denali wilderness safaris

My husband and I were the only two signed up for the dog cart ride. Now I know why. We were driven by bus to the location of the excursion. The "wilderness experts" then gave us a presentation about furs and trapping. The talk was about trapping quotas and methods aka how to make money trapping in Alaska. It was interesting but failed to touch on the importance of trapping for culture and conservation. At this point the jet boat people went one way and my husband and I were escorted by a nice young Athabaskan girl who introduced us to a couple of motley reindeer and then rode along with us on the bus to the dog cart location. The dog "kennel" consists of a great number of dogs chained in and around the trees. We did not meet or pet any dogs, except some puppies which were half grown. The actual cart ride was disappointing - about 5 minutes twice around the block. It was in an enclosed golf cart and stopped to pose for a picture with Bob Cotter 20 time Iditarod racer. The ride was followed by question and answer with Bob and a peek at his equipment. I was disappointed mostly that the actual ride was so short. It was swell to meet Bob and he and his operation are the real deal when it comes to dog sled operations but for the price of almost $100 per person - definitely not worth it.

I've been on numerous jetboat rides around the world and by comparison, this is just a fast ride up the river and back. No exciting turns or action you would expect from a jetboat. The ride is less than an hour and then there is an hour educational talk about Alaskan animals and furs and you get to pan for gold for a few minutes. It was ok, but I wouldn't spend the money on it again.

The three hour jet boat tour is not exactly a three hour jet boat tour, which is reason I am writing this review - just so that potential visitors will have a better idea of what to expect. If you get picked up in Denali, you will first get on a bus and travel 27 miles south to a cabin. They take you into the cabin and show you a bunch animal pelts and talk to you about them. They also feed you "beaver tail", which was delicious. After about 40 minutes of talking to you about the local area and the animals, they take you out to the back of the cabin and you spend about 20 minutes panning for gold. Then they show you a replica of a miner's tent. Then you are escorted over to their reindeer and will get the opportunity to feed it. Finally, you get on the jet boat.and go up and down the river. During the ride, the driver stops frequently to talk more. After that, we got back to the cabin, then back on the bus to make the trip to Denali. All of that occurred in slightly under three hours. We didn't seen any wildlife, but that is a hit or miss chance. I hope this review helps you to be informed about your experience with the Denali Wilderness three-hour Jet Boat Tour.

The price was very reasonable. Great pics of wildlife and nature on display. Scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Driver was very knowledgeable. Plenty of bathroom and scenery stops.

I visited Denali Wilderness Safaris Aug 2013 and had a great time! This is a 20 mile tour of the Nenana River that also includes a trappers talk and sweet treats. Captain Scott is personable and interactive with his passengers. The wilderness is amazing and the boat provides a great ride to view Alaskas natural beauty and wildlife.

Just got back from Alaska and did a lot of things. This excursion was by far the most real experience and exposed us to the history of trapping and wilderness living. And the jet boat ride was amazing. It was fast and wild but safe. Guide and owner was really a great guy. Grizzly hide was hanging over a log. Hot chocolate and fried dough were delicious. This is a genuine Alaskan family who cares about educating people who visit Alaska. We learned so much and it was just such an interesting and warm experience the jet boat tour was amazing and the scenery beautiful. This business truly cares about their reputation. Fantastic tour. Don't miss it.

Hello all! The Jet Boat tour with Denali Wilderness Safaris is highly recommended! The drive down to their lodge is about 25-30min. but the transfer occurs on a very nice coach bus. Scott was our jet boat captain, and he was friendly and quick-witted. Cruising around the Nenana River away from the crows was much appreciated, and the boats are very maneuverable! Excellent views of Panorama Mountain. My girlfriend and I were very pleased with the trip, and surprised at how much we learned about the ethics and dynamics of hunting in Alaska and the different species of game. Doyle orated inside a rustic cabin after the jet boat tour. He is very informative and a true Alaskan backcountry hunter/adventurer. Everyone also gets to pan for a little gold:) Oh, and did I mention you get to try Beaver tail??? Incredible! Thanks Denali Wilderness Safaris for a memorable trip off the beaten path!

