Alaska - Denali Bus Tour - 9 hours no guide?!

I was just about to buy my tickets for the bus shuttle run by the NPS, when I read there there is no narration or guide for the trip...doesn't this get confusing, and I dare to say, boring? I don't need someone talking every minute, but I would like to know what I am seeing...Is the 9 hour shuttle ride really 'exciting'? I am used to alot of input being part of Gen X/Y...My SO and I are worried that 9 hours is a bit much...but I don't want to miss out...help?!

FTer Seat 2A is a bus driver at Denali. You might search on his posts in this forum, and send him a message drawing his attention to this thread. Here is one post of his (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9315388&postcount=8) describing a route he drives.

I did the bus ride to Eielson Visitor's Center (about 8 hours round-trip, IIRC) several years ago (when I was, at the most, 13 or 14), and it was the FARTHEST thing from boring. While there is no "official" guide or narrator on-board, the drivers did talk a good bit, and the beauty outside and wildlife to spot were MORE than enough to keep us entertained.

The ride was also broken up into manageable segments, with bathroom and stretching stops every hour or so.

Trust me, you will NOT regret booking the NPS shuttle!

I was just there and the shuttles do not just drive through the park. They stop at all significant animal sightings for 5 minutes or more for photo ops. The drivers are talking about things at opportune times.

Just a side note, not quite a serious one but.... Why do you need someone to tell you what you are looking at? It will be obvious... trees, moose, caribou, bear, lynx, creeks, falls, birds. The same thing you see on the guided tours for 5 times as much. But if you really want a lot of talking take the guided tours that talk all of the time and give you the history of the park and everything else including extra anecdotes.

We booked months in advance and unfortunately got a
foggy day. It was 9 hours of occasional bears and moose,
but no view of Mt. McKinley.

The drivers are people who love nature and love to learn about it (which is why a summer at Denali is appealing to them). They show you lots of great things, and have lots of information to share. The camper bus is a wonderful experience, and a great deal.

I have one strong recommendation: GET OFF THE BUS. The bus is a great experience, but if you stay on the bus the whole time, you're missing out. The bus will stop almost anywhere along the way you ask for you to get off, and you can flag down any other passing bus and get back on. This was a bit out of my comfort zone, but it was a great thing to do. There is so much land and so few people that there really aren't paths, so you can just wander across the tundra (which has beautiful vegetation up close). Being so alone and so small in that huge landscape is something I won't soon forget. I especially enjoyed the tundra areas short of the Eliason visitor center, but you can ask your driver for recommendations.

Other tips: take the earliest bus you can stomach (animals are more active in the early morning), and bring water and trail mix/bars. You'll also want your longest and widest camera lenses.

The drivers are people who love nature and love to learn about it (which is why a summer at Denali is appealing to them). They show you lots of great things, and have lots of information to share. The camper bus is a wonderful experience, and a great deal.

I have one strong recommendation: GET OFF THE BUS. The bus is a great experience, but if you stay on the bus the whole time, you're missing out. The bus will stop almost anywhere along the way you ask for you to get off, and you can flag down any other passing bus and get back on. This was a bit out of my comfort zone, but it was a great thing to do. There is so much land and so few people that there really aren't paths, so you can just wander across the tundra (which has beautiful vegetation up close). Being so alone and so small in that huge landscape is something I won't soon forget. I especially enjoyed the tundra areas short of the Eliason visitor center, but you can ask your driver for recommendations.

Other tips: take the earliest bus you can stomach (animals are more active in the early morning), and bring water and trail mix/bars. You'll also want your longest and widest camera lenses.

Thanks for the tips. We are up here in Anchorage and will be heading to Denali on Thursday. We will be taking the 6:00 AM bus tour on Friday morning, so I'm hoping to see a lot of wildlife.

I'm not expecting to see Mt. McKinley. Many of the locals here are telling me that its usually covered in mist and clouds, so I won't be disappointed if I don't see it.

