Alaska – Craig – Robertson – Church

Alaska – Craig – Robertson – Church

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DATES

June 22, 2026 - July 10, 2026

REGION

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

TRIP COST

TBD

calendar

DATES

June 22, 2026 - July 10, 2026
region

REGION

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
price

TRIP COST

TBD

The great state of Alaska is larger than many countries and hosts a breadth of landscapes and wildlife that is hard to believe. This trip aims to show you the diversity of Alaska’s wilderness from north to south with three different locations and experiences.

Wildlife, though widely scattered is magnificent. The solitude and wilderness is beyond compare.

TRIP DETAILS

Experience #1 – Camp Denali

The founders of Camp Denali pioneered eco-tourism in Alaska when they built this comfortable lodge within the National Park. Known for its stunning location and focus on natural history the lodge has been sharing the forests, mountains and tundra with guest for 75 years. The lodge is tucked in a quiet corner of the National Park and offers limitless hiking opportunities and excellent chances to see wildlife each day. A week at the lodge is always educational, relaxing and awe inspiring. With North America’s largest peak just 30 miles south of the lodge the views are unbeatable.

There is a central lodge where excellent meals are served and 15 or so cabins spread across the hillside to give guests privacy and solitude. Daily activities include long hikes and more casual natural history focused strolls in the boreal forest. Evenings often feature guest lecturers engaged in science, art, or the culture of Alaska.

Camp Denali provides an opportunity for you to embrace the rhythms of the midnight sun and familiarize yourself with natural history of the north. It is a perfect introduction to Alaska.

Experience #2 – Arctic Fly Camping:

In the far northeastern corner of Alaska far beyond any roads, trails or villages is the 9 million hectare Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Near to the Arctic Ocean on the sprawling arctic plains is one of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife aggregations, when tens of thousands of caribou form large herds at the end of June and early July.

It is a thrilling experience to watch a valley fill with caribou. But because Arctic Alaska is vast, places to land a small plane are few, and the caribou vary their route from year to year, it can be difficult to plan a trip to see this wildlife spectacle. Their movements are affected by snow depth, temperature, insect abundance, and wind direction to name just a few factors. It is almost impossible to predict where they will be tomorrow never mind next summer, but with dedicated pilots, a network of wildlife biologists, and some flexibility, we can usually find caribou in decent numbers. While we could never guarantee that we will hit the big migration, we do know that days spent on the tundra of northern Alaska are indeed days well spent with or without caribou.

 

We will charter a Helio Courier to bring us into the Arctic and will establish a one off fly-camp on the tundra in an area where we hope to see wildlife. Each day we will hike and explore, returning to our humble camp for meals and sleep. With 24 hours of daylight we often don’t return to camp until the wee hours of the morning preferring to be active at “night” along with the wildlife.

Experience #3 – The Land of Bears and Fish

Jutting south and west of mainland Alaska is an arc of volcanic summits which divide the Pacific Ocean from the cold Bering Sea. These storm soaked mountains give rise to thousands of salmon filled rivers and streams, which in turn feed the largest bears on earth. 500 miles southwest of Anchorage, tucked into the brush alongside a gin clear river is a unique and incredibly remote lodge which offers shelter from the elements and access to this wild and wildlife rich part of the state.

A main lodge is flanked by small cabins between the river and the runway. Small planes are the only way to get to the lodge. Bears and moose frequently stroll through the property and if so inclined you can catch a salmon between the dining room and your cabin. But the real lure of Wildman Lake Lodge is in the surrounding country.

The lodge is a 10 minute flight from the Bering Sea’s most reliable walrus colony where hundreds of male walrus pile onto the beach each summer. Nearby streams host world class salmon and trout fishing. And near to the salmon streams are some bluffs which provide a relatively safe and very close vantage point for watching bears who are starting to gain weight for winter.

Experience #4 – Fly and Fish

Just in case you haven’t had enough flying or fishing, you’ll spend your last day in southcentral Alaska on a one day fly-out fishing trip with accomplished guides. The float plane will leave Anchorage early and you’ll have a full day to fish for trout and salmon in a clear river coming from the Aleutian Range, returning to Anchorage before dinner (and perhaps with dinner). Or if you’d prefer a fly-out white water rafting trip that can be arranged too. There is lots to do near to Anchorage and you’ll want a buffer day in case flights from Wildman to Anchorage were delayed due to weather.

 

Last updated: November 12, 2025

Itinerary

What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.

June 21

A day in Fairbanks to adjust to the time change and explore.

Lodging at Sophie Station

June 22

Mid-morning you’ll meet your pilot at the airport and a Cessna 206 will fly you from Fairbanks into the Alaska Range. Straight-line it is slightly more than an hour to Camp Denali, but if the weather cooperates you’ll have time to detour near North America’s tallest peak before landing on the gravel runway, meeting the lodge’s staff and settling into Camp Denali.

June 23 - 25

Three uninterrupted days in Alaska’s most famous National Park. The wildlife an scenery are the stars, but the hospitality and camaraderie are truly memorable.

