Denali, Alaska

In the heart of Alaska, surrounded by six million acres of tundra, glacier-fed rivers and snow-covered peaks, Denali remains one of the few places in North America where nature still operates on its own terms. There are no scenic drives looping around every viewpoint, no network of roads crisscrossing the landscape, and no guarantee you'll even see the mountain that gives the park its name. That's precisely why travellers come.

At the centre of it all stands Denali itself, at 20,310 feet. This height makes it the highest peak in North America, rising dramatically from the Alaska Range, towering above the surrounding terrain and creating its own weather systems, disappearing behind clouds for much of the year. Seeing it in full is considered a privilege rather than an expectation.

Denali National Park and Preserve covers more than 6 million acres, making it one of the largest protected landscapes in the United States. A single road cuts through the park, stretching into an immense wilderness of alpine tundra, boreal forest, glaciers and mountains. Beyond that road lies a largely trail-free backcountry where visitors are encouraged to explore without marked routes.

Unlike many famous parks, Denali is not designed around convenience, and most visitors experience the interior via shuttle or tour buses that travel deep into the park, limiting private vehicle traffic. The result is a landscape that feels remarkably wild, even during peak season.

The main visitor season runs from late May through early September, when roads, buses and visitor facilities are fully operational. Summer brings nearly endless daylight, wildflower-covered tundra and the best opportunities for wildlife viewing. For photographers, early September offers a different spectacle. The tundra transforms into shades of gold, crimson and orange, while visitor numbers begin to drop.

Snow can arrive early, adding dramatic contrast to the landscape. Winter is another world entirely. Temperatures plunge well below freezing, daylight becomes scarce, and much of the park becomes accessible only by skis, snowshoes or dogsled. For those seeking true solitude, however, few places on Earth compare.

Denali was originally established to protect wildlife, and it remains one of the continent's premier places to observe animals in their natural habitat. The park is home to 39 species of mammals and more than 160 bird species.

Many visitors arrive hoping to spot the famous "Big Five" of Denali: grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall sheep. And unlike safari destinations where sightings are almost guaranteed, wildlife encounters in Denali feel earned, like Svalbard or Greenland in the Arctic. Animals roam vast, unfenced landscapes, and seeing a wolf cross a distant ridge or a grizzly moving through the tundra often becomes the defining memory of a trip.

While Denali offers an unforgettable introduction to Alaska's vast interior, pairing it with an expedition cruise creates a far more complete picture of the state. Together, these experiences showcase two dramatically different but equally spectacular sides of Alaska: the rugged mountain wilderness of the interior and the glacier-carved coastline of the North Pacific.

After exploring Denali National Park's six million acres of tundra, mountains and wildlife habitat, many travellers continue south to the coast, where Alaska's landscapes transform into a world of fjords, islands and tidewater glaciers. Here, humpback whales breach offshore, sea otters drift through sheltered bays and bald eagles patrol forested shorelines.

HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions) is one example of this approach. Its Alaska itineraries explore regions such as the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound, combining wildlife encounters with educational programmes, guided shore landings and optional activities including kayaking and small-boat excursions. The smaller size of HX vessels allows for greater flexibility and closer access to the landscapes that define coastal Alaska. The contrast between Denali and an expedition voyage is what makes the combination so compelling.