Quite true. The stat I've heard is 20%--that is, it's visible only 20% of the time. That means that 80% of the people who go to Denali never see it! So if you do, count yourself lucky!

My menubar widget weather forecasting thingy indicated sunny skies through Friday, but since it tends to sometimes be inaccurate (not sure where it gets its data from), I checked the NWS, and it's going to be cloudy this week--warm, 70°, but cloudy...:().

There's always a chance, though!

here is a webcam provided by the park service from Wonder Lake:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/denacam.cfm

I check it often and have yet to see Denali in all her glory.

here is a webcam provided by the park service from Wonder Lake:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/denacam.cfm

I check it often and have yet to see Denali in all her glory.
Cool link!

The archived image for June 14th (http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/dena_arcJpg.cfm?id=336)wasn't too bad...

here is a webcam provided by the park service from Wonder Lake:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/denacam.cfm

I check it often and have yet to see Denali in all her glory.

Thank you so much for posting this link. I was fortunate in seeing Denali the first time that I visited the park. The mountain appeared briefly. In May of this year, we were not so lucky; no views at all.

I just checked the webcam and Denali is visible! I saved this website to my favorites and will check on it every day. I also have the streaming webcam of Yellowstone's Old Faithful area. It is great since now the camera zooms in on other geysers including: Beehive, Grand, Daisy, Castle, and of course - Old Faithful.

Thank you so much for posting this link. I was fortunate in seeing Denali the first time that I visited the park. The mountain appeared briefly. In May of this year, we were not so lucky; no views at all.

I just checked the webcam and Denali is visible! I saved this website to my favorites and will check on it every day. I also have the streaming webcam of Yellowstone's Old Faithful area. It is great since now the camera zooms in on other geysers including: Beehive, Grand, Daisy, Castle, and of course - Old Faithful.
It's interesting how quickly it changes--I just checked (9 hours almost to the minute after you posted) and it's covered in clouds...

All the above tips are very accurate. Getting off the bus is a great idea -- although it SEEMS a bit frightening (you need to remember that nobody has ever been killed in Denali by a bear). Ironically, I've found that I see FEWER animals while walking than on the bus (perhaps because you lose the elevation advantage of the bus?).

Obviously, some of the drivers are more interesting than others. If I get a "boring" driver, I get off the bus and walk a bit (you'll often find the other pax think you're crazy when you get off in the "middle of nowhere", like you're bungee jumping or something). The hard part is that when I get a GOOD driver, I don't want to get off!

It's interesting how quickly it changes--I just checked (9 hours almost to the minute after you posted) and it's covered in clouds...

Got back from my week in Alaska yesterday and it was absolutely fantastic!

Most of the time, McKinley, or as I got into the habit of calling it, Denali, was covered in clouds. But there were times that the clouds moved and the peaks were visible. It was a sight to behold. The mountains in Alaska are the most rugged I've ever seen. And no, I've never been to Nepal or the Alps area.

We took a 12 hour bus tour operated by Denali Cabins and it was well worth it. While we couldn't stop and get off at predesignated stops like the park bus allows, we did enjoy our trip. The bus ride was like a safari. We saw every animal imaginable, including several grizzlies, one of which was about 10 feet from the bus! We were so very quiet we could hear it chewing the grass it was eating. We even had a wolf come out of the brush and walk in front of us on the road for about a half mile. It was the slowest half mile I've ever spent in a vehicle, but it was incredible to follow a wolf. The joke on the bus was that the Park employees planned it and the wolf was leading us to the gift shop! ;)

And of course we saw caribou, moose, red foxes, sheep, ground squirrels and all kinds of birds. As a matter of fact, one red fox was roaming around a rest area and was quite the ham as we all were taking pictures of it. That is, until it suddenly saw a ground squirrel and went in for the kill! :eek: It was gruesome to see but nonetheless fascinating to see this red fox grab the squirrel by its neck and squeeze until the legs of the squirrel stopped twitching. Then he started to eat. First time in my life I've ever seen a live kill. Don't know how I felt about it. :confused:

Bottom line is that the bus tour, even without non-stop narration, was quite fascinating and well worth it. I would not recommend bringing young children on this trip, however. We had a seven year old boy and two nine year old girsl and on the six hour ride back to our cabins, they were getting quite antsy. And the parents weren't very resonsible. :mad:

Overall, I was very pleased with our time there and would highly recommend a trip to Alaska for all. But not on a cruise. Its critical to tour the interior and drive.

