Denali Southside Guides provides guided kayaking tours on Byers Lake and shuttle service to lodges and trailheads in Denali State Park. We are the premier kayaking guide company in Talkeetna and Denali State Park. If you are looking for a place to experience a quiet, peaceful, and natural Alaska with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities and unparalleled views, this is the place — and we are the guides.

Exploring Alaska’s waterways is an excellent way to experience this amazing state, and to leave the crowded highways, bus seats, and restaurants behind. Come with us and escape into the natural beauty of the south side of Denali.

We are OPEN for the 2021 Summer Season!
We hope you are all thriving and staying healthy and we look forward to serving you again.

Kayak Tours

Guided kayak tours at our summer office location at Byers Lake Day Use Area in Denali State Park, Mile 146.5 Parks Highway. Learn about Alaska fauna and flora from experienced guides. Watch resident trumpeter swans, loons and all five species of salmon. See Denali and the Alaska Range from the seat of your boat.

Backpack on Kesugi Ridge with Denali in the background

Denali Shuttle

Booked a trip with us? Need a drop-off or pick-up at one of the State Park trailheads? We offer shuttle van rides between destinations like McKinley Princess Lodge and Byers Lake, and service to and from the Kesugi Ridge and Byers Lake trailheads within Denali State Park, Alaska.

Explore Alaska’s waterways

About Us

Denali Southside Guides is family-owned and operated. Craig and Shelis Jorgensen are year-round residents of Talkeetna, Alaska. Our guides live locally and have extensive knowledge of area waterways, history, and wildlife, and they provide high-quality, low-impact guided kayaking experiences. Denali Southside Guides is fully licensed, insured and permitted to operate within Denali State Park.

Check out our feature on the Alaska Tour & Travel Blog: Off The Beaten Path Adventures

Video feature on Vimeo of our Guided Kayaking Tours.

Ready for your Alaska adventure?

(907) 733-7238