chance to meet and snuggle with some sled dog puppies, this is an excellent tour to add to your Alaska itinerary.

​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
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For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use Expedia's easy-to-use platform to compare the best rates.
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To keep cell service if you're traveling internationally, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours in the area.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

What to Expect on Your Tour

This Backcountry Adventure Tour is offered through the Pursuit Collection (who also manages the Denali Cabins & Kenai Fjords Tours, as well as many other Alaska adventures and lodging). Although they normally run tours inside the National Park, since the landslide closed down the park road at mile 43 in 2021 they've since created this new tour to visitors while the park road is shut down.

The tour takes you about 68 miles down the Denali Highway, which is located to the east of the National Park, and towards Alpine Creek Lodge. This tour does not actually take you through Denali National Park, however you will have views of the Denali Peak during your trip. Once you make it about 3-4 hours to Alpine Creek Lodge, you'll enjoy your included lunch and have the opportunity to go gold mining, complete a short hike, or snuggle some sled dog puppies while meeting some Iditarod champions at Rock on Racing. 

​During the ride you'll hear different stories and history about the area, be offered snacks and drinks, and stop at multiple viewing points to get out to stretch and take photos. After your stop at Alpine Creek Lodge, you'll make your way back to your starting point at the Denali Cabins.

This exact tour is no longer offered, but here's a similar tour :
- Alaskan Back Country Side by Side/ATV Tour

My Honest Opinon of the Denali Backcountry Adventure Tour

First things first, I want to clarify by saying this is NOT a tour of Denali National Park. This tour follows the old Denali Highway about 68 miles east of the park towards Paxson. Although there are multiple areas where you can view the peak of Denali on this tour, we had the absolute worst weather and unfortunately weren't able to see it ourselves.

However, would I recommend this tour? Definitely. Not only did they provide an unending amount of snacks to munch on along the way, but we also had the best tour guide who gave us so much history and fun stories that we never knew about the area. It's also good to know for planning purposes there is one bathroom stop along the way to the lodge (so plan accordingly), and during this stop they provide hot drinks (cider, coffee, tea) and even more snacks (cookies, granola bars, cheeze-its)!

We also want to mention that you have a great chance to see wildlife on your adventure - this was the only time so far in Alaska that we saw a wolf! Unfortunately he was too quick and we weren't able to grab a picture, but it was incredible. Once we arrived at Alpine Creek Lodge, we were immediately provided our lunch choice and then had a few hours to go explore the kennels, snuggle with the 5 week old puppies, do a short hike, and even go gold mining! We even found a few small flakes of gold that they sent home with us in a vial - and all of this was included in the tour price.

​The most unique thing that we would recommend on the tour is going to their bar downstairs and taking their uniquely Alaska "Grizzle" shot - such a fun experience and you get to keep the souvenir shot glass!

Watch my Adventures in Denali here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 15 Easiest Alaska Glaciers to Visit
-> Where to Rent Bear Spray in Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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