Alaska Dogsledding Trips: A Denali Winter Adventure

We have a number of different dogsled adventures planned in and around Denali National Park.  Below are some of our usual trips, but all trips can be modified, and we encourage people to customize trips to their individual desires/needs.  Day trips are offered from November to early April.  Shorter cabin-based overnight trips are offered from late December through early April.  Longer cabin-based trips are offered from early January through early April.  Longer expeditions into the park interior that include camping are offered from early February through early April.  We offer a discount for many overnight trips in December and January.

All of our trips pay attention to detail, are fully interactive, and offer guests an authentic exposure to backcountry wilderness dog sledding in one of the most spectacular places in the world.  Trips are limited to 2-4 guests, but we can occassionally offer a custom trip for larger groups.  Guests are trained to drive their own dog teams after a training day sharing a sled with a guide. 

'Into the Wild' comes to 'Denali Dog Sled Expeditions'!

Many of our past guests are familar with Jon Krakauer's book, "Into the Wild", and are interested in seeing the route and bus that the book chronicals. In Fall 2007, a Hollywood blockbuster movie directed by Sean Penn will be released based upon the bestselling book. For those interested in seeing the actual place where these events took place, we are offering an "Into the Wild" dog sled adventure. Similar to the Sushana River three day trip, this will travel the Stampede Trail, with guests camping at the Sushana Bus. If you are interested in seeing this area of local history, consider the Into The Wild trip or the Sushana River Trip (which uses a cabin 6 miles from the bus for overnight lodging).

Dog Sled Expedition Support and Logistics

Denali Dog Sled Expeditions is pairing up with a local Bed and Breakfast in Healy to offer complete service and support for guests participating in our sledding trips. Denali Dome Home BB is a long-established B&B in Healy, owned and operated by Anne and Terry Miller. Beginning this next season, guests will be provided with all transportation and lodging before and after the trip. This service will reduce logistics, and in many cases, extra costs, for out-of-state visitors. All you will need to do is arrive at the Fairbanks Airport, and leave the rest to us. No rental cars, driving on icy roads in the dark, and wondering where to stay while in the big city. The cost of this service varies depending upon the group size and arrival time, so when inquiring about a dog trip, we can give you the options. The addition of your stay at Denali Dome Home will be an enjoyable addition to your wilderness adventure with EarthSong.

If any of the trips do not fit your needs, please let us know, and we will design one for you.

Basic Dog Sled Trip Rates
Day Trips $125-$325 Per Person for 1-4 hour trip.
Overnight Packages $695 Per Person, Per Day
Cross Country Ski Trips: please inquire

Sushana River Sampler - 3 Days
This is the perfect introduction to dog sledding in the Denali Wilderness area. The first day is spent at EarthSong Lodge, as an orientation and training day, with a short day trip on the sleds. The next two days you drive your own dog team to a backcountry cabin on the Sushana River, traveling along the historic Stampede Trail on the park's northern boundary. The trip is for those who want a short adventure, driving their own sled and learning the art of dog mushing.
$2085 per person (discount for early season trips - December and January)

Slate Lake-Sushana River Cabin trip-4 Days
This trip is similar to the Sushana River trip, but adds a night at our Slate Lake cabin.  The Slate Lake cabin is the largest cabin we use, and is located on a small lake in a mixed spruce/birch forest, with a view of Mt. McKinley.  We can offer this trip in late December through April.  $2780 per person (discounted in December and January)

Stampede Trail 5 Cabin Trip - 5 Days
For the guests who are uncertain about winter camping, but want a more in-depth experience than the Sushana River trip, we offer a trip out the park north boundary along the historic Stampede Mining Trail. This trip is similar to the Sushana River trip, but goes another 35 miles further west into the Denali Wilderness, where we stay at an historic park sled dog patrol cabin on the Toklat River. These two extra days afford guests closer views of Mt. McKinley, along with entering into an area of high wolf concentration. This trip is offered January through early April.
$3475 per person

Toklat River Loop - 7 Days
The Toklat River Loop has been one of the most popular trips in our guiding history. After an orientation day at the lodge, we travel west along the Stampede Trail and the park north boundary staying the first two backcountry nights in log cabins. The middle of the trip route is up the Toklat River, into the Denali Wilderness, to the park interior. The return follows the Park Road Corridor east to Denali National Park headquarters, where the trip ends. This adventure gives an excellent mix of open tundra, river bars, mountains, and passes. It also poses some exciting sledding challenges. The Toklat Loop is for people in good to excellent condition, as it has some moderately difficult sledding situations, and elevation gains that require physical activity. It also offers two days of day trips off the main route. The usual day excursions are to the summit of Stony Hill, for an exceptional view of Denali, and a trip up a glacier valley to one of the smaller glaciers descending from the Alaska Range. The flexibility allows us to go where the sledding is best. (This trip offered February - early April).
7 day trip $4865 per person
10 day trip $6950 per person.

Denali Wilderness Expedition - 10 Days
This 10 day trip is the longest we usually offer, and will take you on a grand tour through Denali National Park.  The specific route varies from year to year, depending upon the snow and trail conditions.  Some areas we usually visit are the Clearwater Fork that takes you the back way to Wonder Lake, Wonder Lake itself, McGonnagal Pass and the Muldrow Glacier, the Kantishna Mining District, and sometimes the South Side of the Alaska Range.  We feel this trip, no matter the itinerary, is the finest dog sledding expedition adventure offered anywhere.  Usually only one 10-day trip is offered each season.  The trip may also include flying one way to or from the Kantishna Airstrip, which includes a scenic flight over the park.
$6700 Per Person

Mush in, Fly out-7 Days
We occassionally offer a one-way trip through the park to Wonder Lake, with a flight out by bush plane back to Healy.  This trip allows for guests to get farther into the heart of the park, spend more time at Wonder Lake near Mt. McKinley, and not spend the usual 10 days.  The price of the trip varies, and the basic rate plus airfare applies if another trip can be set up going the opposite direction.  This trip option is popular with returning guests who are looking to see more of the park, but don't have 10 or more days to do it.  (Trip offered March to early April)
Rates vary

Rates listed are for the 2010-2011 season and are subject to change without notice.