Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour

[mknopick]

We did the Tundra Wilderness Tour today in Denail. It was the greatest guided trip I have taken in a national park. Our guide, Tom Richards, was great. He was very knowledgable and very accommodating. We were lucky enough to see grizzly, caribou, moose, golden eagles, and a red fox. It is by far a great tour to do in the park.

[jamscckmc]

We are scheduled for this tour. There is a lot of advice on this board to go with the shuttle as it is cheaper and goes farther into the park. I think the TWT is as long a tour as my bad back can take. Was you bus completely full? Did you stop at any of the visitor centers? What snack did they provide? Last and most important to me with a bad back and knees and really long legs, how bad were the seats? Thanks!

[rose91]

I too wonder what is included in the Holland package TWT. Not sure if we need to bring extra stuff, water ect.

Where are the restroom stops as well.

[ScottishMaid]

We also did the tour today, which was included in our cruisetour package. We were in the bus 8 am at the McKinley Chalet resort till 5 pm back at the resort, with six ten minute stops, four of which had restrooms. The bus was full (51 people). Our guide Nancy talked nearly the whole time, giving out great information. The bus has bucket seats of size and legroom similar to economy coach airline. They are old school buses, I think.

A bottle of water was provided along with a roll, packaged reindeer/pork salami, cheese, carrots, nuts, chips. You have to eat on the bus in the cramped seats as there are no picnic tables due to wildlife. There is a Subway near the hotels and a grocery store. However prices are high. We brought a supply of granola bars and trail mix from home plus refillable water bottles.

Last year I did Denali independently and booked the NP shuttle ahead online.

It is much cheaper (about $31) and goes about 6 miles further to the beautiful new Eilson visitor center. It took us about the same time total but we spent about 45 minutes at the visitor center, as you are allowed to get on a different shuttle to return. It is a smaller bus, so loading is quicker and most were not totally full today. It makes approx. the same restroom stops and also stops for animal sightings. The bus has padded bench seats with lower seat backs, school bus style.

[jamscckmc]

Did the TWT stop at any visitor center or could you be dropped off at one at the end and take the lodge shuttle back?

[Budget Queen]

We also did the tour today, which was included in our cruisetour package. We were in the bus 8 am at the McKinley Chalet resort till 5 pm back at the resort, with six ten minute stops, four of which had restrooms. The bus was full (51 people). Our guide Nancy talked nearly the whole time, giving out great information. The bus has bucket seats of size and legroom similar to economy coach airline. They are old school buses, I think.

A bottle of water was provided along with a roll, packaged reindeer/pork salami, cheese, carrots, nuts, chips. You have to eat on the bus in the cramped seats as there are no picnic tables due to wildlife. There is a Subway near the hotels and a grocery store. However prices are high. We brought a supply of granola bars and trail mix from home plus refillable water bottles.

Last year I did Denali independently and booked the NP shuttle ahead online.

It is much cheaper (about $31) and goes about 6 miles further to the beautiful new Eilson visitor center. It took us about the same time total but we spent about 45 minutes at the visitor center, as you are allowed to get on a different shuttle to return. It is a smaller bus, so loading is quicker and most were not totally full today. It makes approx. the same restroom stops and also stops for animal sightings. The bus has padded bench seats with lower seat backs, school bus style.

 

This post has inaccurate information. ALL the Aramark buses are the SAME size. There are no "smaller buses" with the shuttle buses. There are picnic tables outside at both Eielson and Wonder Lake, inside seating at Eielson- so, the TWT eatting on the bus, has nothing to do with "wildlife". The bathroom stops are the SAME on all buses. About every 90 minutes they stop. The shuttle buses do NOT have bench seats, they are similar bucket seats compared to the tour buses.

[Shmoo here]

I too wonder what is included in the Holland package TWT. Not sure if we need to bring extra stuff, water ect.

Where are the restroom stops as well.

 

We did the TWT on our HAL cruisetour last month. We received a box lunch per person and water. The box lunch was a granola bar, a roll, a snack-size packages of cheddar cheese, as well as one of raindeer sausage. It was plenty for us, as we ate breakfast before we left on the tour. We only ate one of the lunches (as well as the guy across the aisles raindeer sausage, he didn't want it).

 

You certainly can take your own food, some people do. It's about an 6-8 hour tour (depending on what wildlife you see, and weather). You do restroom stops about every 90 minutes.

 

:)

[ScottishMaid]

This post has inaccurate information. ALL the Aramark buses are the SAME size. There are no "smaller buses" with the shuttle buses. There are picnic tables outside at both Eielson and Wonder Lake, inside seating at Eielson- so, the TWT eatting on the bus, has nothing to do with "wildlife". The bathroom stops are the SAME on all buses. About every 90 minutes they stop. The shuttle buses do NOT have bench seats, they are similar bucket seats compared to the tour buses.

Yes sorry buses are same size but different colors. The TWT doesn't go to Eilson or Wonder Lake.

