Toklat tundra wilderness tour

[Potstech]

Anyone hear of this tour or know anything about it. Just had Princess change us from the upgraded Tundra Wilderness Tour to this at the last minute. Their excuse is it somehow "timing conflict with other tours". So far I can find no information on this one out of the Denali Lodge. Any help is appreciated because I have to make some decisions soon.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Anyone hear of this tour or know anything about it. Just had Princess change us from the upgraded Tundra Wilderness Tour to this at the last minute. Their excuse is it somehow "timing conflict with other tours". So far I can find no information on this one out of the Denali Lodge. Any help is appreciated because I have to make some decisions soon.

Did Princess change only the time of your tour? It looks like all Tundra Wilderness Tours go to Toklat River (Mile 53).

[AKStafford]

Here's the details: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm

When are you doing your trip? This is from the website: "In spring and fall, a shortened version of this tour, called the Teklanika Tundra Wilderness Tour, travels 30 miles into the park to the Teklanika River rest stop. This option is only available when the full-length Tundra Wilderness Tour is not running."

[Budget Queen]

Anyone hear of this tour or know anything about it. Just had Princess change us from the upgraded Tundra Wilderness Tour to this at the last minute. Their excuse is it somehow "timing conflict with other tours". So far I can find no information on this one out of the Denali Lodge. Any help is appreciated because I have to make some decisions soon.

 

When is your visit? ALL Tundra Wilderness tours only go as far as Toklat, mile 53 instead of Stony Hill, like they do June 1 and later- to mile 63.,

 

What exactly are the terms they used? You are not willing to just go on a shuttle bus? ( significant savings)

Edited May 13, 2016 by Budget Queen

[Potstech]

Date is May 28. Original tour was 9 hours leaving at 0800. It was 53 miles. Now switched to this tour which is 7.5 hours and not sure if it goes that far in. Information I am gettint is from TA who is always very reliable with info. She says they have reworked ALL the Denali Tours for this year. No problem with shuttle bus but do not want to do independant tour because of private reasons.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Potstech

[Budget Queen]

Date is May 28. Original tour was 9 hours leaving at 0800. It was 53 miles. Now switched to this tour which is 7.5 hours and not sure if it goes that far in. Information I am gettint is from TA who is always very reliable with info. She says they have reworked ALL the Denali Tours for this year. No problem with shuttle bus but do not want to do independant tour because of private reasons.

 

The Tundra Wilderness tour has always been 7-8 hours. It has never been 9 hours. I'll speculate it is only involving the Princess "descriptions" and has nothing to do with the actual tour, contracted by the Park Service. The Park Service doesn't run special buses into the park. It's going to be one of the listed buses. Differences determined by distance and date.

 

You are only going to go to mile 53- with a "Tundra Wilderness" bus, on your date.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Budget Queen

[mapleleaves]

If you look at the Denali Reservation site, you'll see that there are a few versions of the Tundra Wilderness Tour (TWT) and the variations are date dependent.

 

http://www.reservedenali.com/play/tours/tundra-wilderness.aspx

[Potstech]

Thank you for all the information

 

BQ Princess lists the old one as a 9 hour tour. What is actual is remains to be experienced.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Potstech

[wolfie11]

The park road is not open past Toklat until June 1. Normally, the TWT turns around at Toklat but drivers have the option of continuing to Stony Hill overlook if the mountain is out or wildlife is around. Most drivers take this option unless it's pouring rain or they have really annoying passengers. However, I don't believe this is a possibility before June 1.

 

The NPS states that the TWT is 7-8 hours. Princess may pad that to 9 hours by including the extra distance to the hotel and loading/unloading time for the bus, but who knows?

Edited May 14, 2016 by wolfie11

[mapleleaves]

The park road is not open past Toklat until June 1. Normally, the TWT turns around at Toklat but drivers have the option of continuing to Stony Hill overlook if the mountain is out or wildlife is around. Most drivers take this option unless it's pouring rain or they have really annoying passengers.

 

If you look at the Denali reservation page posted above, this is the trip that has been changed. In the past, TWT only went to Stony Hill when the mountain was out, but now it appears that Stony Hill is always the destination after June 1.

 

5/13 -5/19 the destination is Teklanika at Mile 30

5/20 - 5/31 Destination is Toklat, mile 53

6/1- 9/15 destination is Stony Hill, mile 62

[Budget Queen]

If you look at the Denali reservation page posted above, this is the trip that has been changed. In the past, TWT only went to Stony Hill when the mountain was out, but now it appears that Stony Hill is always the destination after June 1.

 

5/13 -5/19 the destination is Teklanika at Mile 30

5/20 - 5/31 Destination is Toklat, mile 53

6/1- 9/15 destination is Stony Hill, mile 62

 

It was far more common for the turn around of the TWT to be Stony Hill, the several years. The pricing is also nicely divided. A very positive change in my opinion. Those 10 miles are significant in that section past Toklat. :)