Fort Yukon Arctic Circle Flightseeing or Glacier Landing?

[CecilCtyCruiser]

HAL offers a tour from Fairbanks across the Arctic Circle to Fort Yukon. Has anyone out there done this tour? Is it worthwhile, or would a glacier landing tour be a better use of our time?

 

Below is the description of the Arctic Circle tour from the HAL booklet:

 

"This is an adventure you’ll be talking about for years: a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fly over the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, the Yukon River and the Arctic Circle. At Fort Yukon, accessible only by air, Athabascan native guides share their way of life in the Alaskan bush. You ’ll even join a select group commemorated by the presentation of your official Arctic Circle Club Certificate upon your return to Fairbanks."

[Yukon]

If you've never done a glacier landing, opt for that. Fort Yukon is for those who have done everything else. It's flat boring country, basically, though beautiful in its own way if you have time to look closely (and on a HAL excursion, you don't have that time). Seeing Fort Yukon, though, does give you an idea of what ANWR looks like if you want to really keep up on the news.

 

Murray

[Budget Queen]

I agree, go for the glacier. I have flown to several "Arctic" areas, all interesting but I also had a lot of time and plenty of spare money. :)

[Dustypup]

I'm a 30-year Alaskan and have been to both. Ft Yukon is very unique but landing on a glacier is like landing on another planet! I do take exception to the comment about Ft. Yukon looking like ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). I've been there too and they are not alike at all. There are no trees that far north where ANWR is. Ft. Yukon is right on the Yukon River and has lots of trees. That being said - you will really enjoy the glacier.

[Yukon]

There are lots of trees at Fort Yukon, and lots of open tundra - ANWR is mostly open tundra with pockets of trees in country that is somewhat rolling in comparison to Fort Yukon's flat. For people who have just come from SE Alaska, that's splitting hairs, particularly given the very brief look they get on an excursion.

 

Murray