My boyfriend and I will be in Alaska from June 29 (afternoon) - July 7 (morning). We want to visit, hike, go camping and possibly backpacking in Denali and Kenai. I've heard a one night backpacking trip to lost Lost Lake from Seward is a must and we want to do Exit Glacier or a boat tour in Kenai. We would also love to camp and backpack elsewhere (Denali?). We are not super hard core, but very active and have recently transitioned into backpacking from just car camping. We will be renting a car as well.

Any suggestions on an itinerary? Top hikes and/or sites?

Exit Glacier is a short walk on paved trails and does not take long. It's a good stop for an hour or so.

Both tour boat companies in Seward are very good. Take the longest. It will get you out to see the best glaciers and the most marine wildlife. That will take most of the day.

We have only done RV camping in Alaska but what I do know about camping in Alaska is you must take extreme bear precautions. If you have camped in bear country you know the rules. You should have bear spray for backcountry camping. The population of bears in Alaska is very high per square mile.

From what I remember about Denali, there are no trails. You will need to get some good advice from the backcountry office.

You'll reach a lot more experienced backpackers on the forums on the backpacker.com website. For something like Alaska, you really need to make sure you know what you're getting into as it is much more unforgiving than most of the lower 48.

http://www.backpacker.com/community/

Thank you! Any suggestions for drive up campgrounds in Denali? I've heard Riley Creek is touristy - does it ruin the experience? Since there are not many trails in Denali, campgrounds seem the most realistic.

DS used to wilderness camp in AK. Even some locals aren't comfortable in a tent in bear country. Perhaps opt for the safety of a touristy place unless you can get info from experienced backpackers. We went to a craft fair at Alyeska where food smells from food vendors attracted a bear. (I saw the bushes moving and people hollering.) DS and DIL were in a tent around mid-June in Palmer while we stayed in a B&B. In the early AM, DIL came to the b&b driven crazy by the mosquitoes and wanting a hot shower. Maybe keep your options open until you get there and continue to do research.

Riley Creek c.g. in Denali National Park is a very nice campground similar to other state and national park campgrounds. I wouldn't call it touristy--just not backcountry.

If you want something a little more rustic, you might check out Denali STATE Park.

There are four camping sections. Two are on the west side of the highway and are just parking lots that RV's can camp on--Denali View North and Denali View South. You might can tent camp there but I'm not sure where except on pavement. They do give you some of the best views of Denali anywhere, if it is not socked in. it's worth a pull in and won't cost anything just to see if there is a good view.

Byers Lake campground is on the east side of the highway. It's in the woods, and when we were there, pretty grown up. It didn't appeal to us but it might to you. State funds for state parks were low that year and they may have just not been able to do any upkeep. A few state park campgrounds had even been closed that year. It's just off the highway and easy to check out.

The brochure says there are three rustic cabins (one has elec) at Byers Lake and one "remote campground".

There are several trails in the state park also. See link to brochure below:

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/brochures/denalisp.pdf