Alaska's National Parks
Possessing half of the U.S. National Parks, Alaska truly offers some of Mother Nature’s best work. Stretching across a staggering 13.2 million acres, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest parcel of land, but its sister parks—Glacier Bay, Denali, Kenai Fjords, and Gates of the Arctic—share equally in beauty and natural wonders.
Glacier Bay National Park
Set on the state's southeastern coast, this glacier-rich territory is equally abundant in snowcaps, fjords and wildlife.
Spread across an impressive 3.3-million acres, southeastern Alaska’s scenic coastal islands, narrow fjords and substantial wildlife offer an inspirational glimpse of the pristine beauty of Glacier Bay National Park.
The highest concentration of tidewater glaciers on the planet can be found here. Access to this natural wonderland is extremely limited and not all cruise lines can offer this access. But as a leader in the business, Princess Cruises is proud to include Glacier Bay on every one of our exclusive Voyage of the Glaciers, Connoisseur cruises and Alaska Cruisetours (combined cruise and land tour) plus on some Inside Passage itineraries.
A Changing Landscape
When John Muir discovered Glacier Bay in 1879, he surveyed the unblemished panorama and declared it "still in the morning of creation." Nearly a century earlier, George Vancouver's ships sailed right past it because a wall of ice sealed off the entrance to the bay. But over the last 200 years, the ice has been steadily receding, revealing a stark landscape that is slowly being taken over by vegetation unable to resist the fresh rock and soil. The result is a lush, temperate rainforest of spruces and hemlocks that carpets large portions of the stunning terrain.
Tarr Inlet
At the head of Glacier Bay is the Tarr Inlet, where scientists have found exposed rock that's believed to be more than 200 million years old. The Tarr Inlet is home to the Grand Pacific Glacier, an active body of ice that's slowly making its way toward the Margerie Glacier, which it last touched in 1912.
Johns Hopkins Inlet
As you cruise by the northeastern edge of the robust Fairweather Range, you'll enter the Johns Hopkins Inlet, home to no less than nine glaciers. Framed by rocky slopes that stretch skyward more than 6,000 feet, these wondrous glaciers are eclipsed only by the mighty Mount Fairweather itself, which at more than 15,300 feet is the highest point in southeast Alaska.
Muir Glacier
In the northeastern corner of Glacier Bay, the snow-covered Takhinsha Mountains feed the active Muir Glacier, which regularly sheds walls of ice into the bay. The brilliant blue glow of a calving glacier and the thunderous roar of ice crashing into the water below are sights and sounds that you'll remember for the rest of your life.
With such a diverse landscape, the park provides a variety of habitats for animals, big and small. Large colonies of seabirds, migrating ducks and geese, black bears, seals, sea lions, porpoises and whales are all common here. Witness it all for yourself onboard Princess Cruises to Alaska.
Denali National Park
Breathtaking vistas, spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities and the venerable Mt. McKinley, North American’s tallest peak, explain why this is one of Alaska’s most popular attractions. And you’ll enjoy it while staying at our two comfortable Princess wilderness lodges in the area.
From the moment you step off the Alaska Railroad at the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve, you'll feel as if you've been transported back in time, where skyscrapers and traffic jams have been replaced by snowcapped mountain peaks and flocks of native birds. This park defines the Alaskan Experience so Princess Cruises includes it on every Alaska Cruisetour (combined cruise-and-land tour).
Towering above it all is the venerable Mt. McKinley, the highest point in all of North America. At 20,320 feet, its summit beckons more than 1,000 climbers each year who brave the elements for the chance to scale its majestic face. Fortunately, the climate isn't a factor for guests of Princess Cruises, who can relax at one of our two exclusive, custom-built lodges - the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Denali Untouched
Located 240 miles north of Anchorage, Denali encompasses six million acres of forests, tundra, glaciers and mountains - that's larger than the entire state of Massachusetts. Yet only 90 miles of main road traverses the park, leaving the moose, caribou, sheep and bears free to roam a wide area of land untouched by man.
Wildlife Sightings
A good pair of binoculars helps with ample opportunities for animal sightings, whether it’s a Grizzly foraging for berries beyond or a Golden Eagle soaring above. In autumn, a ready supply of blueberries, cranberries and crowberries keeps the wildlife active; much like the blooming wildflowers during the summer attracts shutterbugs in search of that perfect shot.
Muldrow Glacier Tundra
Denali is one of the few places where visitors can come in contact with the Alaskan tundra. Meaning a "vast, rolling, treeless plain," the tundra starts at 2,500 feet and extends up and along the massive Alaska Range. Crossing a portion of the tundra is the Muldrow Glacier, which descends 16,000 feet from the upper slopes of Mt. McKinley and comes to within one mile of the park road.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
The highest coastal mountains in the world can be found here, near the Canadian border in south central Alaska.
With its grand vistas and boundless landscapes, Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park exceeds even the most imaginative expectations because of its distinction as being the nation's largest.