Overall, I was very pleased with our time there and would highly recommend a trip to Alaska for all. But not on a cruise. Its critical to tour the interior and drive.
:) Thank you for saying that! Now if only the world would listen...

:) Thank you for saying that! Now if only the world would listen...

You're welcome. :)

But Jackal, what's up with that airport? :confused: That was one of the worst airports I have ever been in. Seems like half of it was closed off to pax. Are there any plans for remodeling?

That's why half of it was closed off to pax--it's in the middle of being remodeled!

I think it's going to be done spring of 2009.

Edit: It just dawned on me...perhaps you came in the North Terminal (CO, US, DL), in which case the part that appeared to be closed off is the international departures side.

Once the South Terminal is remodeled, I think all of the domestic airlines currently at the North Terminal will be moved back to the South Terminal, and the North Terminal will be exclusively for international traffic again (as it was, oh, seven or eight years ago before they started construction on the South Terminal). There are also plans for an enclosed hallway with moving walkways between the two terminals.

That's why half of it was closed off to pax--it's in the middle of being remodeled!

I think it's going to be done spring of 2009.

Edit: It just dawned on me...perhaps you came in the North Terminal (CO, US, DL), in which case the part that appeared to be closed off is the international departures side.

Once the South Terminal is remodeled, I think all of the domestic airlines currently at the North Terminal will be moved back to the South Terminal, and the North Terminal will be exclusively for international traffic again (as it was, oh, seven or eight years ago before they started construction on the South Terminal). There are also plans for an enclosed hallway with moving walkways between the two terminals.

Thanks for that explanation. Yes, I did come in the North Terminal for my Delta flight.

Overall, I was very pleased with our time there and would highly recommend a trip to Alaska for all. But not on a cruise. Its critical to tour the interior and drive.

OK, this is WAAAY off-topic, but I've got to ask. I've toured the interior several times (driving myself around) and have enjoyed it. Next year, I've got family that wants to cruise the inside passage. I've never seen this part of Alaska, and while I don't consider myself a "cruise guy" I figure it can't be THAT bad to see the sights with a few thousand of my closest friends. (besides it seems like the only alternative for that is the ferry, and I doubt that's so great)

Am I too optimistic? :)

I haven't ever done a cruise and don't have too much interest in it (although I'd like to try the ferry sometime--the ferry wouldn't be too bad in a stateroom, although I'd probably go budget and sleep on the deck). However, those who share my style of travel interests and who have done a cruise say that it's like "Alaska Light." It's not bad, but you don't really experience the real Alaska. It's kinda like being on a bus tour--you see a bit of the scenery and are sorta spoon-fed the experiences. I have been to Skagway and Juneau, though, and will say that part of the state does have its share of stunning scenery--it's more like the Cascades (very green, mountains forested all the way to the top, smaller, rounded mountains, rainy, etc.) than it is like the rest of Alaska.

However, if you've done the Interior, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to do a cruise, since you know what Alaska's really like. (Just try to talk your family into spending at least a few days on the ground and not to just fly straight home!)

The people who cruise to Alaska don't see my Alaska and are fooled into thinking they have seen the real thing. I have taken a cruise boat to Alaska when it was cheaper than flying or got me to places that were otherwise too expensive or too hard to get to. That's it folks!

Most cruise passengers are satisfied with what they get, but most of the money for the cruises and the Made In China souvenirs goes out of Alaska and out of the USA. Some cruise lines are now bringing in non-Alaskans to work in their stores in the cruise ports.

Yes, cruise lines own some of the stores in the dock side towns.

