Alaska: Kenai Fjords & Denali
Date traveled: Aug-Sept 2025
Overview
Alaska has long been on the bucket list. With eight US national parks, it’s a must-see destination for anyone chasing parks like we are. Planning the trip revealed just how enormous and remote the state really is. Only three of the national parks are accessible by car, and everything is so spread out that it’s impossible to see them all in a single visit (unless you have several weeks). Choices had to be made about what was most important to us.
Our first trip focused on wildlife, diverse scenery, and experiencing as much variety as possible, from oceans to mountains. Two national parks were explored—Denali and Kenai Fjords. Could a couple more parks be added? Absolutely. I considered visiting Wrangell-St. Elias, which is drivable from Anchorage and could be visited if you have more time or prefer it over Homer. There are also day trips to Katmai or Lake Clark available nearby, but the cost of these single-day trips just didn’t seem worth it to us.
That said, we loved this itinerary. It allowed us to experience the state’s incredible diversity while keeping driving reasonable and maximizing activities. The trip blended water and wilderness: kayaking across the ocean, scanning riverbanks for bears, and hiking where trails were optional. It was active without feeling rushed, and remote without feeling inaccessible. And of course, there was plenty of room to enjoy all the amazing seafood Alaska has to offer. It was truly one of our most memorable trips yet.
Details
- Destinations: Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Denali, Talkeetna
- Route: Anchorage → Homer → Seward (Kenai Fjords) → Anchorage → Denali → Talkeetna → Anchorage
- National Parks: Kenai Fjords & Denali
- Duration: 11 days
- Flights: Fly in/out of Anchorage
- Getting Around: Rental car (Turo)
- Download Itinerary
A detailed overview of each major leg of the trip can be found in the following posts:
Anchorage → Homer / Kachemak Bay
Homer → Seward / Kenai Fjords
Anchorage → Denali → Talkeetna
Where We Stayed
- Anchorage: Snob Hollow Inn
- Homer: Retreat at Kachemak Bay
- Seward: Steller Inn
- Denali: McKinley Creekside Cabins
- Talkeetna: Susitna River Lodging
Tours booked
- Kachemak Bay Adventures (Land, Sea & Ice tour)
- Major Marine tours 7.5 hour Kenai Fjords Boat Tour
- Exit Glacier Guides Intermediate Ice Climbing Trip
- Denali ATV tour
- Denali Discovery Hike
- we didn’t actually do but worth checking out
- Denali Transit buses (schedules/ticketing info)
FOMO Highlights
- Kayaking in Kachemak Bay
- Eating Alaskan King Crab legs in Alaska
- Getting up close to tidewater glaciers in Kenai Fjords
- Ice climbing on Exit Glacier
- Off-trail hiking in Denali
- Scenic drives—the journey itself was an adventure