My hubby and I want to plan a trip back to Alaska. We defiantly want to take in Denali and Seward (several days at each). Is it better to rent a car and book your own lodging or just take one of the many tours offered? We were figuring a 10-14 day trip. We are retired or near retirement so pretty much can rule out long or rough hiking and whitewater stuff.
Of course I'll take my camera 50D, canon 300 mmf4L IS, 20-35 2.8L ( that's the wisest I have and for me it works well) Can also take a 70-200 f4L IS or a 70-300 DO IS plus a kenko 1.4 TC.
There's a lot of information over the in Regional AKNP Forum on destinations. You should take a look at some of the discussion there as well as my suggestions.
You don't need to be in a package tour to see most parts of Alaska, certainly not Kenai Fjords NP out of Seward or Denali NP, provided you book in advance for places to stay and ways to travel. Take Mariah Tours if you don't mind smaller boats; they take better care of photographers than Kenai Fjords, their larger cousins. They also get closer in to photogenic critters. In terms of places to stay, Windsong Lodge is nice but $$; there are some nice B&Bs in downtown Seward, within walking distance of the docks. Take the longest trip you can. I especially like the trip to Northwestern Glacier.
Denali National Park is a bit of a zoo. Access beyond 13 miles into the Park is by shuttle or tour bus only; lodging at the entrance is all outside the park in "Glitter Gulch," a vast number of under-occupied hotels and resorts on the eastern boundary. There are some exceptionally nice lodges inside the park (North Face Lodge, Camp Denali, Kantishna Lodge) that are spendy but give you much better access and avoid most of the chaos at the entrance.
Both Kenai and Denali are relatively "tame" Alaska, and offer only a faint taste of the wilderness. For more adventure, but still no extensive hiking or serious whitewater take a look at a place like Wilderness Birding Adventures or a similar company (disclaimer: I'm WBA's unpaid web lackey.) At least shop a trip off the road system. You might also check with NPN'er David Taylor to see if he has room on any trips this year.
Have fun. Look me up if you make it this far north.
Sounds like a great trip. I would consider renting a motorhome. Motorhome rentals are very popular up here. Not only are they more cost effective then the hotel car / car rental approach, but they also provide more flexibility.
My wife and I rented a motor home twice out of Anchorage and went to Homer, Seward, Denali, Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs. Our experience in Denali is that reserving a camp site in Teklanika (SP?) about 30 miles into the park gives you a head start on the action. First you get to drive 30 miles in on your own. Second you get to get on the bus from there and save a lot of early AM travel time and still get to the animal action that mostly occurs deeper into the park. Just be sure you have a full tank of drinking water and an empty holding tank prior to driving to the camp. There is water there for washing dishes and a clean, well maintained outhouse, but the 35 gallons of water you will carry goes fast.
I might also suggest some longer glass. Often the animals are far enough away that 300 mm is just not enough. A 400 with a 1.4 would help a lot and 500 even better. Plan to get off the bus and hike the road a bit. You will be given more opportunity to get closer to the animals with less aggravation from other people. The drivers will not let you off near an animal, but you can always walk back. Polychrome Pass has a lot of great scenery and a good bit of animal activity.
RE Seward, you should certainly take a boat cruise into the fjords. The smaller the boat the better.
If yo can, try to drive through the tunnel to Whittier. Here you can arrange a kayak tour in one of the fjords. My wife and I, another couple and our guide had a whole day totally alone in a fjord watching glaciers calf off paddling among the small icebergs. The kayaks were tandem units, one per couple and the guide had his own. Great fun. Here you will only need a small camera, perhaps a P&S.
Hello Freda-
You've gotten some great responses from Jim, Ron and Ed already (Thanks for the mention Jim - your check is in the mail )
I completely agree with Jim & Ed's advice regarding Kenai Fjords NP - the Mariah Tours (part of Kenai Fjords Tours) are top notch for photographers. They are only running one boat presently (at least last time I spoke with one of the captains 2 weekends ago). But I believe the 2nd boat is ready to go if they get crowded. I have a couple of links from some of my experiences that may benefit you -
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=510
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=380
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=6
Here is a link to my "Alaska Services Links" page - they are people/businesses that offer great services to travelers (and more specifically - PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!)
