Princess Tours' McKinley Rail Tours include train travel aboard the company's Ultradome rail cars as well as a stay at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. The lodge is located near Talkeetna on the south side of the mountain. Depending on the length of the trip, guests may also stay at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge near the gated entrance to Denali National Park.
Besides the rail tours, guests can participate in side tours during their stay at the lodges. Other activities at the lodges include hiking, rafting, sightseeing, golfing, sport fishing and more. Aboard the train, passengers ride at tables that seat up to four people. The domed ceiling/windows do not open, but the train has an open-air platform for passengers to get fresh air during the trips. Princess Rail offers full meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner aboard the train.
Princess Tours
800-426-0500
www.princesslodges.com
The Alaska Railroad Corporation's rail vacations include the tour "Alaska's National Parks by Rail," which takes tourists to two Alaskan National Parks. The first is Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley. Vacationers ride the Denali Star Train from Anchorage to Denali to spend two nights at the park. Aboard the Denali Star, guests can take advantage of GoldStar Service to ride in first-class accommodations on double-decker domed rail cars. Domed cars cost passengers more, but provide the best views of the Alaskan wilderness and Mt. McKinley. The second park on the tour is Kenai Fjords National Park, and the Coastal Classic Train takes guests there. Finally, the Glacier Discovery Train takes passengers to Spencer Glacier and Portage. The tour ends back at Anchorage.
Alaska Railroad Corporation
327 W. Ship Creek Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
800-544-0552
www.alaskarailroad.com
Gray Line of Alaska offers multi-day tours of the Denali National Park area and Mt. McKinley. These tours either take passengers on the train exclusively or provide a mix of train and motorcoach transportation. The all-rail travel excursions take tourists from Anchorage to Denali and back or from Fairbanks to Denali and back. Gray Line's domed rail cars ride the Alaska Railroad, where passengers can take in the scenery, including wildlife, rivers, towns and Mt. McKinley. Depending on the tour, guests aboard the train will be served drinks or meals. Once tourists arrive at Denali National Park, they can participate in the available outdoor activities or take helicopter or Jeep tours.
Gray Line of Alaska
300 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
888-452-1737
www.graylinealaska.com
