From the noisy seabird nesting cliffs of Kenai Fjords National Park to the tundra birds and large mammals
of Denali National Park to the treeless subarctic habitats of Nome,
explore Alaska’s various natural habitats on this well-rounded tour. Using the road system, ferry system,
jets, plus a boat tour and bus tour in two national parks, this trip will explore southcentral Alaska’s
coastal, rainforest, boreal forest and alpine tundra habitats with a side trip north by jet to explore the
Seward Peninsula’s rich and varied habitats.
We’ll start the trip in Anchorage, birding around the area and then heading down the Seward Highway through
the coastal rainforest to the town of Seward on the Kenai Peninsula for a day-long boat trip into the
spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park. We’ll board a ferry for a trip across Prince William Sound to
Valdez, then head north to the Denali Highway, turning west,
and travel to the remote Tangle River area in the eastern Alaska Range. Spending two nights there gives
us a day to hike at treeline and explore the alpine tundra in the area. Then we continue west to Denali
National Park and spend a day inside the park, travelling by bus to observe grizzly bears, caribou, wolf,
golden eagles, long-tailed jaegers, and many other possible species.
After returning to Anchorage, we’ll fly northwest to the historic goldrush town of Nome on the Seward
Peninsula, near the Bering Strait. Driving the road system around Nome and hiking, we’ll explore the vast
lagoon system, the mountains and tundra, offering a rich variety of habitats in a concentrated area.
This trip is suitable for anyone in average physical condition with a sense of adventure and willingness
to see Alaska on its terms. Accommodations will be rustic in some locations.
On the optional St. Paul/Pribilofs extension, we’ll fly from Anchorage to St. Paul Island in the Bering
Sea to spend a few days observing the Northern Fur Seal and seabird rookeries up close at a time of year
when wildflowers should be in lush profusion.
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min. 6 persons
- Day 1
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Arrival
Arrive Anchorage. Lodging in Anchorage. Other than a welcome dinner, no activities are planned for this day, given the demand of travel, varied arrival times, etc.
- Day 2
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Anchorage Bowl / Westchester Lagoon
Today will be an easy, local day birding and exploring around the greater Anchorage bowl.
We’ll check out Westchester Lagoon and the coastal trail for birds, visit the Eagle River Nature Centre for both birds, wildlife and stunning scenery, and we may head up to bird above treeline.
We may see American Wigeon, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Spruce Grouse, Hudsonian Godwit, Surfbird, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Arctic Tern, Three-toed Woodpecker, Bohemian Waxwing, American Dipper, Varied Thrush,
Hermit and Swainson’s Thrushes, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blackpoll and Townsend’s Warblers, and Golden-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrow, to name a few.
Complimentary continental breakfast offered in the hotel lobby. Own lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Snacks provided. Lodging in Anchorage.
- Day 3
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(Summer Solstice!) Kenai Peninsula / Seward
After breakfast in Anchorage, we'll pack up and load up the vans and head south from Anchorage to Seward. The drive is only 130 miles so we'll have a leisurely day of it,
stopping to see sights such as Portage Glacier and stopping to bird along the way. During the drive, we'll travel along Turnagain Arm with the second biggest tides in the world;
the influence of wet weather from Prince William Sound coming over Portage Pass is seen in the deeper, bigger forest habitat along Turnagain Arm. We proceed over Turnagain Pass where the spruce/hemlock forest meets
the alpine zone, then down into the mountainous interior of the Kenai Peninsula. Arriving at Seward, we'll check into our accommodations and bird around this lovely coastal town sandwiched between steep mountains and Resurrection Bay.
We'll look for the coastal/rainforest birds of this habitat. While in Seward, there may be time on Day 3 or Day 5 to visit the Seward Sea Life Center, a world class sealife aquarium and laboratory.
Here we will get a close-up look at some of the birds and mammals we will see on the boat trip. Possible bird species: Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Northern Goshawk, Spruce Grouse, Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, Spotted Sandpiper,
Wilson’s Snipe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Steller’s Jay, Northwestern Crow, Varied Thrush, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Pine Siskin and more. Picnic lunch and snacks on the road. Own dinner in Seward restaurant. Overnight in Seward.
- Day 4
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Resurrection Bay / Kenai Fjords National Park
We'll eat breakfast and board a tour boat at 8 a.m. for an all-day tour of Resurrection Bay and the Kenai Fjords National Park, a spectacular trip for marine mammals, alcids and glaciers.
