Denali Fat Truck Tours

Rumble over the Alaskan tundra in a truly unique way: on a SHERP—a rugged, amphibious all-terrain vehicle run by Denali Fat Truck Tours, out of Fairbanks. It’s an unforgettable experience that includes stunning views, expert narration, and lots of adventure.

Experience Denali Year-Round

Tours, which last 3 hours in the summer and go for a full day in winter, take you into Denali National Park for an offroad experience like no other. You’ll explore steep mining trails, dramatic cliffs, and sweeping vistas, and a lake crossing while your guide shares local history and the unique geology of the area.

You’ll be seeing it all from a heated, enclosed SHERP, a tank-like vehicle with huge tires built for search and rescue operations that’s surprisingly environmentally friendly and piloted by an expert guide.

And every tour includes a personalized drone video of your experience, for free!

The 3-Hour Tour

On this 3-hour tour (available year-round), you’ll be picked up from your Denali area hotel and fitted with a noise-canceling headset with microphone to hear your guide.

Then climb into the vehicle and head off! With your expert guide at the wheel, you’ll roll over the tundra on your way to various dramatic lookout points, where you’ll stop for photos. Continue on to the Dry Creek Riverbed and learn the geology of the dramatic cliffs looming above. Then experience how the SHERP becomes amphibious as you travel to—and through—Otto Lake! In the winter, you’ll glide across the ice.

Winter Full Day Adventure from Fairbanks

Enjoy a full day of adventure. After the hotel pickup in Fairbanks, you’ll drive toward Denali National Park, taking in views of the Alaska Range. Then embark on a 3-hour tour over the stark, gorgeous winter landscape in the heated, enclosed SHERP. Head up an old mining trail for jaw-dropping views and learn about the area’s history and geology, before continuing to Dry Creek and the Frozen Palisades to check out dramatic rock cliffs. This part of the tour ends at Healy Lake. When it’s not frozen, you’ll float through it in the amphibious vehicle; when it is, you’ll stop on the ice and have the chance to and walk around with provided cleats.

The tour continues with a delicious lunch in Healy and a stop at the Denali Park Visitor Center to chat with the rangers and get your National Park Passport book stamped. The final stop is at Coghill’s Store—a former trading post in the village of Nenana that’s been around for more than 100 years!