I don't play the game when on a cruise ship in Alaska. We don't dress up in formal wear and don't spend our money on board.

One of my pet hates is the cruise lines who do round trips and never let the passengers off the board to see the interior or to spend money in Alaska! Might as well take those people to Disney World.

I have driven the interior and taken the inside passage cruise (twice). The cruise can be quite enjoyable, if you leave your prejudices about cruising at home. It is an easy way to see Southeastern Alaska. And you can have fun on the ship. You might as well enjoy the things the ship has to offer, you have already paid for them. And going ashore is only as good as you want to make it. Do you research. Plan your days. Don't take the cruise ship sponsered excursions. Their are plenty of local operators to book with, and they provide excellent experiences. Then go back to the ship and eat all of that food that you paid for.

For those interested in see Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), the webcam image has been amazing all morning. There is just a slight wisp of a cloud and mainly bright blue sky.

I have travelled to Alaska eight times over the past ten year and I have never had the "cruise ship" experience. We have flown to Anchorage and rented a car and driven within the interior; we have also taken day cruises on Prince William Sound and the Kenai Fjords (I have to chevk on the whales and glaciers). Thanks to great advice from Old Penny and Jackal, we took our trip this year in early May - no crowds, hotels available and inexpensive (we had a two-bedroom suite at the Anchorage Residence Inn for $130), beautiful weather, lots of snow (none on the roads), and excellent wildlife viewing.

When people ask me about my trips to Alaska, most have a hard time comprehending that you can have an amazing time touring on your own.

Indeed. Especially as someone who works in the travel industry, it bugs me that people are spending multiple thousands on their cruises and virtually ALL of that money leaves the state. A few of the baggage handlers and bus drivers are locals, but outside of their wages, the money spent doesn't do much to help the local economy. (It's especially bad because tourism feels slower this year--I hope all of the businesses survive the season!)

But not only that--it's such a shame that the people leave with the impression that the little cruise-company-owned salmon bake they went to in Ketchikan and the cruise-company-owned fake dogsled demo they saw in Sitka are real Alaska. Like oldpenny said, they might as well be visiting a display in Disney World.

Fast or slow :p, there's no substitute for getting out and up close and personal with Alaska on your own.

Bravo jackal!

You are so completely and totally right!

I've walked over a great deal of Alaska (and many other places). I am lucky to have family who yet live in Alaska so I have a couch to sleep on.

No I won't tell my secret place in Alaska.

Indeed. Especially as someone who works in the travel industry, it bugs me that people are spending multiple thousands on their cruises and virtually ALL of that money leaves the state. A few of the baggage handlers and bus drivers are locals, but outside of their wages, the money spent doesn't do much to help the local economy. (It's especially bad because tourism feels slower this year--I hope all of the businesses survive the season!)

But not only that--it's such a shame that the people leave with the impression that the little cruise-company-owned salmon bake they went to in Ketchikan and the cruise-company-owned fake dogsled demo they saw in Sitka are real Alaska. Like oldpenny said, they might as well be visiting a display in Disney World.

Fast or slow :p, there's no substitute for getting out and up close and personal with Alaska on your own.

Couldn't agree more! ^ I would love to go back to Alaska, but I don't think I want to take a cruise.

I've cruised to Alaska and look foward to doing it again in the future.Of course myself and others are not fooled into believing we are seeing the "real Alaska" but we are seeing scenery one would not see from a car,or train.2 Different experiences both great in their own way

OK, this is WAAAY off-topic, but I've got to ask. I've toured the interior several times (driving myself around) and have enjoyed it. Next year, I've got family that wants to cruise the inside passage. I've never seen this part of Alaska, and while I don't consider myself a "cruise guy" I figure it can't be THAT bad to see the sights with a few thousand of my closest friends. (besides it seems like the only alternative for that is the ferry, and I doubt that's so great)

Am I too optimistic? :)

I'm surprised how many people are cold on cruises to Alaska here. I'm not a "cruise guy" since I really prefer to spend a few days in each part of the area I'm staying in to explore it at my own pace. I'd probably like a few days in Fairbanks, a bunch in Denali, a few in Seward/Kodiak, and some in each of a fwe farther off areas likely broken into a few trips. That said, my Alaska cruise is booked for August -- my first visit to the state. I've got a week after that to explore the land part of my trip. And I fully expect ot be back in the future -- this is just my first taste.