Yesterday we were told by our TWT bus driver that we must keep all food inside the bus because they are minimizing impact on wildlife. She said if crumbs were dropped, bears etc would be attracted and become habituated to people and that would be dangerous for the hikers and bikers.

Also I forgot to say that if you go on the park shuttle bus you need to first take the shuttle from the HAL or Princess hotels (running every half hour) to the Wilderness Access centers (journey time 10 minutes).

[frugaltravel]

This post has inaccurate information. ALL the Aramark buses are the SAME size. There are no "smaller buses" with the shuttle buses. There are picnic tables outside at both Eielson and Wonder Lake, inside seating at Eielson- so, the TWT eatting on the bus, has nothing to do with "wildlife". The bathroom stops are the SAME on all buses. About every 90 minutes they stop. The shuttle buses do NOT have bench seats, they are similar bucket seats compared to the tour buses.

 

This post has inaccurate information. Though most shuttle buses have bucket seats, not all do. Just last month I was on a shuttle bus to Wonder Lake that still had the bench seats. All camper buses still have bench seats as well. Actually, yes the eating on the bus does indeed relate to the wildlife. If people ate outside at the rest stops they would drop crumbs and attract wildlife. Even though there are picnic tables outside at Eielson, people are strongly discouraged from eating outside there. The first couple of years that Eielson was open saw tons of ground squirrels (then foxes and sometimes bears) at the visitor center. Thus for most visitors, the drivers and the rangers encourage eating on the bus. For those getting off the bus to hike or staying in the campgrounds the suggestions are obviously different.

 

Yesterday we were told by our TWT bus driver that we must keep all food inside the bus because they are minimizing impact on wildlife. She said if crumbs were dropped, bears etc would be attracted and become habituated to people and that would be dangerous for the hikers and bikers.

 

You are absolutely correct.

[CathyCruises]

So it sounds like one is better off (wallet-wise anyway) taking the shuttle vs the TWT! We can buy sandwiches and bring them along so that's not an issue But there has to be SOME difference for the costs to be so out of whack!??

[agabbymama]

So it sounds like one is better off (wallet-wise anyway) taking the shuttle vs the TWT! We can buy sandwiches and bring them along so that's not an issue But there has to be SOME difference for the costs to be so out of whack!??

 

 

BECAUSE THEY CAN! The cruisetours will book their passengers on the TWT, never even telling them there is a shuttle that they could go on. $$$ to be made from the cruisetours. And many travellers (myself included) were content to let the cruiseline make all the arrangements and tell me where and when to be.

 

For the independent type, there are alternatives to the TWT at a more reasonable rate. It's as simple as that.

[frugaltravel]

BECAUSE THEY CAN! The cruisetours will book their passengers on the TWT, never even telling them there is a shuttle that they could go on. $$$ to be made from the cruisetours.

 

Exactly. The tours are 99% for cruisers who generally want everything planned for them Most cruisers have no idea about CC.

[PennyAgain]

Exactly. The tours are 99% for cruisers who generally want everything planned for them Most cruisers have no idea about CC.

 

I am always very careful where and how I eat when in any national park. Expecially when camping.

 

I don't want a personal visit by a bear or 2.

[frugaltravel]

I am always very careful where and how I eat when in any national park. Expecially when camping.

 

I don't want a personal visit by a bear or 2.

 

Not sure how this statement applies to the OP but I will bite :). Careful yes, but paranoid like many, no. I always bring food into Denali NP, often camp there for days on end, bring even "smelly" meats to the campground. Just using common sense, cleaning up, etc. is what is needed. Even with my multiple overnight trips into the park I haven't even been close to a personal bear encounter. Eating PB&J and trail mix is not the only answer :D

[PennyAgain]

Not sure how this statement applies to the OP but I will bite :). Careful yes, but paranoid like many, no. I always bring food into Denali NP, often camp there for days on end, bring even "smelly" meats to the campground. Just using common sense, cleaning up, etc. is what is needed. Even with my multiple overnight trips into the park I haven't even been close to a personal bear encounter. Eating PB&J and trail mix is not the only answer :D

 

At our family home in the Chugach Mts outside of Anchorage it is not unusual to have bears around when bringing groceries into the house from the car (a few dozen steps up from the parking area.)

 

I don't pay to see bears, bears seem to want to come see me.

 

As far as trail food, well, I don't like things that might spoil. I don't like things that are heavy. After those 2 things, there are many choices.

 

As far as what I prefer to eat on the shuttle buses or even the TWT if I am escorting people, I treat myself to all sorts of unhealthy things like candy, chocolate and the like. A huge excuse, yes. I also take along my own hot drink which is usually coffee.

[Freehike]

The shuttle buses do NOT have bench seats, they are similar bucket seats compared to the tour buses.

 

A lot of the Eilson shuttles do have bench seats still; it's luck of the draw apparently. We passed 5 or 6 Eilson shuttles and every one of them had bench seats on the day we went out on TWT.

 

To the OP: we also had Tom Richards and you're right; he was awesome!