Denali/Chulitna Combo

Denali National Park is the centerpiece of the Alaskan experience. Wildlife is abundant, including grizzly and black bear, Dall sheep, wolves, moose, caribou, and countless species of birds. Surrounded by the 600-mile long Alaska Range, the scenery is unforgettable. Denali is home to hundreds of species of plants and wildflowers, and of course Denali itself, “The High One”, North America’s highest peak. It’s for these reasons that over 400,000 people a year visit Denali National Park. It’s for that reason that we offer a park experience that gets you off the beaten path.

This trip combines three rivers: the Yanert, the Nenana, and the Chulitna. Traveling over 100-miles of river corridor along the park’s eastern boundary, as well as through Denali State Park, provides a view of Denali N.P. that is seldom seen.

We begin our trip by flying into the Yanert River, a 35-mile long, glacier fed river that starts on the western slope of Mt. Nenana. We’ll spend our first 2-nights camping in a wide, U-shaped valley that provides opportunity to hike and climb some of the surrounding peaks for incredible views. The river is braided and slow moving in the high country, but as it enters the Yanert Canyon and nears it’s confluence with the Nenana the speed and power pick up as it becomes a single channel. Class II – III whitewater bring us to the confluence, where we’ll camp with terrific views. The next day we’ll run a 15-mile stretch of the Nenana, the only river that cuts a north-south canyon through the Alaska Range creating 1,000-foot cliff walls and Class III and IV whitewater.

After a night at Otto Lake on the north side of the park, we’ll drive 2-hours south to the put in for the Chulitna River, a 65-mile stretch that cuts between Denali National and State Parks. We start off on the clear water East Fork and with numerous clear water creeks feeding in downstream this river provides outstanding opportunities to catch all five species of Pacific Salmon, monstrous Rainbow Trout, Arctic Greyling, and Dolly Varden. We’ll spend 4-nights camping on the Chulitna, each spot providing fishing opportunities. Our 2nd camp also provides a great hike up to a 70-foot waterfall with views of Denali across the river valley. The fishing and views only get better downstream.

Trip cost: $2,395.


Deposit




Includes: Transfers from/to Anchorage hotel; all meals between pick up and drop off at Anchorage hotel; scenic flight into the Yanert River; river guides and raft gear; drysuits for whitewater days on the Yanert and Nenana Rivers; life-jackets.

Sample menu:

  • Dinner: Fresh salmon, pork tenderloin, grilled kabobs, spaghetti, stir-fry and rice.
  • Lunch: Sandwiches, fresh fruit, snacks
  • Breakfast: Fresh fruit and yogurt, pancakes, french toast, bacon and eggs.

Inquire about camping gear rentals.