I will be going to Alaska September 13 day for 7 nights, flying into Anchorage. Any suggestions on places to go? I know some of the railroad lines close mid-September. Also, should I take a cruise from Whittier or Seward, and should i head inland to Denali or cruise the ports around Prince William sound and Kenai Peninsula?

When are you going? We had great weather in Sept last year! We went over Labor day and the resorts in Denal when we were there were getting ready to close. I loved the Kenai Fords crusie from Seward..some of the MOST beautiful scenery in the world...I was blown away! We wwere there for 12 nights..took the train to Denali both ways..what a great trip!!

The only way you are going to get into Denali Park is IF you win the road lottery. You are too late for the shuttle buses. AND if you do happen to get a permit, you would HAVE to rent a car that will allow you to drive the unpaved road. NONE of the major rentals will allow this.

So determine what you want to do then decide what routing you want to take.

Judyrem-

We are going to be in Alaska Labor Day week in 09. Cannot figure out whether we want to go north from Anchorage first or go south to the Kenai Peninsula. Were you in the Kenai Peninsula over Labor Day weekend? I was curious whether it is real busy that weekend? That will make my determination to go north 1st instead of south. Thanks.

I was in Alaska in early September in 2005 and it was already snowing quite heavily in Denali. And as another person mentions in this forum, the bus service into the park may have stopped by mid September. I also visited the Kenai Peninsula on the same trip and it was a lot warmer in comparison. I took a boat ride from Seward out to see a couple of glaciers and it was amazing. I saw humpback whales, porpoises, puffins, otters, bald eagles... and the list goes on.

Owensmom, we were in the Kenai peninsula first...Seward then Homer, the Anchorage, the Denali. I did not notice much of a differance in crowds. In fact, crowds were getting kind of sparce as the trip wore on. We were SOOOO very lucky we had graet weather, you never know, yes?

Thank you for your reply. I had read that the KP is so popular with locals especially with the fishing that I thought maybe with the last long weekend of the season it would be packed. Maybe it's not like it is down here in the lower 48.

SNOW! I was not planning on that!!! I have checked and the buses run through mid-Sept so we will just make it with that. Thanks to you both.

We are going to be in Alaska Labor Day week in 09. Cannot figure out whether we want to go north from Anchorage first or go south to the Kenai Peninsula.

Denali is at its best the last week in August and first week in Sept for tundra colors, then the vegetation loses color quickly. So I'd definitely go to Denali first. Don't worry too much about snows, on five trips to the area in early Sept we had heavy snows that shut down the park roads past Toklat only once.

Kenai is very crowded over Labor Day, but not so much a bit later, another reason to go first to Denali.

Bill

Thank you so much for that valuable information Bill. The reason we were going to do the KP first is so tha I could get my bear viewing tour in, as I have read that sometimes you either cannot go or you get stranded because of bad weather. So if we are in fact going to Denali, we will go first to avoid the crowded KP, which is what we were going to do originally. I have sent so many emails out to different outfitters trying to get information and I do not get any replies.

Some people just don't do emails. If you really want to go and you want answers now, call them and if they don't answer, keep calling. It will make your trip planning so much easier if you get answers soon.

The reason we were going to do the KP first is so tha I could get my bear viewing tour in, as I have read that sometimes you either cannot go or you get stranded because of bad weather.

Whirlwind, our 'typical' trip up there is to hit Denali late Aug or early Sept when the tundra colors are peaking, then go to Katmai early to mid-September for the bears for a few days to a week. The bears are fat, well-furred and lazy in September but you are right about the weather, we often run into a lot of rain.

Flying from Anchorage to Katmai NP we've faced delays of several hours a few times but were always able to get in or out the same day. I think flying from Homer on a day-trip the odds of getting weathered out are higher for some reason, but I doubt it's any higher early Sept vs a week later, just depends on when the storms roll thru.

This year we will fly from Homer to a bear camp in Katmai and spend a week in mid-September. We expect to see a lot of rain 2-4 days, couple of days of overcast, and hope to see sunny skies 1-2 days if lucky, but you never really know in Alaska

I have sent so many emails out to different outfitters trying to get information and I do not get any replies

The top guys in Homer could be booked solid already ... maybe call Emerald Air or Bald Mountain etc and see when they have openings ... I think the Brooks Camp daytrips out of Anchorage are a lot slower to book up as they have a longer flight, and these go to a more crowded area, but seem less prone to bad weather.

Bill

Thanks again for all your help. You have been very helpful.

I envy your week long bear trip.

I envy your week long bear trip

owinsmom, here are a few of our fav grizzly bear pics from Katmai and Denali which you might enjoy ... we really like photographing bears.

http://www.pbase.com/hilton_photography/grizz

Bill

Wow Bill, those are truely incredible!!! Are you a professional? Thank you so much for sharing.

I have been looking at bear viewing excursions in Ketchikan so we could eliminate that trip all the way down to Homer and not have to be so rushed in our 6 days, but I just don't think they would compare to Hallo Bay. I can't seem to make that compromise...but then you think of the cost and it is more than the flight from Michigan to Anchorage . LOL
Looking at those pictures though...Hmmmm! If there was only some guarantee that you would see a lot of bear action. Of course there's not, it's nature. I am just so fixated on seeing bears that I am afraid I am going to be disappointed.

If there was only some guarantee that you would see a lot of bear action

Five of those pics were shot at Denali, where we have seen bears pretty much every day (several times we've seen 15-18 in one day, but more often 3-5 in 2 or 3 groups). But usually they are a bit too far off or not facing the camera or the weather sucks. The five photos were all taken between mile marker 60 and 80 (well inside the park), usually early in the AM before the influx of shuttle busses, and it's a rare day to get really good grizz shots in Denali, but worth it.

The other 15 images were taken at Brooks Camp in Katmai on September trips (usually just after Denali trips) and you should see 12 - 15 bears there every day (often more) since they are feeding on spawned out salmon and pretty easy to find on the river and near the cabins and campground. If you went here in mid-Sept you'd for sure see bears up close, but it's pretty popular so there are a lot of people too.

This place is best for multi-day trips at the lodge or campground. I think it's OK for day trips but personally I'd prefer doing a daytrip out of Homer and going to less-heavily visited areas. Here's the link to the concessionaire that rents the cabins at Brooks (you can reserve space at the campground thru the Park Service). Staying here 3 nights is relatively cheap and you'll have some good bear tales to tell when you get back:
http://www.katmailand.com/bear-viewing/index.html

Bill