June 26

After a morning hike or bike ride and goodbyes with your new friends, fly across the breadth Denali National Park and back to Fairbanks mid day.

You’ll be headed to the Arctic the following day, so you’ll have a 4 pm meeting with your guide at Arctic Wild’s headquarters this afternoon.

Lodging at Sophie Station

June 27

We fly from Fairbanks to the tiny Gwich’in village of Arctic Village where we meet with our bush pilot and decide where we should fly to put ourselves in the path of the migrating caribou.

June 28 - 30

We spend our time exploring the area looking for caribou and other wildlife. Your guide will lead hikes or you can roam on your own. There will be times when no caribou are present (possibly, but not likely, the whole trip!), but there is no end to the beauty of the Arctic.

 

July 1

We say our last goodbyes and meet our bush pilot for our flight back to Fairbanks for hot showers and a soft bed. Weather permitting, we arrive back in time for a late dinner.

Lodging at Sophie Station.

July 2

A morning to relax in Fairbanks. Walk at a local birding area. Explore the natural history museum. Take a ride on a stern-wheeler boat. Take a 3rd or 4th shower and enjoy having running water and an inside toilet for a change!

Then it is back to the airport for a 1 hour commercial flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage.

Lodging TBD at Captain Cook or similar

July 3

Head back into the bush! Your chartered plane takes you down the line of volcanos (some still smoking) to Wildman Lake Lodge.

At this point you are almost 2,000 km from the Arctic but back on the open tundra and amongst bears and caribou.

Settle into your cabins and prepare for an exceptional experience.

July 4 -7

The weather and your desires will dictate each days activities. The options are outstanding.

There is fishing and wildlife right out the front door of the lodge but there are bush planes on hand to take you further afield. A short flight and a 1/2 day hike takes you to the areas best bear viewing.

A jet-boat trip takes you to unbelievable trout fishing. And there is world-class salmon fishing not too far from there.

And a fat tired bush plane can take you to the Bering Sea Coast for a hike to see walrus, and an impressive colony of murres, cormorants, and kittiwakes.

July 8

After a final morning at the lodge and a last cast to catch the monster fish that has eluded you. Weather permitting board the chartered King Air for the flight back to Anchorage arriving late in the afternoon.

Lodging TBD at Captain Cook or similar

July 9

At least one additional day in Alaska is advisable to account for weather delays which are common on the Alaska Peninsula.

Girdwood makes a fun and easy day trip. There is a spa at the ski resort, or there is a wildlife rehab center/ park that offers tours.

We can also arrange a fly-out fishing trip to ensure you’ve had your fill of float planes and fish. There is also some fun whitewater a short flight from Anchorage.

Lodging TBD at Captain Cook or similar

 

July 10

An afternoon  international departure from Anchorage homeward should be safe.

I genuinely feel, having traveled in South America, Australia, and Africa to remote villages and lodges, huts etc. that Alaska was the most foreign I have ever felt. And I am glad to have experienced it.
One of my biggest impressions is that I am so so very glad we had Arctic Wild as our outfitters. Michael Wald and his team were terrific and well prepared. I can’t say enough about the attention to detail and the experience of them and especially our guide Nancy Pfeiffer. I talked with other guides and with other groups. After each conversation, (trust me, they were lengthy chats as we were on a gravel runway sitting on our packs…) I thought how lucky we were to be with Nancy and Arctic Wild.

 

- Linda, Washington, USA

DETAILS

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Details TBD

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Details TBD

WEATHER & BUGS

Temperatures vary from the 70’s to below freezing. Snow is possible; rain is likely. However, this time of the year we generally have lots of sunny weather. There could be bugs, so bring a mosquito head net and a small bottle of DEET repellent.

RECOMMENDED READING

Seasons of Life and Land by Shubanker Banjeeri

Being Caribou by Karsten Heuer

Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

Midnight Wilderness by Debbie Miller

Caribou & the Barren-Lands by George Calef

Fifty Years Below Zero by Charles Brown

You may also find this link of interest- Porcupine Herd Movements Animation

More Alaska reading available at our bookstore

Ready for your adventure?
Find out what's next.

  1. Fill out the Reservation Request form
  2. We will contact you to discuss your trip
  3. Secure your trip with a deposit
  4. We will send you a detailed packing list
  5. Book your flights and accommodations
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"The wilderness was spectacular, the leadership perfect."
"I am just finishing my tenth trip with you guys. As always, the trip was more than I expected and I had a great time. See you next year!"
"Of all outfitters with whom we have worked (and that is quite a number), you were by far the most organized and responsive."
"That feeling of wide open wonder, the possibilities for nearly limitless wandering, and the image of those proud caribou...that will stay with me a long time"
"Our guide was an encyclopedia on legs. He was always willing and ready to teach, to talk, to listen, to do another hike, or to lie low in camp if we were beat. He truly gave us the trip we wanted!"
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