Alaska 2023: Denali & Kenai
Spectacular Vistas, Mammals, & Seabirds!
June 11 – 19, 2023
Tour Length: 9 days
Est. Spaces Left: Spaces available!
Tour Leaders
Kip Miller
Focus
Birds, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Photography
Price
Double Accommodation: $5,450/person
Single Supplement: + $775
Deposit: $750
Max Group Size
14 (2 leaders)
Pace
Easy to Moderate; a couple of moderately strenuous hikes of 1 – 2 hours.
Future Departures
Tour Descriptions
Our trip to stunning Denali National Park and the Denali Highway is as much about large mammals, including some of the great predators, as birds. We expect to see bird species like Trumpeter Swan, Willow Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon, Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Hawk Owl and Smith’s Longspur. We will also, however, most certainly see a number of Grizzly Bears as well as Caribou, Dall Sheep, Moose and, if we get lucky, a Wolf.
We will see magnificent Mount McKinley or Denali (The Great One) and spend two nights just outside the Park, taking the park shuttle 60 miles and getting off at some places if we wish to spend more time looking for birds. We’ll also spend a couple of days on the little-traveled Denali Highway, staying in comfortable cabins on a creek in the Tangle Lakes region.
Our small boat trip will take us through Kenai Fjords National Park, one of the most spectacular parks in North America. Highlights will be thousands of alcids, such as Tufted and Horned Puffin, Parakeet and Rhinocerous Auklet as well as breeching Humpback Whales, Orcas, Steller’s Sea Lions and many other sea mammals.
Many people believe the trip along Denali Highway is the most beautiful in all of Alaska. Long-tailed Jaeger, Rock Ptarmigan, Arctic Warbler and many others should be found in the area. A pair of Northern Wheatear is usually found either in the Park or along the highway. Smith’s Longspur breeds in very small numbers along the highway. On our Kenai Peninsula tour, we’ll stay in very comfortable lodging and dine at several of Alaska’s finest restaurants during prime season for salmon and halibut.
We should find a number resident species in the Anchorage area: Pacific Loon, Three-toed Woodpecker, and American Dipper. We will take an all-day trip on a small charter boat, allowing us to customize our journey through Kenai Fjords National Park and the Chiswell Islands. We should see Horned and Tufted Puffins, Red-faced and Pelagic Cormorants, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled and Kittlitz’s Murrelets, Parakeet and Rhinocerous Auklets and Black Oystercatcher. Ancient Murrelet, Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwater and Northern Fulmar are possible as well. Land and marine mammals may include Black Bear, Sea Otters, Steller’s Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Dall Porpoises, and three to four species of whales, including Orcas, Humpbacked and Fin Whales.
Photographic opportunities will abound. We’ll do a hike through Pacific Coastal Rain Forest looking for Chestnut-backed and Boreal Chickadee, Townsend’s Warbler, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak and others.
“The Alaska/Denali trip was wonderful, as was Stephan. The birds were wonderful; the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful; the others on the trip were compatible (always a worry!); and we appreciated the nice places to stay and eat. The whole experience has made us think we are going to concentrate on High Lonesome trips in the future — and you have lots of offerings!” M.T., NY, NY
More Details
Trip Highlights
Top Birds
Trumpeter & Tundra Swans; Red-throated, Common, Pacific Loons; Kittlitz’s, Marbled, Ancient Murrelets; Red-faced & Pelagic Cormorants; Horned & Tufted Puffins; Common & Thick-billed Murres; American Golden-Plover; Whimbrel; Red-necked Phalarope; Golden Eagle; Northern Hawk-Owl; Gyrfalcon; Long-tailed Jaeger; Rufous Hummingbird; Arctic Warbler; Boreal & Chestnut-backed Chickadees; Bohemian Waxwing; Northwestern Crow; Townsend’s, Blackpoll, Wilson’s Warblers; Pine Grosbeak
Top Mammals
Brown (Grizzly Bear) & Black Bear; Wolf; Caribou; Moose; Lynx; Wolverine (rare); Dall Sheep; Porcupine; Humpback Whale; Orca; Dall Porpoise; Steller’s Sea Lion; Sea Otter
Other Attractions
Spectacular scenery and exceptional photographic opportunities
Extensions
- Alaska 2021: Barrow. The High Arctic
- Alaska 2021: Dutch Harbor & The Whiskered Auklet #2
- Alaska 2021: Nome & The Seward Peninsula I
- Alaska 2021: Pribilofs II (St. Paul Island)
- Alaska 2021: Spring Migration in Gambell. “The Siberian Express”
Planning for the Trip
Meeting Location
Coast Inn at Lake Hood, Anchorage, Alaska
Accommodations
Very comfortable hotels & lodges.
Included
From Anchorage: 8 nights lodging, all meals from first night dinner through final day’s lunch, pelagic boat trip, transport, guides, taxes.
Excluded
Alcohol, personal calls, laundry, and other personal expenses.
Habitats Covered
Boreal & taiga forest; tundra; mountain ranges; lakes & shorelines; Pacific Rainforest; islands
Expected Climate
Mild to colder on the water.
Suggested Clothing and Gear
Credit cards / cashBinocularsScope and tripod (optional)Sunglasses and sunscreenExtra eyeglasses or contact lensesWater bottleSmall umbrellaSmall day pack / fanny packSmall flashlightMosquito/insect repellant (DEET 25% or greater)Itch relief creamLip screen/balmPrescription drugs – carry in original packaging to avoid customs problemsOTC medicines (antibiotics, cold/sinus, cough drops, eye drops, analgesic (Motrin, aspirin), anti-diarrheal)ToiletriesSmall alarm clockCleaning fluids/cloths/drying clothsField guidesNote pads/pens (we provide trip checklists)Hiking Boots/ShoesMedium-weight jacketMedium-weight long pantsMedium-weight long-sleeved shirtsWarm hat with visorRain hatWaterproof winter jacket (Gore-tex or equivalent)Warm, waterproof gloves (and backup pair)Long sleeve shirts (various weights)T-shirts or undershirts (capilene or polypropylene)Pants (fleece or wool; jeans NOT recommended)Long Underwear (capilene or polypropylene)PJs or shorts for lounging/sleepingWool socks (various weights) and liners.GORE-TEX socks/liners for water protection and warmthSturdy, waterproof boots; NEOS are lightweight waterproof overboots
Recommended Reading
- Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th Edition Jon Dunn, et al. (2011); National Geographic Society
- Shorebirds of North America, Europe, & Asia: A Guide to Field Identification Don Taylor; illustrated by Stephen Message (2006); Princeton University Press
- Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide Dennis Paulson (2005); Princeton University Press
- The Sibley Guide to Birds David A. Sibley (2000); Knopf
- Seabirds of the World Peter Harrison (1997); Princeton University Press
- A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan (1982); Wild Bird Society of Japan
- A Field Guide to the Waterbirds of Asia Bharat Bhushan, et al. (1993); Wild Bird Society of Japan
- Birds of Russia & Adjacent Territories V. E. Flint, et al. (1984); Princeton University Press
- A Field Guide to the Birds of China John MacKinnon & Karen Phillipps (2000); Oxford University Press
- Birds of Europe Killian Mullarney, et al. (1999); Princeton University Press
- Birds of Europe with North Africa & the Middle East Lars Jonsson (1992); Princeton University Press
- The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe & the Western Palearctic Mark Beaman and Steve Madge (1998); Princeton University Press
- A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain & Europe Ian Lewington, et al. (1991); Domino Books, Ltd.
- New Generation to the Guide Birds of Britain & Europe Christopher Perrins (1987); University of Texas Press