ericgorr

I will be visiting alaska and will be staying at the following Princess Lodges

(http://www.princesslodges.com)

Denali Princess
Kenai Princess
McKinley Princess

While each of these lodges offer guided hikes, I prefer to do my own self-guided hikes. What can people tell me about the hiking trails which are nearby? How would I reach the trailhead? Taxi? Would any good ones be within walking distance of the lodges?

What kind of other activities are available in the surrounding area? (Reachable by Taxi I assume)

ASflyer

I live in Alaska and haven't stayed at any of the Princess Lodges you included in your message. But I know the areas where the lodges are located and I'm pretty sure that taxis are not available. I think your best bet is to check with the lodges to see what they have to offer. Princess Lodges have "outfitters" who can assist you in finding good hiking trails and the transportation you need to get there. Have a great trip!

JeremyZ

I stayed at the Denali Princess the night before I camped in the park, and I really didn't notice much trail infrastructure within walking distance of the hotel. I bet they would shuttle you for a fee.

The crowd skewed pretty elderly, so just be prepared for that.

rlb

I have stayed at the Kenai Princess- last Sept.- it is a good distance from the main road and the Kenai river- you can see it - I would not count on taxi service- I saw one to two the entire 5 days I was there- and they were folks going to and from the airport- It is a very small resort- I think- 75 units at the max- but the service it great- staff is wonderful- "cabins" are cozy, clean, and comfotable- did not notice to many hiking trails- and lots of notices to watch for bears and etc- and they were not kidding- so I would not venture off if you are not experenced with true "wilderness". The resort will help you stay safe.

I have also stayed a the Alyeska Princess- in Sept.- a different year- they had thier ski tram runing and lots of hiking in that direction- again- not many taxi's- I would check with the resort- again you are in the wilderness-

Hope you enjoy your great trip- you will see wonderful country- rlb

chococat

I'll echo the previous posters. No taxi service at any of those locations, maybe you can get a shuttle to drop you off somewhere but then you'd have no way (other than walking or hitchhiking) to get back to the hotel (very limited cell phone reception, so don't plan on calling for a ride). Why not rent a car in Anchorage or Fairbanks? You can drive easily to the Denali area and the Kenai peninsula.

SRQ Guy

I just returned from a trip in Alaska. My advice would be to rent a car and stay in cheaper, better located lodgings.

greatam

I agree with SRQ Guy. We go to Alaska every year for business and fishing. The Princess lodges, especially McKinley and Kenai, are way out of the way. You are not any place to get a meal or book a tour, except at their overpriced restaurant OR with their tour guides. Much better places to stay.

A taxi would cost you a small fortune. Kenai Princess-fishing is about it and the hot tub. McKinley Princess-ATV tour, river rafting, catch a ride to Talkeetna and take a flightseeing tour.

If you want some really good feedback, from either Alaska residents or VERY frequent Alaska visitors, you may want to check here. Lots and lots of Alaska info, including quite a few posts about the Princess lodges. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

If you really want to go hiking and see some spectacular scenery (and a grizzly or two), try either one of these: http://www.hallobay.com/ or http://www.denalilodges.com/

jackal

I'm an Alaska resident driving to Fairbanks and stumbled across the McKinley Princess lodge just a few minutes ago (I'm sitting in their parking lot typing this over an EV-DO/1xRTT cell connection--I was searching for their site to check rates, as the desk supervisor said you can sometimes find some $99 per night rates on their site, especially on light Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). I just walked through the main lodge area, and I must say it looks like a very relaxing place to stay and has a stunning view.

The McKinley Princess is pretty far from any major (even by Alaskan standards) outposts of civilization. It's about an hour north of Talkeetna (two north of Wasilla and three north of Anchorage) and a good hour south of the actual park entrance. As has been said before, I'm not seeing much in the way of non-Princess offerings--about the closest self-guided thing to do would be to drive back towards Talkeetna and go fishing on one of the many creeks (which is what real Alaskans do--Montana Creek, Kashwitna Creek and the many other signed creeks that cross the highway are littered with various salmon at different times of the year). By the sound of it, you're probably taking Princess' bus, and without a car, you're not going to be able to do much on your own here. (You sure won't find a taxi three hours away from Anchorage...)

It's great for a peaceful weekend retreat or if you're a seasoned citizen and looking to be spoon-fed the Alaskan experience, but if you're looking for the adventurous side of Alaska, your best bet would be to stay away from the prepackaged cruise company offerings and do your own thing.