I think the cruise has its place -- those coastal areas that are hard/impossible to see by land are nice to see from the water. It's also nice to make a bunch of port calls without having to pack, unpack, fly with all the TSA hoo ha, etc. Maybe it's better to visit in a smaller ship, or with local companies, but that's hard to do and gets expensive. I fully expect to visit coastal Alaska again, more locally. Since I'm a hiker, I know I need weeks to expore the interior. I don't see anything wrong with doing both.

I taken cruise ships for transportation. Sometimes they are about the same price as flying (if you don't mind an inside cabin). I walk off as soon as the ship docks in the South East towns and start walking. In a few minutes I've left behind the thousands of cruise ship folk and am off on my own in Alaska. It can be done!

People pay thousands to take tours to see bears. I've seen bears in Alaska when I was trying to unload my groceries from the Subaru!

There is plenty of Alaska to share.

here is a webcam provided by the park service from Wonder Lake:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/denacam.cfm

I check it often and have yet to see Denali in all her glory.

Reviving this thread.

It's been beautiful down here in ANC the last few days. So sad I wasn't able to get out and do a hike or something. Hopefully the weather keeps up so I can!

Just checked the DenaliCam in the above link...mountain's viewable, though there are some clouds in the area. Still...all y'all tourists better get up there ASAP before she goes back into hiding! :D

Just checked it. Hardly a cloud in sight. Gorgeous!

It's been beautiful down here in ANC the last few days. So sad I wasn't able to get out and do a hike or something. Hopefully the weather keeps up so I can!

Just checked the DenaliCam in the above link...mountain's viewable, though there are some clouds in the area. Still...all y'all tourists better get up there ASAP before she goes back into hiding! :D

Hey jackal, I just want to acknowledge that you have been a wealth of information regarding Alaska. When my wife and I were there just two weeks ago, we took many of your suggestions and were pleased with our experiences. So let me say publicly, Thank You! It was generous of you to share your time and insights on this and other threads in the Alaska forum.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Hey jackal, I just want to acknowledge that you have been a wealth of information regarding Alaska. When my wife and I were there just two weeks ago, we took many of your suggestions and were pleased with our experiences. So let me say publicly, Thank You! It was generous of you to share your time and insights on this and other threads in the Alaska forum.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Aww, shucks! :o Glad you found Alaska to your liking...and remember, there's a lot more to see up here, so start planning your next trip! :D

Hey jackal, I just want to acknowledge that you have been a wealth of information regarding Alaska. When my wife and I were there just two weeks ago, we took many of your suggestions and were pleased with our experiences. So let me say publicly, Thank You! It was generous of you to share your time and insights on this and other threads in the Alaska forum.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Allow me to add my +1 to the above post...all this great info I've read on many threads here is GREATLY appreciated and will be well used on our trip coming up next week. (And FYI, I considered posting for a DO, but (no offense!) our schedule is completely packed, and my wife just doesn't "get" the whole "meeting up with on-line strangers" thing even though of course *I* know it would be ALL GOOD.)

Enjoyed reading this thread a lot!

Mrs. Stranded and I are heading up on Saturday to spend a week over our first anniversary -- 2 nights Anchorage, 2 nights Healy, 2 nights Girdwood (with a laaate departure the next day). Driving.

Have only been in LA three years and miss "weather" but am curious if I will get more than my fill of cold and rainy.

In any case, it should be an adventure.

