Off-Trail Hike in Denali
Wilderness Wonders Tour
Quick Info and Highlights
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This tour is fairly flat and the pace is slow, but it is off-trail, meaning that the terrain can be different than what some are accustomed to. The squishiness of the peat moss and the act of pushing through blueberry bushes, while fun, can sap your energy more than a trail would.
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One of the things that sets us apart is that none of our hikes have set distances or elevation gains. Every tour is tailored to your tour group. The distance will depend on the pace of the group and capabilities of everyone involved.
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This tour is perfect for the whole family. The kids love getting off-trail and exploring the Alaskan woods, while adults and kids alike will be enamored with how the ecosystems and other natural phenomena work together. Oh - and everyone loves the dozens of tasty varieties of edible berries that can be found during the right season.
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This is Trinidad and Jason’s vote for the best tour we offer. They love navigating off-trail and exploring along with their clients (you). They also see how much our clients love it firsthand, making them enjoy it even more!
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Most travelers to Denali never get to experience true immersion into the area. You can change that for you and your family by booking this tour.
What will you find? An old trap from the ‘50s? A squirrel colony? An old landslide? Our guides have found all of these on the Wilderness Wonders Tour, and continue to find more unique sights on every excursion.
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This tour takes place entirely off-trail. From the moment the van doors open you will be in the authentic world of Denali. This means that every tour is different and you can go wherever you want to! If you want to go check something out, just tell your guide and they’ll take you there. All of our guides are experts at backcountry navigation and carry GPS/SOS devices, so you can walk and relax, knowing that they know where you are, even if you don’t!
Because it is off-trail, this tour does involve some bushwhacking. That means you’ll be hiking through knee-high — and sometimes higher — bushes. It is, after all, a true off-trail experience!
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We don’t believe in having to rent gear or buy a National Parks pass to have a good time on our hike. That’s why it’s all included on your hike. We have rain jackets for you if it gets a little rainy. We also offer trekking poles to anyone who wants them.
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Water, comfortable hiking shoes or boots, long pants and a long sleeve shirt, and layers! While our guides will have snacks available, bring your own food if you want something more substantial.
Tour Description
Adventure. Authenticity. Exploration. This tour embodies these three ideas. Leave the trails and cookie-cutter tours behind. Venture off-trail through Denali’s magical boreal forest. Leave the navigation to your guide - they’re an expert.
Put your present self into your future shoes for a moment. Your feet sink into the deep peat moss that carpets the forest floor. Your guide hands you a fistful of wild blueberries. They’re tastier than the ones you bought from the store. The complex flavors wash over your palette as your guide tells you about the nutritional benefits. Out of the corner of your eye you spot movement! A snowshoe hare. It hasn’t fully lost its ivory-white winter coat yet. Your guide decides to change course and follow the hare. Why not? You’re not on a trail after all.
Now drag yourself back to the present. Did that sound like something you would like to experience on your Denali vacation? If so, the Wilderness Wonders Tour was designed for you. The best part? The scene I laid out for you isn’t an outlier. The magic begins when you leave the trail. The worst part? Due to the high skill level required to guide tours like this, most companies don’t offer them. You won’t get many chances to experience something like this. Don’t let the opportunity slip away. Availabilities are first-come-first-serve, so don’t wait for someone else to decide your vacation’s fate.
Attention: We already have over 800 people booked for summer of 2025. Availabilities are first-come-first-serve. Book now to reserve your spot. Cancellations are refunded 100% until 24 hours before your tour, so there’s no risk for you. If you see the availability you wanted to book yesterday fill up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
$199 Per Adult
$159 Per Child
Want to make this a Private Trip? Give us a call!
Disclaimer: Because it’s off-trail, the National Park Service doesn’t allow us to operate this tour in the Denali National Park boundaries. Instead, we operate it just outside. We do this to give you the best and most immersive experience we can.
Off-trail tours can and do involve some bushwhacking. That means that you’ll be walking through knee-high bushes and sometimes pushing through some larger ones. While an inconvenience, this is as authentic to Alaskan off-trail travel as it gets! And your guide will still keep it to a minimum — unless of course it’s what you want!
Wilderness Wonders Tour Reviews
The Ultimate Confidence Guarantee:
It can be stressful to find the right tour. What if it’s bad? Not what you thought it would be? Most companies would tell you to kick rocks. Not us.
If you don’t like your tour with Northern Epics, just give us a call. Or shoot us an email. Either way, we’ll give you a full refund. AND $100 towards your next tour in Alaska.
Find someone who stands by their tours as well as we do. I’m waiting.