Hold on a sec--I just saw a van for "Trapper Creek Tours" (Trapper Creek is the nearest "town"). You may be able to arrange something with them--look them up online. In fact, look for small (locally-owned) tour operators in the Trapper Creek area online. If you have trouble finding one, post here again and I'll look in the Mat-Su Valley phone book under Trapper Creek and see if I can help you find something.

The Kenai Princess, which I stayed at once for a friend's wedding, is much the same way. It's probably walking distance to the Kenai River (probably *the* most popular fishing spot in the state), but I don't think it's really within walking distance of any trails (my Google Earth is running slowly over the 1xRTT connection, and the resolution for that area is lacking, anyway). I know the popular Resurrection Pass trailhead, which goes probably several dozen miles across the Kenai Mountains to the town of Hope (and also features several shorter spurs), is nearby, but I can't say that it's within walking distance. Again, without a car, your options are limited. Check with them, though, and see if they have a shuttle, and also look for locally-owned tour operators in the Cooper Landing (the nearest "town"--gas station might be more like it) area. Same applies--let me know if you're having trouble.

The Denali Princess is a bit better. It's close to the park entrance, and I'm sure they offer a shuttle to the park visitor's center, from which you can catch a park-operated bus all the way into the park on the closed-to-public-traffic road (the Princess-operated buses only go to Mile 15). Be aware, though, that the park-operated buses go something like 60, 70, or 80 miles into the park--an adventure that can all day or more (i.e. 8 hours each way, I think, so plan accordingly). Check out the NPS's Denali National Park site and click on Bus Services for more details on this. The bus (read about them carefully, as there are several different ones) can take you all the way to Wonder Lake (the end of the road), or you can get off at any of the designated intermediate spots (Teklanika River, Polychrome Pass, or Fish Creek), from which you can camp, hike, or just sit and watch the wildlife.

All right, I'm due in Fairbanks in a few hours, so I'd better get back on the road. Enjoy your trip, and if you need any other pointers, PM me or post back!

cbalaska

Another great resource for what to do and how to get around info is the Alaska Travel Industry Assn website www.travelalaska.com.

jackal

Roger that--that's a good site. Here are some other places to find good Alaskan info:
http://www.strisik.com/alaska/index.htm
http://www.alaskastateparks.org/
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/aktrails/index.htm (here's your big one for trails)
http://www.alaska.com/ (run by the Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.alaska.org/ (run by the Alaska Channel, a pseudo-non-profit organization running a TV channel shown in many Alaskan hotel rooms--I've found it to have good info written/recommended by locals. It claims to be ad-free and unbiased--regardless of whether it is, it's a well-designed site with quality recommendations and info)
http://www.anchorage.net/ (Anchorage Convention and Visitor's Bureau)
http://www.themilepost.com/ (The Milepost is the best book for traveling by road in Alaska--but it's half the price at the Anchorage Costcos and slightly more at the Anchorage Wal*Marts)
http://www.arh.noaa.gov/ (the Alaska regional office of the NWS. Use to check the extended forecast for your time here. Click the map for the area forecast. Be aware that many of the clickable areas are the size of small states on the east coast. Also, check out the better-laid-out Anchorage forecast office's site at http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/)

Shortly after departing the McKinley Princess Lodge, I did run across a few trailheads, one of which is somewhat within walking distance of the lodge. Google "Lower Troublesome Creek" or look it up on the trails page I linked above. It's a short trail (.5 miles) but it's at least something. There is a 12-mile Troublesome Creek trail, but I didn't notice any specific trailhead from the highway. Perhaps it's linked to the Lower Troublesome Creek trail--again, check online for those words. As far as finding them, the Princess is at Milepost 133 on the Parks Highway. I'm sure the Trails page will give a milepost for the other trails, and you can judge whether it's within walking distance. I'd say that it's fairly safe to walk along the Parks (the shoulders are wide), assuming you don't run across any drunk drivers veering off the road.

Also near the hotel is the Era helicopter flightseeing base. I'm not sure that it's within walking distance, but I'm sure they have a shuttle service. Check http://www.fly-era.com for more info on that--just be sure to look into their helicopter service, not their fixed-wing flightseeing or commuter airline service, as those are both based in Anchorage.

Last, three guidebook series I'd recommend at least thumbing through at a bookstore before traveling anywhere (including Alaska) are Let's Go, Lonely Planet, and Rick Steves. They cut through the junk to give you a fairly authentic picture of the destination, even if they do tend toward the budget side of things (which, in my case, is a good thing).