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?page_id=192
Depending on the time of the year you go and current conditions, certain bay's in Kenai Fjords may be clogged with ice bergs, and may not allow "close" approach to some glaciers. Aialik Bay/Fjord & Glacier is one of my favorite glaciers - it's immense and wide. When I was on the boat (the Mariah) May 17th, Aialik wasn't approachable due to bergs, so we went to Holgate - great glacier and we got to a quarter mile off the face. 1/4 mile sounds like a long ways until you're there
I personally don't like Northwestern Glacier as much, the fjord itself is much more dramatic than approaching Aialik or Holgate, but the glacier itself is "underwhelming" - if one can even use that word when describing a glacier. SACRILAGE! Aialik is wide across and a couple hundred feet tall, as is Holgate (narrower than Aialik). Northwestern crests over a ridge and dives towards the ocean, but it is less active (calving wise) than the other two. I've seen major calving events at Aialik & Holgate, but never at Northwestern. Just my 2 cents - horses for courses.
I also agree with Jim's assessment of the spectacle that is Denali NP. I have avoided it during peak summer months - too many tourists and not enough freedom to move about. It can be amazing in the fall, but there is a higher chance for rain/cold weather. Bring camera/lens/bino safe bug dope - deet can eat right through the plastic and rubber of camera housings/lenses. Denali is fantastic though for wildlife - pretty much unequaled for variety. But that comes at a cost, since you can't drive past mile 15 (Savage River) in your own vehicle, unless you are staying at Tek (30 miles in) - but once there, you can't drive either way unless you are permanently leaving your campsite and heading out of the park. So you are restricted to traveling with the park service buses - not very conducive to serious photography. Another option would be to do as Ron mentioned and rent a pickup/camper top/small rv (Winny) and explore on your own outside of the park. The Denali Highway (not IN the park - it runs east from the park out of Cantwell to Paxson) is an amazing drive - especially the first week of September for fall colors. But there is also hunting allowed that time of year, so you'll likely see much less wildlife than in Denali NP. Still, the landscapes are every bit as stunning as the National Park - with nearly endless freedom to move about. Like a spot or overlook, park and setup camp - stay as long as you like. Some car/rv rental companies will not "allow" you to drive un-paved roads though - like the Denali Hwy or the road to McCarthy (Wrangell-St. Elias NP). I say, what they don't know, probably won't hurt 'em
As Jim mentioned, I do offer weekend workshops for photographers - 2 of which are in Seward. Here's a link to learn more, in case you are interested.
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?page_id=320
Let me know if you have any questions - I'm glad to help. Have a great trip & be sure to share your shots upon your safe return home... or if you decide to stay, like me
I forgot to mention - Ed is completely right about wildlife in Denali NP (and other places in Alaska) a 300mm lens may not be enough most times. You may want to consider renting bigger glass for the trip. You can rent a 500 or 600 IS lens with a 1.4 tele for a couple hundred dollars at places like:
https://www.lensrentals.com
http://www.borrowlenses.com/
Thanks guys. We will be in Denali Backcountry for 2 days then out on the Mariah July 11th Throw in a train ride and time to visit with friends in Wasilla we hope to fill a few CF cards and put a dent in the 350g portable hard drive's memory too. I know 300 plus the 1.4 will leave us wanting more but then those of you with 800mm seem to wish you had more too. The 500 and 600 are just more than I can physically deal with.
Posted by David Taylor on June 3, 2009 at 12:05 AM
Freda, if you are in Wasilla and get a chance - feel free to look me up. It'd be great to meet fellow NPN'ers!
Discussion
11 repliesOf course I'll take my camera 50D, canon 300 mmf4L IS, 20-35 2.8L ( that's the wisest I have and for me it works well) Can also take a 70-200 f4L IS or a 70-300 DO IS plus a kenko 1.4 TC.
You don't need to be in a package tour to see most parts of Alaska, certainly not Kenai Fjords NP out of Seward or Denali NP, provided you book in advance for places to stay and ways to travel. Take Mariah Tours if you don't mind smaller boats; they take better care of photographers than Kenai Fjords, their larger cousins. They also get closer in to photogenic critters. In terms of places to stay, Windsong Lodge is nice but $$; there are some nice B&Bs in downtown Seward, within walking distance of the docks. Take the longest trip you can. I especially like the trip to Northwestern Glacier.
Denali National Park is a bit of a zoo. Access beyond 13 miles into the Park is by shuttle or tour bus only; lodging at the entrance is all outside the park in "Glitter Gulch," a vast number of under-occupied hotels and resorts on the eastern boundary. There are some exceptionally nice lodges inside the park (North Face Lodge, Camp Denali, Kantishna Lodge) that are spendy but give you much better access and avoid most of the chaos at the entrance.
