Best time to see changing of leaves in Denali and Kenai.
May 4th, 2012, 09:52 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Best time to see changing of leaves in Denali and Kenai.
Flying to Anchorage and renting a car and going to Denali. Plan on spending 3 days including travel time in the park. Any suggestions on accomodatons would be appreciated. From Denali will drive back to Anchorage and take the train to Seward. Plan to see the Kenai and will spend 3 days in the area. I have heard good things about the Kenai Glacier Lodge so would be interested in hearing from those people either pro or con on this lodge. Any other suggestions on lodging would be appreciated. I have heard that its best to see the Kenai to take the longer tour in order to see everything.
From Seward I take a cruise back to Vancouver tenatively on the Norwegian Line. If anyone has reviews on the same cruise route regarding other companies than Norwegian I would like to hear pro or con. I am traveling solo.
From Seward I take a cruise back to Vancouver tenatively on the Norwegian Line. If anyone has reviews on the same cruise route regarding other companies than Norwegian I would like to hear pro or con. I am traveling solo.
May 4th, 2012, 10:24 AM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,880
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In Denali everything is green-green-green through most of the summer. Beautiful but monotone. Then in late August the tundra starts to change color, as do the small number of non-evergreen trees. Shades of red, orange, yellow ... just beautiful, especially on clear days when you can see the mountains in the background.
For trees, there are some aspens near the first part of the park that are turning yellow at this same time, and the willows (small trees, not much more than bushes) also turn shades of yellow amidst the tundra. But the tundra is something else as whole mountainsides turn shades of red and orange.
As another bonus the larger animals are more active and easier to see late summer and early fall, especially bears feeding roadside in blueberry or soapberry patches, and moose and caribou, which are starting to strip the velvet off their antlers and prepare for the fall rut.
And one more bonus, the damned mosquitos are pretty much all gone.
So anyway, for Denali the absolute two best weeks are the last week in August and first week in September for fall colors.
Kenai seems to me more evergreens than deciduous trees, so I'd plan around being at Denali for the peak time and then fitting in Kenai wherever makes the most sense.
I have heard that its best to see the Kenai to take the longer tour in order to see everything.
Not sure which 'longer tour' you're referring to, but a night or two in Homer and a night or two in Seward should pretty much cover the Kenai highlights.
For trees, there are some aspens near the first part of the park that are turning yellow at this same time, and the willows (small trees, not much more than bushes) also turn shades of yellow amidst the tundra. But the tundra is something else as whole mountainsides turn shades of red and orange.
As another bonus the larger animals are more active and easier to see late summer and early fall, especially bears feeding roadside in blueberry or soapberry patches, and moose and caribou, which are starting to strip the velvet off their antlers and prepare for the fall rut.
And one more bonus, the damned mosquitos are pretty much all gone.
So anyway, for Denali the absolute two best weeks are the last week in August and first week in September for fall colors.
Kenai seems to me more evergreens than deciduous trees, so I'd plan around being at Denali for the peak time and then fitting in Kenai wherever makes the most sense.
I have heard that its best to see the Kenai to take the longer tour in order to see everything.
Not sure which 'longer tour' you're referring to, but a night or two in Homer and a night or two in Seward should pretty much cover the Kenai highlights.
May 4th, 2012, 10:40 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Congratulations on the Alaska trip, you'll have an awesome time. I did a similar trip last year.
Stayed at Park's Edge Log Cabins in Healy, which is a few miles north of Denali National Park entrance; the place was rated well on tripadvisor and priced well, so I picked it. Enjoyed my stay there, would recommend the place.
The drive to Seward is amazing. Good call on taking the longer tour to see Kenai Fjords, they have day cruises from Seward, went for the 6hr one, was well worth it.
Have received some great advice from folks on fodors, sure you will too. Have fun planning.
Stayed at Park's Edge Log Cabins in Healy, which is a few miles north of Denali National Park entrance; the place was rated well on tripadvisor and priced well, so I picked it. Enjoyed my stay there, would recommend the place.
The drive to Seward is amazing. Good call on taking the longer tour to see Kenai Fjords, they have day cruises from Seward, went for the 6hr one, was well worth it.
Have received some great advice from folks on fodors, sure you will too. Have fun planning.
