Denali Outdoor Center

Mile 1/2 Otto Lake Road, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743

1-888-303-1925

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Denali Outdoor Center - Canyon Office Location

39 visitor photos

Ranked #6 of 13 attractions in Denali National Park and Preserve

71 Reviews

Type: Bodies of Water

Owner description: Denali Outdoor Center (D.O.C.) is a full-service outfitter offering whitewater rafting, mild-water float trips, kayaking, canoeing and mountain biking... more » Owner description: Denali Outdoor Center (D.O.C.) is a full-service outfitter offering whitewater rafting, mild-water float trips, kayaking, canoeing and mountain biking adventures on the boundary of Denali National Park, Alaska. We also offer lakeside nightly cabin rentals and camping at our premier location in Healy, Alaska on the shore of Otto Lake.For convenience, we have 2 office locations, one at Denali Park and the other in Healy, just 10 minutes north of the park entrance. We also provide free shuttle service to and from all local lodging, AKRR Depot, Denali Park Visitor Center and the Wilderness Access Center.Our operating season is from mid-May to mid-September and we are open 7 days from 7:00am to 10:00pm. Our winter hours are M-F 9:00am to 5:00pm Alaska Time.

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71 reviews from our community

Acquista-Mooring

Las Vegas, Nevada

Top Contributor

58 reviews

21 attraction reviews

Reviews in 26 cities

24 helpful votes

“Skip the scenic part, do the rapids”

Reviewed 31 December 2012

Excellent experience, not a 5 just because of the scenic portion... Nice, but eh. Now the rapids are Alaska rapids...bigger, better, faster, stronger. Do it.

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Thank you for writing a review. Yes, we know the scenic portion isn't for everyone, but if scenery is part of what you're looking for in this adventure then you may not want to miss it. We're glad you enjoyed the rapids and thanks again for writing and rafting with Denali Outdoor Center. More

ohooligan

Yorkshire

Reviewer

5 reviews

Reviews in 3 cities

5 helpful votes

“6 Ladies of a certain age.”

Reviewed 25 September 2012

While staying in the Denali Princess Wilderness lodge we decided to do a white water trip. We left the hotel an went to the Denali Outdoor Center, there we were greeted by Jamin, a very personable young man who had the patience to deal with 6 ladies from Yorkshire, he offereed us the trip for $80 each, this was much... More

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Well, I guess Allan could be considered a real ladies man, along with an excellent river guide. I'm glad to hear you were in good hands from start to finish. Jamin is a great representative of our company and we appreciate his hard work in the Denali Adventure Tours office. Thank you for choosing Denali Outdoor Center on your whitewater... More

Laurie K

Palisade, Colorado, United States

Contributor

18 reviews

6 attraction reviews

Reviews in 6 cities

4 helpful votes

“Lovely stay in a cozy cabin!”

Reviewed 24 September 2012

This could have been a disaster, Suffice to say I messed up my reservations and dates and a booked outing. We arrived late at night when they did not expect us. Yet they were gracious and accomodating and we really enjoyed our stay. We stayed in one of four (or six?) cabins along the edge of Otto Lake. Adorable, but... More

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We are very glad you enjoyed your stay at Otto Lake. It is nice to hear that someone really appreciated the setting and facilities. We have often thought about moving the doors to the bathrooms to the outside instead of inside and this may yet happen in the future. Thanks again for staying with us and writing a review. More

Creed16

Texarkana, Texas

Contributor

13 reviews

5 attraction reviews

Reviews in 9 cities

19 helpful votes

“Best river rafting!”

Reviewed 18 September 2012

This was my first time rafting and of course I was a little nervous. The guys made me feel safe and helped me through my fears. The trip was wonderful! A little frightening at first, but soon enough you get the hang of it and then just enjoy the ride. The scenery was breathtaking and we saw dall sheep up... More

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We're glad to hear you enjoyed your rafting trip with Denali Outdoor Center. Yes, it definitely can be intimidating to embark on a whitewater rafting adventure on a glacial river with substantial rapids. Good job on going for it! Indeed, the water is very cold and dishwashing gloves are a great idea, which we intend to sell in our office... More

OpieTayler

Edmond, Oklahoma

Contributor

12 reviews

Reviews in 5 cities

6 helpful votes

“Rafting - Great Fun!”

Reviewed 3 September 2012

My wife and I did the self paddle white water run (with 6 others). Never having done anything like this, we were a little apprehensive, but, it was very fun. Like others, we thought it might be a little longer, but, still worth it. The guides/staff were all very helpful from beginning to end. Our feet did not get cold... More

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Thanks for writing a review and rafting with Denali Outdoor Center. We're pleased to hear that your feet stayed warm on the trip; you must have remembered to wear a good pair of warm socks! Of course, the rubber sock on the drysuit helps to keep your feet dry, and the wetsuit bootie helps, too, but warm socks make a... More

dunkindo

Tucson, AZ

Contributor

15 reviews

4 attraction reviews

Reviews in 6 cities

9 helpful votes

“First timers on the Canyon Run”

Reviewed 3 September 2012

My daughter and I both "virgin" at this so we were hesitant, specially me, I dont swim. We did the canyon ride, where the guide did all the paddling, we just sat down and enjoyed the waves and the scenery. We were in place at 2pm and we were back in the car at 5. They suited us up with... More

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Hi and thank you for writing a review. It sounds like you enjoyed your experience for the most part but would have preferred bigger rapids. Of course, the Nenana River is a free-flowing river, not damn-controlled, which means we have different water levels almost daily. The river is quite low at this time but a bit of rain can change... More

Sami K

Seward, Alaska

Reviewer

5 reviews

3 attraction reviews

Reviews in 2 cities

1 helpful vote

“Gem”

Reviewed 18 August 2012

The DEC is by far one of the best organizations around. They are a bit hard to find. They offer a wide variety of programs almost year round for the Denali community and visitors. Ranging from Music to science and history talks the DEC is exactly what it says an education center!

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LISAMARIEG

ATLANTA

1 review

“Great Raft Trip!”

Reviewed 14 August 2012

I went rafting with Denali Raft last week and had a ball! It was really my first time rafting so I did the Canyon Run Oar Trip. Our guide, Jon, was great and unbelievably informative about the area. I highly recommend!

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1122Cheryl

S. Brunswick, NJ

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19 reviews

3 attraction reviews

Reviews in 12 cities

6 helpful votes

“Fabulous! Awesome! Spectacular!”

Reviewed 12 August 2012 via mobile

Our experience was exceptional. From the booking, which we did months before, to the pick up at our lodge, to the outfitting, to the instructions, to the expert guides, our family of 5 had a memorable day on the Nenana River. My husband and I, along with our boys (20, 18, 13) chose the kayaking tour. We each had our... More

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JenBarnett

Laguna Beach, California

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15 reviews

6 attraction reviews

Reviews in 9 cities

31 helpful votes

“What a poor excuse for a company!”

Reviewed 9 August 2012 via mobile

We had a tour scheduled today for rafting. I called this morning to confirm because I wanted to make sure that everything was on schedule and we would get to use all our precious time in Denali as wisely as possible. The woman I spoke to on the phone confirmed my noon ride. When I arrived I was told that... More

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Apparently, we have encountered a serious case of mis-communication, but we sincerely apologize for this unfortunate situation. To be clear, the tour was not cancelled, but we do require a minimum of 4 people in order to have enough power to navigate a paddle raft. The first section of river on the "Nenana Half-day" trip is the mild-water section, also... More