Alaska Heavenly Lodge

Just a two-hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska Heavenly Lodge offers the best of both worlds: all the seclusion and luxury normally associated with fly-in lodges, as well as the affordability and convenience of being on the road system.

Solitude & Comfort

Set on a large piece of property that the owners have tastefully developed with only four cabins, the lodge is a private retreat, complete with a trail system and picturesque views of the Chugach Range and Kenai River. The location makes it easy to soak up the solitude of Alaska, then pop into town for a meal or a guided fishing trip.

Pick Your Private Cabin – Or Book The Whole Lodge

Alaska Heavenly Lodge is made up of four hand-hewn log cabins. Choose whichever suits your group best:

Main Lodge

Built in 1974, the Main Lodge features a full kitchen, a 12-person dining room table, a comfy sitting area with a wood-burning fireplace, a loft library, and a deck overlooking the Kenai River. But it’s far from rustic: Wi-Fi, flat-screen televisions, and a Jacuzzi bring the lodge fully into the 21st century. There are four bedrooms; two with queen beds, another with a queen and a twin, and another with two twins. And, there’s an additional loft that has a futon.

Mt. Cecil Cabin

The Mt. Cecil Cabin is the newest cabin on the property. It has three bedrooms (each with two beds), three bathrooms, a common dining area, and appliances (including a propane grill) for cooking. Guests also enjoy a private deck, and an outdoor picnic table. It’s perfect for families, or multiple couples traveling together.

Caribou Cabins

The Caribou Cabin was recently renovated in 2023 with an updated kitchen and bathroom. This is the perfect cabin for a couple, a small family or a small group of anglers looking for a cozy place to relax after a day on the Kenai River. This cabin features 2 bedrooms upstairs and a living room that converts into a bedroom with privacy curtain and black out curtains. A back patio and front porch are great spots to take in the 360-degree mountain views.

Russian River Cabin

The smallest cabin on the property packs a big punch. It features a beautiful glass-enclosed sunroom and wood stove, a hot-rock sauna, a jacuzzi hot tub on the outdoor deck, and a billiard table on the main floor. It has one bedroom and one bathroom. When groups rent the whole property, this is often used as the common area. Or, it serves as the honeymoon suite for wedding parties. But, if it’s not rented out by a larger group, 2 people can have this amazing cabin and all its amenities entirely to themselves.

Book It All

Combine the Main Lodge, Mt. Cecil Cabin, Caribou Cabin and Russian River Cabin and you can sleep up to 25 people. Experience the ultimate Kenai River lodge for group fishing trips, family getaways and Cooper Landing destination weddings.

Food Tailored For You

No matter which cabin you choose, you can bring your own food or dine at one of the many local restaurants in Cooper Landing. The main lodge has a stainless-steel Viking cooking range so you can whip up a feast for the whole family. You can also hire a private chef who can customize a menu for you and your group.

Fishing, Kayaking, Hiking and More!

Heavenly Lodge can also be your home base for serious adventurers. Owner Dave, a resident and local fishing guide, has lived in Cooper Landing for over a decade. His passion for the town, the Kenai River and the Kenai Peninsula makes him a great resource for all your fishing adventures and any travel planning advice you need along the way.

Wilderness Wedding Venue

The lodge has become increasingly popular as a wedding destination, luring couples from as far away as Hawaii. You and your party can rent the property exclusively, which sleeps up to 30 people. As a bonus, the bride and groom get their own honeymoon suite in the Russian River Cabin. Celebrate your Alaska wedding destination at our idyllic Cooper Landing Wedding Venue, with stunning forest, river, and mountain views.

Family Reunions, Corportate Outings & More

With the ability to accommodate up to 30 people and book out the entire property, Alaska Heavenly Lodge is perfect for group getaways, family reunions and corporate retreats. The lodge offers a rare combination of seclusion and accessibility. While you can stay on-site and enjoy the fire pit, private hiking trails, and lawn games, you also have access to all the adventures of nearby Cooper Landing, from fishing, to hiking, to horseback riding, snow sports in the winter and more. Below is a sample itinerary of how you could spend 3 days in the area.

Typical 3-Day Itinerary For Couples or Families

Day 1 – Scenic Drive from Anchorage to Heavenly Lodge

Driving time is only 1 hour 15 minutes, but we recommend making a day trip out of it. Pick up any groceries and fishing or sporting gear you might need before leaving town. Take a casual drive along Turnagain Arm, ranked one of the world’s 10 most scenic. Break up the trip by riding the aerial tram at Alyeska Resort and having lunch at Seven Glaciers Restaurant. See wildlife up close at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Or take a 5-mile detour into beautiful Portage Valley where there’s so much to explore, including hiking right up to Byron Glacier or walking the shoreline of the glacial Portage Lake.

Check-in time is 3pm. Unpack your bags and unwind. In the late afternoon, head out for a drive to nearby Skilak Lake Road, a scenic wonder in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge—a massive turquoise lake surrounded by majestic mountain scenery where your odds of seeing a black bear are very high. Return to the main highway, go for dinner, and come home.

Horseback Riding and Hiking in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska State Park, the Chugach Mountains or the Russian River Falls Trail.

Head to a nearby guest ranch where you’ll put on a long trench coat, don a cowboy hat, and saddle up for a trail ride through the backcountry of the Kenai Wildlife Refuge where few people go. No horseman skills are required for this 5-hour adventure. Your powerful steed will take you on a wilderness adventure along old pioneer trails with 360-degree mountain views. Return to the ranch for a bonfire and cookout for the kids.

In the late afternoon, take a hike up Slaughter Ridge or give some of the Kenai River Trails in the National Wildlife Refuge a shot. If you’re interested in watching salmon migrate, a hike to the Russian River Falls brings you close to sockeye salmon jumping the falls. This easy hike also gives you a shot at encountering a black or brown bear as they fish for salmon on the Russian River.

If you’d prefer something a little more thrilling like class IV rafting, drive 45 minutes to Six Mile Creek near the town of Hope, where you can splash through some of the most exciting commercially run whitewater in the world. Stop for a bite to eat on the way back to the lodge in the town of Hope.

Day 3 –Fish the World-Famous Kenai River

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned angler, there’s nothing more fun than floating down the blue-green Kenai River with a shot at catching the fish of your life. Lodge owner Dave is also the owner and head fishing guide for Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC and would love to help custom-tailor the perfect fishing trip down the Kenai River or Kasilof River for you. His guides will provide everything but your fishing license. If you have kids, these fishing trips are often the highlight of their trip. Ever wanted to learn how to fly fish? These trips provide the best environment for your first-time catching fish on a fly rod.

Other Excursion Options for your Trip

Another popular option is to drive 45 minutes to Seward. Board a smooth-sailing catamaran vessel for a glacier and wildlife day cruise into Kenai Fjords where you’ll see glaciers, seabirds, otters, puffins, and likely whales and Dall’s porpoise. Then visit the Alaska Sealife Center, Alaska’s only public aquarium and window on the sea where you can get nose to nose with sea lions, puffins, octopus and other marine wildlife—another popular attraction for kids. Drive 15 miles out to Exit Glacier, probably the best walk-up glacier in the state and take Alaska.org’s self-guided audio tour. Or explore downtown Seward with our audio-guided Seward History Tour or our Mural Walk.

David can also help put you in touch with a fly-out bear viewing tour. Fly past active volcanoes and over bays and estuaries, land on a sandy beach, and photograph bears fishing, digging for clams, and just relaxing with their young ones. Or, you can book a scenic flightseeing adventure.