Winter Denali Dog Sled Excursions "Into the Wild" -- Alaska Adventure Travel

Dog Sledding Q&A | Tales from the Trail: Dog Sledding Stories

2007-2008 Dog Sledding Season

We have four different adventures planned in Denali National Park. In addition to the trips described, we offer short and long custom adventures during the early part of our sledding season (November to January), and are working on some additional trips offered in the spring (February - April 3rd). All of these trips pay attention to detail, with a limit of 2-3 people per trip. All are interactive, with guests trained to run dogs, and driving their own teams.

'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).

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
Overnight Packages	$640 Per Person, Per Day

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.
$1860 per person (discount for early season trips - 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 March.
$3100 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.
$4340 per person

In the Footsteps of Harry Karstens - 10 Days
Harry Karstens was Denali National Park's first superintendent, hired primarily for his dog sledding experience. This is the top trip we offer, taking you on a grand tour through the park. We go from EarthSong along the Stampede Trail, to Wonder Lake and MacGonnagal Pass, and through the park interior. We feel this is the finest dog sled expedition adventure offered anywhere. We only offer one of these trips per season.
$6200 Per Person

The EarthSong Lodge
P.O. Box 89
Healy, Alaska 99743
Phone: (907)683-2863
Fax: (907)683-2868
E-mail: koala@mtaonline.net