Just like American Cruise Lines’ small ship cruises, our National Parks land & cruise packages are tailored to provide guests with a genuine and customized exploration of these national treasures featuring America’s wildest and most impressive landscapes. Each National Park package is capped at a small group of guests to ensure that every person has an amazing experience without getting lost in a crowd. Our Adventure Guides are with guests throughout the journey and are passionate about exploring these unique Alaska National Parks with narrow fjords to massive glaciers. Small ship cruising allows guests to connect and develop friendships that last beyond the voyage.
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park was established in 1980 through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to preserve fjords and rainforest ecosystems. Named after President Warren G. Harding, the Harding Icefield is one of the largest in Alaska and a portion of it lies within Kenai Fjords National Park. Perhaps the most incredible sights in the park can be seen from the water and coastline. More than twelve glaciers from the Harding Icefield terminate within the park and include McCarty, Northwestern, Dinglestadt, Exit, Lowell, Split, Bear, Skee, Addison, Aialik, Pederson, Holgate, and Lechner.
The best way to explore Kenai Fjords National Park is by small excursion vessels designed for transiting to secluded fjords. Many of these are tidewater glaciers, meaning they end at the waterline. Small cruise boats are able to access fjords to see these glaciers up close. Along the way, a multitude of marine life can be seen, including fin, gray, minke, and humpback whales, orca whales, Dall's porpoises, sea otters, and harbor seals.
American Cruise Lines’ guests will enjoy a guided scenic cruise from Seward through Kenai Fjords National Park. The crew of the Seward-based experience will narrate the six-and-a-half-hour exploration.
Denali National Park
Denali National Park was established in 1917 for the purpose of protecting Dall sheep. Congress later expanded the park boundaries to include and protect North America’s tallest mountain – Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley). Guests visit Denali National Park in hopes of seeing the mountain, viewing wildlife, and experiencing the vast wilderness. There is only one road into Denali. This road is open for the public to drive the first 15 miles and thereafter can only be accessed by park buses. Following a major landslide in 2021, it was no longer feasible to travel the full length of Denali Park Road. While work continues, the road currently ends at Mile 43 and will not reopen beyond that until at least Summer 2026. Until then, there is plenty to see and experience in the park.
The most popular experiences Denali National Park offers are the guided park buses that take guests on a narrated exploration of the park. Along the way, visitors regularly see bears, moose, caribou, sheep, and wolves existing in their natural habitats that have been preserved by the designation of the National Park. The Denali Visitor Center complex offers educational opportunities, a large gift shop, hiking trails, and a café. There is also a pathway that connects to the Denali Sled Dog Kennels, where guests can visit with the dogs and rangers that still work together to protect the wilderness as they have since 1922. Learn about the work they do and the important role they play in the park and life in Alaska. Guests may also choose to spend some of their free time rafting or flightseeing.
Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park, established in 1980, is one of the highlights of Alaska’s Inside Passage and is also part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site which includes Wrangell/St. Elias National Park, Kluane National Park Reserve (Canada), and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park (Canada). This combined area is the largest internationally protected area in the world. Glacier Bay National Park is a unique combination of peaks and fjords. The park is still a homeland to indigenous people, a living laboratory, a preserved wilderness, and a biosphere reserve. From hidden harbors, fjords, and inlets; to spectacular glaciers and forests, the park is a place for new discoveries and learning opportunities that highlight the past.
Learn about the history and culture of the Hoonah Tlingit people who have lived on these lands. A park ranger joins American Cruise Lines’ guests aboard as we explore Glacier Bay fjords, glaciers, and inlets. Take time to go on deck as we near tidewater glaciers.
Discover how you can experience one of American Cruise Lines Land & Cruise Packages on our Grand Alaska National Parks or Alaska National Parks cruises.