If you need further assistance deciphering the locations on any of the sites, feel free to post back here and I'll try to help!

cbalaska

A minor but very important correction should be noted - Alyeska is a Prince Hotel (as in Japan/Hawaii) and not a Princess Hotel (as in the cruise line). In fact, Alyeska Prince is very much a competitor of Kenai Princess Lodge which is just a few hours south. Alyeska is the only 4 diamond hotel in the entire state of Alaska and is quite majestic - along the lines of the Fairmont at Lake Louise in Canada. Alyeska is in Girdwood - a very fun hippie-type ski-type town about 40 miles south of Anchorage - well worth the stop for hiking up the trails on the ski mountain and to Winner Creek behind the hotel. Many people will take the tram up and hike down, but I recommend saving the $16 for the tram and hiking up (it's a very steep 2,500 vertical in 2 miles and hiking up is actually easier on the knees). Then you can enjoy the spectacular view from the top, have drinks and apps at Seven Glaciers, watch the paragliders, and ride down on the tram for free! If you go in
late August, early Sept, bring a big empty baggie and pick wild berries along the way - they're yummy! Also recommend The Bake Shop for breakfast/giant sweet rolls/soup/homemade sourdough bread and Chair Five restaurant for pizza and beer. Have fun!

jackal

I can second the recommendation for The Bake Shop. It's known far and wide among Alaskans for exactly what cbalaska said. I particularly enjoy their wonderful soup (usually they have two soups of the day served in a sourdough bread bowl), especially on a chilly, rainy Girdwood day.

While you're in Girdwood, check out the Double Musky restaurant just a short drive down Crow Creek road. They've got the best cajun food this side of the Canadian border (or maybe that's the only cajun food this side of it...). It was given a stamp of approval by someone I know who used to live in Texas and has spent many evenings in real Louisiana cajun kitchens.

Enjoy your trip!

steves

Thanks all for the reccomendations. I guess maybe I made an error in booking 2 nights at the Mcinley Princess in July. I am flying in to ANC on Tuesday night and driving up there on Wednesday. I thought I'd stop in Talkeetna along the way, see if there's anything to do (hike, kayak, etc) - then go to the lodge at night. It seems you are suggesting I go after dinner. Thursday we fly from Talkeetna to Denali on a flightseeing trip and then the bus - fly back in the evening - then back to the Princess lodge before waking up friday for a long drive to Valdez. The wife and I really like to get out and hike when we can - This trip is a dream of mine but I am covering a lot of groud in a week as it is a far trip (Valdez to Seward by ferry - a couple days there then home from ANC). Actually, i would love any suggestions (especially now that I am sure to stick around talkeetne before my lodging at the McKinley Princess)
I got a great rate using the Great Alaskan toursaver 2 for 1 deals - and the online pictures/site looked quite enticing. I called and they said they were near Talkeetna. Thanks all for your comments.

jackal

Does this mean you will have a car? As long as you have a car, there's nothing wrong with the McKinley Princess. Within *driving* distance, there's lots to do and lots of trails (see the site I referenced earlier). With the Great Alaskan Tour Saver book and a good rate, I don't see any error in staying at the McKinley Princess. If you don't have a rental car, that's what I'd say the real error is--it's hard to do what *you* want in Alaska without a car, as you're then bound to what tour/bus companies offer.

If you're driving through Talkeetna at dinner time, the only real restaurant is fortunately a good one: the West Rib (named after a feature on Mt. McKinley, though I think they do serve ribs).

The drive to Valdez is one of the most spectacular in the world. You'll enjoy both that and the ferry ride, although it's a long one all the way to Seward (I've only done the ferry from Valdez to Whittier--much shorter). If you want to check out our Girdwood recommendations, Girdwood is on the way back toward Anchorage from Seward, so you can hit it then. I'd say that your itinerary is packed but a great survey of what Alaska has to offer--you're cramming in both north of Anchorage (Talkeetna/Denali) and south of Anchorage (Seward/Girdwood) in one short trip--that's ambitious!

If you do come back someday and want to gear your trip more towards hiking (that is, if Alaska's mountains don't completely blow you away...they're just a little higher than the Appalachians), I'd recommend starting your information quest early, and ask specifically where the best trails are and what kind of hiking you're looking for. I'm sure someone out there is far more familiar with the Alaskan backwoods than I am. Also do some extensive checking on the Alaska State Parks/Division of Natural Resources and the National Park Service websites and perhaps do some calling to get some good recommendations. You could probably hike Alaska every day for the rest of your life and not cover all of the trails--we are, after all, twice the size of Texas.

Have a great trip!

steves

Thanks jackal - yes we have a car. And I will certainly take your dinner and trail reccomendations. I can't wait......