Full-Day Denali Survival Tour
Quick Info and Highlights
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This tour is fairly flat and the pace is slow, but it is off-trail, meaning that the terrain can be different than what some are accustomed to. The squishiness of the peat moss and the act of pushing through blueberry bushes, while fun, can sap your energy more than a trail would.
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One of the things that sets us apart is that none of our hikes have set distances or elevation gains. Every tour is tailored to your tour group. The distance will depend on the pace of the group and capabilities of everyone involved.
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This tour is great for the whole family. This is a long tour, so keep that in mind in deciding if it’s going to be the right choice for your kids. They will love getting to play in the squishy peat moss that covers the boreal forest floor. Learning survival skills can be an incredibly empowering thing for kids and adults of all ages.
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Most travelers to Denali never get to experience true immersion into the area. You can change that for you and your family by booking this tour.
What will you find? An old trap from the ‘50s? A squirrel colony? An old landslide? Our guides have found all of these on our off-trail tours, and continue to find more unique sights on every excursion.
To add even more, you will be learning the specific skills that have been used for centuries to survive in the harsh climate of Denali. It doesn’t get much more immersive than that.
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This tour takes place entirely off-trail. From the moment the van doors open you will be in the authentic world of Denali. If you want to go look at something, just tell your guide and they’ll take you there. All of our guides are experts at backcountry navigation and carry GPS/SOS devices, so you can walk and relax, knowing that they know where you are, even if you don’t!
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We don’t believe in making you rent gear or buy a National Parks pass to have a good time on your hike. That’s why it’s all included on your booking with us. We have rain jackets for you if it’s wet or rainy. We also offer trekking poles to anyone who wants them.
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Water, comfortable hiking shoes or boots, long pants and a long sleeve shirt, and layers! While our guides will have snacks available, we recommend that you pack at least one full meal. 8 hours is a long time!
Tour Description
Can one tour change your entire vacation? I think so. By the time you’re finished reading this, you will too. I’ve been guiding for the better part of a decade. In that time, I’ve learned what makes a tour vacation-boosting. I’ve also learned what makes a tour forgettable. So WHY do so many companies offer forgettable tours?
The answer is simple. Forgettable tours are profitable. Forgettable guides are cheap. Most importantly, crafting a vacation-elevating tour is hard. That’s why this survival tour isn’t cheap. It took over a year to make this dream into reality. Planning. Preparation. Finding the perfect guides. It wasn’t easy. But it WAS worth it.
To understand what makes this tour special, I want you to imagine yourself in Denali. You’re finally on the tour you’ve been excited for all summer. You’re off-trail in the middle of Denali’s boreal forest. You don’t know where you are. Fortunately, your guide does. He’s an expert in natural navigation. He also carries a GPS and SOS device just in case.
You hear the sounds of the forest. A squirrel chatters in the distance. The wind whistles through the spindly spruce trees. Your guide explains why the trees look so different here. The reason isn’t what you expected. It changes the way you look at the forest completely.
With newfound appreciation, you continue through the sea of peat moss. You sink into its soft fibers with every step. Your guide teaches you how to identify dozens of edible plants and berries. You try cloudberries, lingonberries, nagoonberries, and crowberries for the first time. There are also some familiar tastes too. The blueberries are similar to what you have at home, just…more flavorful.
Your guide finds a good place to stop, and you all sit down in the peat moss. You sink into nature’s sofa. As the day goes on, your guide teaches you authentic Alaskan survival skills. Skills that have been used for centuries. Skills that are still used today. You learn how to build a shelter. You learn to make fire using nothing more than sticks and shoelace. You become an expert at local trapping techniques. Your guide tells you dozens of inspiring survival stories from the area.
By the time you leave, you’re an expert in Denali survival. You understand how the forest works. You know what a game trail looks like. You can recognize what kind of animal created it. You can spot areas where the permafrost is closer to the surface. You have completely changed the way you’re experiencing the National Park.
What’s more, other travelers are amazed by how much you know. They want you to tell them how to identify the tasty berries you’re eating everywhere you go. It seems like you know everything about the forest. In a way, you do. Heck, you could give them a tour of your own! I know this sounds crazy, but I speak from experience.
So let me ask you a question. 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 get a full refund until 24 hours before your departure. Don’t lose your spot. Your only risk is waiting too long.
And remember, if you take the tour and don’t like it, we give you your money back AND $100 towards your next tour in Alaska. I dare you to find a company that believes in their tours more than that. If you do, tell me, because I want to go on a tour with them!
$400 Per Adult
$300 Per Child
Have questions or want to book over the phone? Give us a call!
What Other Travelers Say About Northern Epics Tours
“We had a great time trying different kinds of berries, leaves, and even a lichen! Our guide, Jordan, was great. We would recommend this as a great way to get outside and experience the natural area and learn more about the area’s flora.”
- Rebecca G.
“It was easily the best guided tour I have ever had. Trinidad was a fount of knowledge about the local plants. I learned so much and I carried that information with me on the rest of my Alaska trip. Well worth the cost and enriched the rest of my trip. The hike was strenuous but we took it at a doable pace. An experience not to be missed. I give this the highest recommendation possible.”
- Alicia G.
“Our guide Trinidad was AMAZING!! He was both insanely knowledgeable about Denali National Park AND he was funny!! A great combination for my first ever guided trip in Denali!! On top of these great qualities, Trinidad also made me and my friends feel super safe out there. He explained to us that all Northern Epics guides have a high level of medical training for wilderness situations.”
- Luc L.
The Ultimate Confidence Guarantee:
It can be stressful to find the right tour. What if it’s bad? Not what you thought it would be? Most companies would tell you to kick rocks. Not us.
If you don’t like your tour with Northern Epics, just give us a call. Or shoot us an email. Either way, we’ll give you a full refund. AND $100 towards your next tour in Alaska.
Find someone who stands by their tours as well as we do. I’m waiting.