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Alaska

Discover Alaska by Rail: A Traveling Adventure

Program No. 1014RJ

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Alaska is one of our favorite destinations and we invite you to discover this final frontier by train. Ride the rails along the entire 470-mile length of the historic Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Seward. Along the way you'll learn about life in the North and its people, culture and wildlife. Ride to Denali National Park — home of North America’s tallest mountain, the 20,310-foot Denali, where you'll explore its trails with one of Denali Education Center's educators. Then head to Anchorage and experience the cultures of Alaska’s Indigenous Peoples before heading to the harbor town of Seward to take in the grandeur of Kenai Fjords National Park.

Best of all, you'll...

View stunning scenery and wildlife on a journey into Denali National Park.
Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to learn about Alaska's diverse array of cultures and traditions.
Explore Kenai Fjords National Park by boat to spot glaciers, marine mammals, birds and the rugged coast.

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Featured Expert

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Julie Noel

Julie Noel has been enriched by outdoor adventures since a young age. She received a B.S. in special education from Indiana University and spent her career making outdoor adventures accessible for her students. Julie’s home away from home has been in the Denali National Park area since 2014, visiting family and working as a group leader for the Denali Education Center. When not leading groups through the wonderland of Alaska, she enjoys whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, knitting and reading, sometimes at the same time.

Please Note:

This expert may not be available for every date of the program

Please Note:

These experts may not be available for every date of the program

Julie Noel

Jennifer Shippee

Jennifer Shippee has lived in Alaska since 2006. She first came up for a summer to work on the Alaska Railroad and fell in love with the State. She has shared her experiences and the rich history of the area with visitors since 2008. She has a B.A. from Goddard College and is certified in massage therapy and Jungian life coaching. She finds a deep spiritual connection with nature, which inspires her love of wildlife, photography, writing, history, and travel.

Karie Vix

Karie Vix has enjoyed showing Alaska to groups from around the world since coming up to drive a bus “for one summer” in 2004. She has held a variety of roles in the travel industry though she has an accounting degree. During the off-season, she works as a flight attendant and a truck driver. Karie lives in a cabin she built with her husband and stays busy doing carpentry projects, hiking with her dog, and inventing new ways to cook salmon.

Steve Halloran

Steve Halloran has spent over 40 years in the travel industry in Alaska. He began his career at Denali National Park as a seasonal worker for the concessionaire. While completing a degree from the University of Delaware, he spent winters traveling the world visiting and working in over 65 countries and all 50 states. Afterward, he worked full-time managing operations inside Denali National Park. He served as tourism director for Skagway, Alaska and retired from Visit Anchorage in 2020.

Sarah Marshall

Sarah Marshall received a bachelor’s degree in geology from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in water resources from the University of Wyoming. She has worked in National Parks in Utah and Alaska as a naturalist, an archeologist, and as a water scientist. For 14 years she lived with her husband and sons just outside of Denali National Park and Preserve. Currently living in rural Colorado and Alaska, she loves exploring the outdoors and wild places by foot, bicycle, and cross-country skis.

Natalie Reimer

Natalie Reimer is from Enterprise, Oregon, and grew up backpacking, hiking, and fishing in the nearby Wallowa Mountains. She has lived and worked in Denali seasonally since 2019 and began leading educational hikes in the area in 2022. Natalie strongly believes that being engaged with and informed about your local ecosystem and community contributes to a deep feeling of connection, responsibility, and belonging. In her free time, Natalie likes to forage, paint, and go exploring with her dog.

Toni Oliveira

Toni Oliveira grew up in northern Virginia, where early adventures and a steady diet of Jack London books sparked a lifelong fascination with Alaska. She first traveled north in 2001 on a solo backpacking trip. In 2008, she returned for good, spending two seasons working in Denali National Park and a decade as a naturalist in Denali State Park. When Toni’s not hiking or birdwatching, she’s likely reading, getting excited about lichens, or spending time with her grandson.

Chelsie Valetta

Chelsie Valetta—born in Buffalo, New York—has spent almost a decade in Alaska. She holds a degree in ethnobotany from the University of Fairbanks. She spent four years working for Denali National Park's south district ranger station in Talkeetna, where she lives with her partner and two huskies, before transferring to Denali Education Center. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, spending time with friends, running with her huskies, and traveling.

Elizabeth Hahn

Liz Hahn is originally from Wisconsin, and has lived and worked in some of the most beautiful places in the world, including five different National Parks, a dozen U.S. states, and two other countries but considers Alaska her favorite home. She believes in keeping knowledge and education accessible for all and lifelong learning is her deepest joy. When not collecting passport stamps or hiking hundreds of miles, Liz enjoys foraging, painting, and—above all—reading.

Jordan Lammert

Jordan Lammert is originally from Missouri but now calls Arizona and Mexico home after graduating from college in 2021. Since 2019, she has spent her summers in Alaska's wild tundra, doing everything from working in a salmon fishery to showing visitors Alaska's wildlife. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her cat and dog, road tripping across North America, and camping while making s’mores and champurrado under the stars.

Elise Hurwitz

Elise Hurwitz has had many roles in tourism and guiding all over the world; however, Alaska remains her favorite place to show people. Guiding guest here since 2012 and permanently moving to Anchorage in 2018, Elise has a great love for Alaska and it shows! In the offseason, Elise works as a flight attendant and enjoys a busy lifestyle full of adventure. When Elise is not guiding or traveling the globe, she enjoys cooking, reading, social events, spending time with her family and close friends, and trying out new restaurants at home or on one of her many layovers throughout the year.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

Walking up to 2 miles per day over varied terrain including paved paths, compact gravel, dirt trails, and rugged, uneven ground with roots, rocks and possible mud or ice/snow. Standing up to 1 hour per day. Program will require approximately 14 miles of walking over 9 days. Elevation changes up to 200 feet on some trails. Some field trip sites may require navigating rock steps or stairs, potentially without handrails. Up to 6 hours on a catamaran that will cross open water. Travel requires boarding and disembarking motorcoaches and trains several times a day and unavoidable use of stairs. Must be physically capable of participating in all planned program activities.

Suggested Books and Resources

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You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?

We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!

Call 800-454-5768

Helpful Links

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Peace of Mind

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.

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Assurance Plan

Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.

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Want to Protect Your Investment?

Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.

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Sustainable Travel

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.

An illustration of a hand holding a globe with a small bird flying around it

Peace of Mind

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
Assurance Plan

Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.
Want to Protect Your Investment?

Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
Sustainable Travel

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.

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