I am sorry to say that my SO and I found the bus tour to perhaps be the most boring thing we have ever done. Sitting in a bus seat with a bunch of international tourists who go crazy if there is a moose or bear is hard to bear (pun intended). Don't get me wrong, we LOVED Alaska, but if you are going to drive from ANC to FAI, don't bother with the bus trip. For us, it was just a ton of cash spent to be on a bus with people who came off a cruise ship and this was all of Alaska they were going to get to see...and it showed. We saw moose on the side of the road for days on end...they saw 4 and we had to stop the bus for 10 minutes each so they could each get a picture...

I am sorry to say that my SO and I found the bus tour to perhaps be the most boring thing we have ever done. Sitting in a bus seat with a bunch of international tourists who go crazy if there is a moose or bear is hard to bear (pun intended). Don't get me wrong, we LOVED Alaska, but if you are going to drive from ANC to FAI, don't bother with the bus trip. For us, it was just a ton of cash spent to be on a bus with people who came off a cruise ship and this was all of Alaska they were going to get to see...and it showed. We saw moose on the side of the road for days on end...they saw 4 and we had to stop the bus for 10 minutes each so they could each get a picture...

Were you on a shuttle bus or a tour bus? If it was a shuttle, you could have gotten off, done some exploration, and then flagged down another shuttle to continue your trip into the park. That's the beauty of the shuttle ...

ton of cash? how much $$ did you spend for this bus??

Sorry you didn't enjoy your venture into the park.

The people who cruise to Alaska don't see my Alaska and are fooled into thinking they have seen the real thing. I have taken a cruise boat to Alaska when it was cheaper than flying or got me to places that were otherwise too expensive or too hard to get to. That's it folks!

Most cruise passengers are satisfied with what they get, but most of the money for the cruises and the Made In China souvenirs goes out of Alaska and out of the USA. Some cruise lines are now bringing in non-Alaskans to work in their stores in the cruise ports.

Yes, cruise lines own some of the stores in the dock side towns.

I don't play the game when on a cruise ship in Alaska. We don't dress up in formal wear and don't spend our money on board.

One of my pet hates is the cruise lines who do round trips and never let the passengers off the board to see the interior or to spend money in Alaska! Might as well take those people to Disney World.

I think you are being a bit too hard. I have been to Alaska ten times, two of which were on cruises. If you want to be on a ship, spend time in the tourist souvenir shops at ports, etc., you can easily do that. But if you look at the cruise ship as cheap lodging and transportation, it can work well (which you alluded to). I spent 90% or more of the port time off the ship and away from the town - getting off the beaten path to hike or do excursions that are not ones where the cruise ship herds you to and fro.

The cruise ship passengers are as much at fault as the cruise lines - they should realize what they are buying but most have no clue. The same goes for cruise tours, which in my opinion are usually woefully inadequate. But people don't do due diligence before plunking down thousands of dollars. To each his own.

I would not object to taking an Alaskan cruise again but it would have to be at the right price and with the right ports. And again I would see it mainly as cheap lodging and transportation. My last cruise cost me under $500 for 7 nights in a single cabin. Bargains can be had and it can be a cheap way to see Alaska if you forget all the hype on the ship itself.

John

I am sorry to say that my SO and I found the bus tour to perhaps be the most boring thing we have ever done. Sitting in a bus seat with a bunch of international tourists who go crazy if there is a moose or bear is hard to bear (pun intended). Don't get me wrong, we LOVED Alaska, but if you are going to drive from ANC to FAI, don't bother with the bus trip. For us, it was just a ton of cash spent to be on a bus with people who came off a cruise ship and this was all of Alaska they were going to get to see...and it showed. We saw moose on the side of the road for days on end...they saw 4 and we had to stop the bus for 10 minutes each so they could each get a picture...

I too am sorry for your bad experience. If you were on a bus with cruise ship passengers, you were almost certainly on a tour (Tundra Wilderness Tour?). That is a huge mistake - the shuttle buses are much more flexible, travel the same road, cost 1/3 of the tour bus, allow you to get off and on at will, and have very experienced and informative drivers.

I have been in Denali several times and each time look forward to going back. I already have a trip planned for June 2009.

John