Caveat: this trip can be cancelled or shortened depending on the seas that day; the boat operator makes this decision. Possible bird species: Red-faced Cormorant, Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters, Bald Eagle,
Peregrine Falcon, Black-legged Kittiwake, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled and Kittlitz’s Murrelets, Parakeet and Rhinoceros Auklets, Horned and Tufted Puffins, and more.
We will also hope to see Killer and Humpback Whales, Dall Porpoise, Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and Sea Otters. Lunch on board the boat, dinner in Seward restaurant. Overnight in Seward.
- Day 5
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Prinz William Sound
Pack up and load up the vans after breakfast and drive partway back toward Anchorage to Portage, where we’ll turn east and drive through a mountain tunnel to the western Prince William port town of Whittier.
There we’ll board a 2:45 PM ferry to Valdez. This is a 6 hour trip across Prince William Sound to the town of Valdez. Traversing the Sound with its islands, glaciers and waterfalls, is the major part of the trip.
It won't be great birding, but the scenic values and opportunities to see Killer and Humpback whales and other marine mammals are wonderful. It's also a restful day of travel. Snacks provided. Own lunch at a restaurant in Whittier, dinner on the ferry.
Overnight in Valdez.
- Day 6
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Richardson Highway / Denali Highway
After breakfast in Valdez, we'll load the vans and head north on the Richardson Highway.
After driving through spectacular Thompson Pass with its cascading waterfalls,
we’ll make our first stop at the Worthington Glacier, where we will see fine examples of alpine
tundra and hanging glaciers. We make a major transition from coastal rainforest to the dry interior today.
We'll drive a total of about 230 miles today, 186 on the Richardson Highway and then we'll turn west onto
the Denali Highway and drive to a lodge about 40 miles down the Denali Highway.
As we drive up the Richardson, we are moving from the coastal zone into the Copper River Basin.
On the Denali Highway, we will be travelling at the border between the boreal forest and alpine tundra
habitat, with sweeping vistas of the Wrangell Mountains to the east and the Alaska Range to the north.
Bird species may include some of the now-familiar coastal and rainforest species, as well as Red-throated
and Pacific Loon, Trumpeter Swan, Northern Pintail, Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Northern Hawk Owl,
Great-Gray Owl, Long-tailed Jaeger, American Pipit and more. Breakfast at our accommodations in Valdez.
Snacks provided. Own lunch at restaurant along the way, dinner at our lodging.
Overnight at lodge along the Denali Highway.
- Day 7
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Denali Highway
We'll spend a leisurely day here birding and taking short hikes in the area, looking for Northern Hawk Owl, Long-tailed Jaeger, Smith’s Longspur, Arctic Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush and other interior birds.
The Denali Highway is considered by most Alaskans to be the most beautiful drive in the state, with the eastern Alaska Range towering to the north and the Wrangell Mountains to the east. Good chances of seeing caribou and grizzly bear here. Own breakfast and dinner at the lodge. Snacks and picnic lunch provided while out exploring. Overnight at the lodge.
- Day 8
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Denali National Park
After breakfast, we’ll pack up and continue our journey west along the Denali Highway to its intersection with the Parks Highway (about 85 miles). We'll turn north and go another 20 miles or so to our accommodations outside Denali National Park entrance.
Our drive today isn't terribly long, but it offers such incredible scenery and birding and wildlife viewing that we'll take our time and stop to enjoy, maybe even take a short hike along the way. Possible bird species are similar to those listed for the previous two days. Own breakfast at the lodge. Snacks and picnic lunch provided. Own dinner at or near our accommodations outside the park entrance.
- Day 9
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Denali National Park
We arise early to take a tour of Denali National Park. Access to the park is restricted to travelling on Park Service shuttle buses or private tour buses. We'll board a shuttle bus around 7 AM and spend 8 hours touring the first 66 miles, or so, of the park's 90 mile road.
While not optimal for birding, we'll have rest stops and we'll also pause to watch wildlife, including birds, along the way. (In terms of birding, this habitat doesn't offer much more than what we will have seen along
the Denali Highway, which we will have birded rather extensively.) We will hope to see Mt. McKinley but the chances are only about 30 percent of seeing the mountain (the highest in North America at 20,320 feet) due to persistent cloud cover. We are very likely to see Grizzly Bears, Caribou, Moose, Dall Sheep, and - with luck - a Wolf. Bird species may include Golden Eagle, Gyrfalcon, Northern Hawk Owl, Willow Ptarmigan, Wandering Tattler, Arctic Warbler, Bohemian Waxwing and more. Snacks provided. Dinner at an area restaurant. Overnight at the same accommodations as the night before, near the park entrance.