Stretching along the Canadian border in scenic south central Alaska, this robust land is quilted with wandering rivers, lakes, glaciers and some of the most dramatic mountain ranges to be found in North America. In fact, nine of the 16 highest peaks in the country are here, including the park's namesakes: Mount St. Elias and Mount Wrangell — the latter an active volcano that last erupted in 1911.
Adventure, History and Nature
With so much space — a whopping 13.2 million acres in all — there is a wide array of activities and opportunities to explore. River rafting, sport fishing, sea kayaking and flightseeing are just some of the options sure to appeal to the adventurer in you. For a more relaxed pace, take a stroll along one of the many meandering trails, or tour the historic Kennicott Copper Mine. You can even see a portion of the legendary Alaskan pipeline.
Wilderness Retreat
Whatever your pleasure, your itinerary can be planned in front of a roaring fire at our newest Alaskan outpost, the exquisite Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. Nestled on a bluff near the entrance to the park, this exclusive retreat is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable members of the Princess Cruises family who are experts at mapping out customized park tours based on your interests.
Sightseeing by Land or Air
Two main roads travel deep into the heart of the park and provide easy access to a number of remote points of interest. But if you've ever dreamed of soaring over treetops like an eagle, a “flightseeing” tour of the park may be your ticket. There's certainly no shortage of breathtaking sights to see, with more than 150 glaciers making their way down the slopes of the three mountain ranges that converge here.
Come explore Alaska and Wrangell-St. Elias, the nation’s largest park, with Princess Cruises!
Kenai Fjords National Park
This rocky southeastern coast of the Kenai Peninsula in south central Alaska is home to more than 100 bird species.
Filled with rugged capes, sea arches and ice caves, magnificent Kenai Fjords is the kind of place that stirs the souls of artists, including some filmmakers, whose otherworldly sets are no doubt inspired by locations like this. Indeed, if you were in search of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, this would be a good place to start.
Set on the jagged southern end of the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, the ice-sculpted land known as "Alaska's playground" just begs to be explored—and Princess Cruises provides a variety of ways to do it.
Harding Icefield
A network of long and intricate trails affords some of the best views in the park, including an up-close encounter with scenic Exit Glacier, the most famous of the more than 30 glaciers that surround the spectacular Harding Icefield, the crown jewel of Kenai Fjords.
Covering 700 square miles, this massive expanse of ice is as much as one mile thick at points, and receives an average annual snowfall of 30 feet. This unrelenting blanket of white is punctured only by the peaks of high, rocky mountains, known as "nunataks," which are best viewed at the crest of the steep, 4.5 mile-long Harding Icefield Trail.
Aialik Bay
In addition to hiking, nearly every other type of outdoor activity that Alaska has to offer can be found here, including kayaking, river rafting, hiking, horseback riding, even gold panning. Glacier viewing is popular in the most impressive of the park's seven long fjords - Aialik Bay, where the Holgate, Pederson and Aialik tidewater glaciers converge to launch icebergs into the sea.
Land and Sea Tours
If marine life is your passion, our Glacier Adventure Cruise is the perfect opportunity to see humpback whales, orcas, seals, sea lions, otters, porpoises and puffins. It's one of several family-friendly excursions that can be arranged during your stay at our exclusive Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, located on the northern edge of the park in the Chugach National Forest near the Kenai Wildlife Refuge. The only Cruisetour lodge in the area is just steps away from the glacial blue-green Kenai River, the perfect place for trophy-size fishing.
After a day of exploring, relax by the fire, or enjoy a nightcap in our cozy Rafter's Lounge. With so much to see and do, you'll be ready for a little pampering, and on an Alaska Princess cruisetour, we’re prepared to do just that.
Gates of The Arctic National Park
Deep in the heart of Alaska is an unblemished land known for its pristine wilderness. North of the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Range lies the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, a maze of glaciated valleys and jagged peaks that nurture a surprisingly diverse and stunning ecosystem.
Covering 8.4 million acres, the Gates of the Arctic is the second largest national park in the United States, but its remote location makes it one of the least visited. That's why we’ve included it on Princess Cruises Explorer itineraries, on the way to Prudhoe Bay.
Scenic Rivers
The "Gates of the Arctic" refers to Boreal Mountain and Frigid Crags, a pair of summits that flank the North Fork of the Koyukuk River in the eastern section of the park. Koyukuk is one of six Congress-designated wild and scenic rivers that crisscross the park, some extending hundreds of miles. A popular destination is John River, which cuts through the center of the park.
Midnight Rock Climbing
In the southwestern region, the Noatak River flows down from Mount Igikpak, which tops off at 8,510 feet and is the park's highest point. Naturally, mountain and rock climbing are popular sports, especially during June and July, when the sun never sets.
Wildlife Hot Spot
Alpine meadows, forested lowlands and arctic tundra vegetation support four-legged wildlife, such as caribou, moose, Dall sheep and black and grizzly bears, as well as the two-legged, winged variety. More than 130 species of birds are here, including eagles, hawks, falcons and owls.
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