The Denali Highway is one of Alaska’s most scenic and least-traveled roads—a 135-mile backcountry route between Paxson and Cantwell with steady Alaska Range views, glacial valleys, and wide open country in nearly every direction. This full-day trip follows that route through real Interior terrain, far away from the crowded park roads most visitors see.

We begin by heading south on the Richardson Highway before turning onto the Denali Highway, where the pavement ends and the gravel begins. From there, the landscape opens quickly: long views to the Alaska Range, braided rivers, kettle lakes, and classic spruce country. Along the way, we’ll make regular stops at viewpoints and waysides to see glacial features like U-shaped valleys, eskers, and old river channels, and to take in places such as Tangle Lakes, the Maclaren River area, and waterfowl-rich ponds and wetlands.

Wildlife is always a possibility on this route. Depending on the season, we may see caribou on the move, moose in low wetlands, trumpeter swans and other waterfowl on the lakes, and occasional fox or other small mammals along the road. As with any wild area, nothing is guaranteed, but the highway travels through active habitat the entire way.

Throughout the day, your guide keeps the focus on what you’re seeing out the window and at each stop—how glaciers carved the valleys, how the Alaska Range shapes the weather, and how people have used and traveled this corridor over time. There’s plenty of time for photos, short walks at pullouts, and simple breaks to just stand in the quiet and look around.

Our small-group setup means every guest has a guaranteed window seat in a modern, all-wheel-drive touring van equipped for Interior conditions. Light snacks, water, and hot drinks are provided, and we plan a simple lunch stop or picnic along the route. Tours are capped at seven guests to keep the experience comfortable, conversational, and focused on the landscape rather than the crowd.

In summer, the long daylight and midnight sun keep the views going well into the evening, so even the return drive offers clear, extended visibility of the country you’ve just traveled through.