There was nothing to dislike. The trip was beautiful and breathtaking! I really got a sense of Alaskan Wilderness and all of it's creatures big and small!

I really enjoyed my trip on the jetboat. The boat itself is awesome as the maneuverability and ability to travel so close to the shore makes for an exciting ride. The only disadvantage is there are many places along the river where the boat cannot stop due to shallow water. That means if you see any interesting animals the boat might have to continue on to keep planing and not get stuck. Captain Scott(?) was a great guide, although the tour was a little short. The snack was delicious and the goldpanning was fun as well. I would definitely recommend this.

As my husband and I generally fly to our destination ,rent a car and do our own things book our own intinerary.We do not do the cruise/tour bus scene ,because nothing irritates us more than waiting on late people.First we went to the office to see where to go,lady there wanted our credit card again as not paid(cant book without paying up front) showed email where paid .I was not paying a second time.I had even verified everything prior to trip to alaska.We got to this place at 10 as our schedule time was 1030(via our receipt/email).A young man asked why we were there so early next jet boat was for 11.We were invited in the warm building then we realized time changed to accomadate "TOUR BUS" which was even late for 1100.Then someone from tour bus was concerned about making it back for there scheduled train ride,they were reassured they would be back in time ,THUS jet boat ride seemed cut short.The gentlemen there you could not want to meet anyone nicer then they were.BUT IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND NOT PART OF TOUR BUS ,KEEP DRIVING....PAST.As for gold panning ,the pans we pre set they only told you there version of how,but there talks on various hides and ways in Alaska was interesting.

I highly recommend this! It was a lot of fun for our whole family. I enjoyed the jet-boat ride, where we did see beaver and a moose, and I enjoyed afterward when they served hot chocolate and a warm treat. It was delicious. We also panned for gold, learned about trapping and met a couple of reindeer! These people are very customer service oriented.We also did the dog sled tour based on the tripadvisor reviews. We were not as impressed by it as by the jet-boat tour, but Bill Cotter, an Iditarod participant for many years, was very interesting and we liked talking to and learning about him. I think we caught the others on a bad day, as it was not as well organized as the jet-boat tour.All in all, I highly recommend Denali Wilderness Safaris!

We took the Husky homestead tour and loved it....got to play with the puppies and be mesmerized by the husband and wife team and what it took to care for 100 Husky Dogs....$100,000 a year in food alone!!!He has won the Iditerod and show you his equipment and what it takes to compete. The dogs get so excited hoping to be chosen for the demo ( on wheels)......made me relax to see how much they wanted to be "chosen"...no one anted to leave!!We also took the Wildlife & Wilderness Living Adventure Tour where you go for a ride on a souped up golf cart and are pulled by the husky dogs ! This is not as commercialized as the Husky Homestead....(nothing to buy) but the guy and girl train the dogs used by Jeff King, another Iditerod winner....first you go to their home in the woods...just got electric 7 years ago and he serves you hot chocolate and a special bakery treat. He takes time explaining how his family lives off the land and how they trap.......I am not a hunter so was a little skeptical but he had the ides from all of the animals they trap and explained how they only trap what they can use and his grandmother still makes their parkas etc from the various hides. I never knew there was so much to learn about fur!!!!They had reindeer pets you can feed ....then ttakes you to the dog training spot. Much smaller than husky homestead but the girl who runs it is a modern day pioneer for sure.....again, a pletora of information....with this group you get to go on a ride...are pulled by the dogs in that golf cart contraption for about 2 miles.......again...the dogs were begging to be chosen!! She then shows you the sleds and different runner gear and bags for the dogs paws. we are 60 and do not regret doing both...this one had nothing to buy.....this is a real family trying to make a living...... they also do river rides. The price is about the same, but the dogs eat as much!! call 19077682663 or brushcana@yahoo.comtheir web is www.denaliparkadventures.comWe were also lucky when we were in Fairbanks and went on the Discovery Queren boat ride another Iditerod cham was at the store with his lead dog! on the discover queen we stopped by the home of Susan Buthcher (now eceased) and saw her husky operation.......her husband soke to us and then brought the dogs to the Indian VillageWe could not get enough of them.Would recommend all.....different perspectives...different set ups. We also took the Wilder