- Day 10
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Parks Highway
After breakfast at our accommodations, we’ll drive south along the Parks Highway 230 miles to Anchorage. This is a fairly long drive. Snacks provided. We'll stop to rest, enjoy scenic points and birds, and have lunch at a roadhouse. Arriving in Anchorage, we'll check in to our hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant.
- Day 11
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Nome
The alarms go off early this morning as we head to the Anchorage airport to check in for our 6 AM flight to Nome, with one stop above the Arctic Circle in Kotzebue. In Nome, we’ll get our rental vehicles and check in to our accommodations before heading out birding for the rest of the day. Nome’s isolated road system consists of three roads, each leading to different habitats.
On our first day, we’ll concentrate on the vast Safety Lagoon, Nome River mouth and tundra wetland habitat to the south and east of Nome. Possible bird species include: Red-throated and Pacific loon, Tundra Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Common Eider and – with luck – King, Spectacled and Steller’s Eiders, American and Pacific Golden Plovers, Surfbird, Black Turnstone,
Semipalmated and Western Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit, Aleutian Tern and more. As we drive the roads along the Seward Peninsula, we are very likey to see Musk Oxen, Grizzly Bear, Moose, Reindeer and Red Fox. Breakfast at the airport, snacks and picnic lunch provided while birding and own dinner in Nome restaurant. Overnight in Nome.
- Day 12
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Nome
The centrepiece of our second day in Nome is the hike to seek the Bristle-thighed Curlew. We will get up early and drive 70 miles north on the Kougarok Road, from where we’ll make the somewhat strenuous hike to look for the Bristle-thighed Curlew. This hike is neither steep nor very long (less than 4 miles round trip),
but walking on tussocks makes it challenging. Most people can do this hike, but it isn’t for everyone. We like to drive straight to the hike without stopping to bird in order to get up to the curlew territory early in the day.
We’ll bird extensively on the hike and on the drive back to Nome. Possible bird species: Bristle-thighed Curlew, Whimbrel, Gyrfalcon, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Shrike, Rusty Blackbird, Bluethroat, Northern Wheatear, Arctic Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Hoary Redpoll, and many more. Breakfast at Nome restaurant, snacks and picnic lunch provided. Own dinner at Nome restaurant. Overnight in Nome.
- Day 13
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Teller Road
We will bird most of the day, covering areas on the Teller Road as well as covering other locations to look for species not yet seen. We board a late evening direct flight to Anchorage, arriving near midnight. Breakfast and dinner in Nome restaurants. Snacks and picnic lunch provided. Overnight in Anchorage.
- Day 14
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Departure
Tour ends. Depart for Europe or for St. Paul/Pribilof Islands if continuing on the Pribilofs Extension.
Pribilofs Extension: July 2-5 / 4 days
- Day 14
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Check in at the Anchorage Airport at 10:30 AM for our 11:45 AM departure for St. Paul on the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. Upon arrival, we’ll get settled into our hotel and head out birding. St. Paul Island in Alaska’s Bering Sea is home to millions of seabirds nesting in easily observed colonies along the steep shores of the island.
The Pribilof Islands also are one of Alaska’s best birding hotspots for rare Asiatic birds, many blown off course during their migration or dropping in just briefly on their way to other breeding and nesting destinations. Below St. Paul’s cliffs, the beaches serve as haul-outs and rookeries for thousands of North Pacific Fur Seals. The Aleut culture of the village of
St. Paul and the Russian and American history of the Fur Seal harvest and trade are fascinating cultural highlights of this trip. The Pribilofs are the only North American location where the Red-legged Kittiwake can be seen reliably. Other species breeding on the cliffs at St. Paul include Red-faced Cormorant, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Parakeet, Least and Crested Auklets,
Horned and Tufted Puffins. King, Common and Steller’s Eiders are possible, as well as many shorebirds (Rock Sandpipers and many more), waders, waterfowl, passerines (including Gray-crowned Rosy Finch and Snow Bunting), seabirds and raptors. Free continental breakfast available at the hotel; lunch on the plane; dinner at restaurant in St. Paul. Overnight in St. Paul hotel.
- Day 15
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We will go out birding and wildlife viewing by van and on foot in the morning, afternoon and evening. Meals will be at the local restaurant. Overnight in St. Paul.
- Day 16
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We will continue birding the island until it’s time to board our afternoon flight back to Anchorage. Breakfast and lunch at St. Paul restaurant, dinner at Anchorage restaurant. Overnight at Anchorage hotel.
- Day 17
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Tour ends. Depart for Europe. However, if so inclined, it’s advisable to allow an extra day in Anchorage in case our return from St. Paul is delayed by weather.
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