Denali Off-Trail Hiking Adventure (4 Hours) w/Expert Naturalist

Jade gave a fantastic off-trail tour, and it was really neat to experience Alaska away from the beaten path. Would highly recommend! We learned about the flora/fauna, saw lots of neat and unusual (to me) berries, and learned a lot more about Alaska.

Jade was our guide. He took us on a 3.5 hour hike through a diverse wilderness area. Jade was definitely an expert on the flora, fauna, and animals of the area. He did an excellent job of identifying and explaining an incredible amount of plants, trees, and animals and history of the wilderness area. He was very enthusiastic and interesting. I highly recommend both him and the company.

We had a wonderful time today on our off-trail hike with Derek. The experience felt genuine, not commercialized and cookie cutter. He clearly loves the land and sharing it with others. We learned a lot and of course the views were just stunning. In case others find this bit helpful… I was slightly nervous to sign up since we’re out of shape, not terribly young anymore, and have zero hiking experience, but we did just fine.

Derek was a great guide. He is very knowledgeable on the berries, plants, trees, and history of the area. What a fantastic adventure.

Jason was our guide. He informed us it was berry season and was able to point out 6 - 7 different berries along our hike we could eat. Jason was very informative about wildlife in the area and their habits, showing us tracks and scatt. We were also able to explore new findings ie: I spied a big clump of fur under a tree in the distance. We cautiously investigated. I later learned what we found was a hide from the neck of a caribou. Probably bitten off by another caribou during a fight in mating season, carried away and placed under the tree by another creature. He knew a lot about the trees, shrubs, plants, ground cover and how their whole ecosystems work together to help them all survive. It helped that we had great weather and could enjoy the scenic areas as well.

Derek picked our group of four up at our hotel and drove us to a location just south of Healy. Before we even started hiking, he took the time to ask what we hoped to get out of the day, our interest in the native way of life, his own connection to the area, and got to know each of us individually. It made the tour feel personal rather than scripted. The weather brought a light drizzle for the entire outing, enough to test anyone caught without proper layers, but thanks to Derek’s earlier advice, we were dressed for it and never missed a beat. As we made our way off-trail, Derek shared an impressive depth of knowledge about the boreal forest and the microbiomes we were walking through, covering how the plants and animals in the area have adapted to survive such a demanding climate. He wove in connections to our own backgrounds throughout his explanations, answered even our toughest questions with ease, and kept the mood light with humor along the way. We also got to sample wild berries right off the plants as we went, a small touch that added a lot to the experience. Four hours flew by. Derek’s knowledge, warmth, and genuine passion for Interior Alaska made this the highlight of our trip. When we return, we will be booking with Northern Epic Tours and requesting Derek by name.

Our guide Abby was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Alaska’s plants. We would recommend this hike to anyone that wants to learn more about the outdoors.

This was a tremendous experience! We would never have experienced this on our own, hiking IN the woods/bush/mountain lookouts. Don our guide led us through the backcountry (not trails but not a hard hike). He showed us many types of berries and plants that we could taste, pointed out a rabbit and grouse. He had lots of information on the flora and fauna and other interesting history of the area. A great time was had by my wife and I and the accompanying family with us.

Abby was amazing! She had so much knowledge of the plants and such enthusiasm for what she was doing. She kept the pace appropriate for all of the people on the tour and was on time with the hotel pick up. I would highly recommend Northern Epics, and especially Abby!

Our guide, Derek, was extremely thoughtful about our needs and interests. He was also very knowledgeable and friendly. While we didn’t encounter too many animals, we certainly learned a lot about the terrains in Denali. Hiking off trail is a must to do here!