Both Kenai and Denali are relatively "tame" Alaska, and offer only a faint taste of the wilderness. For more adventure, but still no extensive hiking or serious whitewater take a look at a place like Wilderness Birding Adventures or a similar company (disclaimer: I'm WBA's unpaid web lackey.) At least shop a trip off the road system. You might also check with NPN'er David Taylor to see if he has room on any trips this year.
Have fun. Look me up if you make it this far north.
This may be more helpful: Alaska Photography
I might also suggest some longer glass. Often the animals are far enough away that 300 mm is just not enough. A 400 with a 1.4 would help a lot and 500 even better. Plan to get off the bus and hike the road a bit. You will be given more opportunity to get closer to the animals with less aggravation from other people. The drivers will not let you off near an animal, but you can always walk back. Polychrome Pass has a lot of great scenery and a good bit of animal activity.
RE Seward, you should certainly take a boat cruise into the fjords. The smaller the boat the better.
If yo can, try to drive through the tunnel to Whittier. Here you can arrange a kayak tour in one of the fjords. My wife and I, another couple and our guide had a whole day totally alone in a fjord watching glaciers calf off paddling among the small icebergs. The kayaks were tandem units, one per couple and the guide had his own. Great fun. Here you will only need a small camera, perhaps a P&S.
Hope this helps.
You've gotten some great responses from Jim, Ron and Ed already (Thanks for the mention Jim - your check is in the mail
I completely agree with Jim & Ed's advice regarding Kenai Fjords NP - the Mariah Tours (part of Kenai Fjords Tours) are top notch for photographers. They are only running one boat presently (at least last time I spoke with one of the captains 2 weekends ago). But I believe the 2nd boat is ready to go if they get crowded. I have a couple of links from some of my experiences that may benefit you -
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=510
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=380
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=6
Here is a link to my "Alaska Services Links" page - they are people/businesses that offer great services to travelers (and more specifically - PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!)
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?page_id=192
Depending on the time of the year you go and current conditions, certain bay's in Kenai Fjords may be clogged with ice bergs, and may not allow "close" approach to some glaciers. Aialik Bay/Fjord & Glacier is one of my favorite glaciers - it's immense and wide. When I was on the boat (the Mariah) May 17th, Aialik wasn't approachable due to bergs, so we went to Holgate - great glacier and we got to a quarter mile off the face. 1/4 mile sounds like a long ways until you're there
I personally don't like Northwestern Glacier as much, the fjord itself is much more dramatic than approaching Aialik or Holgate, but the glacier itself is "underwhelming" - if one can even use that word when describing a glacier. SACRILAGE!
I also agree with Jim's assessment of the spectacle that is Denali NP. I have avoided it during peak summer months - too many tourists and not enough freedom to move about. It can be amazing in the fall, but there is a higher chance for rain/cold weather. Bring camera/lens/bino safe bug dope - deet can eat right through the plastic and rubber of camera housings/lenses. Denali is fantastic though for wildlife - pretty much unequaled for variety. But that comes at a cost, since you can't drive past mile 15 (Savage River) in your own vehicle, unless you are staying at Tek (30 miles in) - but once there, you can't drive either way unless you are permanently leaving your campsite and heading out of the park. So you are restricted to traveling with the park service buses - not very conducive to serious photography. Another option would be to do as Ron mentioned and rent a pickup/camper top/small rv (Winny) and explore on your own outside of the park. The Denali Highway (not IN the park - it runs east from the park out of Cantwell to Paxson) is an amazing drive - especially the first week of September for fall colors. But there is also hunting allowed that time of year, so you'll likely see much less wildlife than in Denali NP. Still, the landscapes are every bit as stunning as the National Park - with nearly endless freedom to move about. Like a spot or overlook, park and setup camp - stay as long as you like. Some car/rv rental companies will not "allow" you to drive un-paved roads though - like the Denali Hwy or the road to McCarthy (Wrangell-St. Elias NP). I say, what they don't know, probably won't hurt 'em
As Jim mentioned, I do offer weekend workshops for photographers - 2 of which are in Seward. Here's a link to learn more, in case you are interested.
http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?page_id=320
Let me know if you have any questions - I'm glad to help. Have a great trip & be sure to share your shots upon your safe return home... or if you decide to stay, like me
https://www.lensrentals.com
http://www.borrowlenses.com/
907-315-0191