First of all - Alaska is huge. You should take your time. I was completely overwhelmed, especially because of the distances and of course the nature. Since my remaining time was short,
I decided to take a look at the Denali (Mount McKinley) and come back here another time…

I arrived at the Denali National Park with my dog and realized that dogs aren’t allowed within the Park. Because of that there were only a few hiking opportunities for us here. Private vehicles can drive into a small part of the Park, but most of the road is open only to bus traffic. So it is possible to take a nice bus tour. You can choose between 4 and 12 hours. Instead of a bus tour,
I took a beautiful scenic flight with Denali Air and was glad that the weather was fine enough so that I could see “The Mountain”.

The Denali National Park is almost 25.000 square kilometer and is perfect for wildlife watching. You can spot grizzlies, moose, wolves, cariboo and white bighorn sheep. 

Later along the Alaska Highway and Highway 16, I headed roughly southeast to Jasper and Banff National Park and then to Canmore near Kananaskis Country. I used almost every opportunity for a hike which starts near the road. There are lots of trails, you can hike until your knees need a pause… So, if you can don’t miss the following hikes; it’s a small but fine selection: 

- Sheep Creek Trail (Kluane National Park)

- Chuck Creek Trail, Samuel Glacier (Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park)

- Baba Canyon, Flower Springs Lake Trail (Stone Mountain Provincial Park)

- Nares Mountain, Sam McGee Trail (Carcross, Yukon)

- Wilcox Pass Trail (Jasper National Park)

- Helen Lake and Cirque Peak (is one of the least technical high elevation peaks (2993ms) that you can summit in Banff National Park)

After a little detour to Prince George, I met a good old friend for a nice evening. We shared a nice bonfire, chattered and watched great paintings - thank you, Donna and Perry.

On the road again I headed for Kananaskis Country. This is a 4,000 square kilometers Canadian Rockies Mountain park system situated to the west of Calgary. It is home to grassy meadows, swift mountain streams and fascinating wildlife. It’s a stunning and convenient location, known for its pristine natural setting and outdoor opportunities. All the while embraced by the majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies with gorgeous hiking opportunities: Rawson Lake, Tent Ridge, Mount Lipsett, Pickle jar Lakes or Mist Mountain Hot Springs - just to name a few of them. Especially in fall, the extensive forest areas shine in a true color mosaic. There are really golden larches here. You can try the Chester Lake Trail or Arethusa Cirque to take a look.

Don’t miss the big ice cones at Boulton Creek Trading Post and the afternoon tea at the Mount Engadine Lodge after your hikes. The Patio here is the easiest way to watch really big Bull Moose. The K-County is also a great place to watch other big wildlife along Highway 40 and 742. There are black and brown bears, moose, wolfes and bighorn sheep.