Alaska Rivers, Backcountry and Fjords Vacation

Meet your Alaska Wildland Adventures representative at your downtown hotel between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. or at the Anchorage Airport at 3:00 p.m. Shuttle by 15-passenger van along Turnagain Arm to Cooper Landing, home of our Kenai Riverside Lodge. Upon arrival, settle into your cabin, enjoy dinner in the lodge and discuss your upcoming activity days with our knowledgable staff. Overnight at Kenai Riverside Lodge.

Suit up for a rafting adventure on the turquoise waters of the Kenai River. Explore the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge at the river's pace - by raft - on a full-day Kenai River Canyon Raft Trip en route to Kenai Backcountry Lodge, your home for the next two nights. Venture into unspoiled Alaska wilderness that most travelers never see. Start with a scenic float and keep a keen eye for wildlife. Enjoy a picnic lunch, then raft the spirited class II+ rapids through the Kenai Canyon. End your adventure with a scenic exploration along a pristine glacier-carved lakeshore arriving along the way. Upon arrival to Kenai Backountry Lodge, enjoy a delicious dinner, then settle into your private guest accommodations, complete with down comforters and propane heat and light.

After a savory hot breakfast, choose your pace for the day. Join a guided hike: venture through evergreen forest as you journey to breathtaking alpine tundra. Discover by small boat what wonders lie beyond the next cove. Relax in a cozy wood-fired sauna and if you're feeling daring skip down to the lake for a quick dip! Paddle a sea kayak across a brilliant turquoise glacial lake. Seek out moose, bears, caribou or the local birdlife that call this area home and capture that memorable photograph. Enjoy the magic of this peaceful wilderness setting and when you're ready to wind down after "your" perfect day, enjoy appetizers on the lake shore, prelude to a delicious dinner served with gourmet flair.

Cross the lake in the morning, and say farewell to Kenai Backcountry Lodge as you return to Kenai Riverside Lodge. Enjoy a casual afternoon hike on a trail in the Chugach National Forest or Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Ask your guide about hiking to the Russian River Falls to view salmon as they swim upstream, trying to leap over the falls to return to their spawning waters or venture along the Hideout Overlook Trail for views of open alpine meadows, a perfect opportunity to view wildlife and, in late summer, great berry picking! Relax in the evening on the riverside deck or enjoy a nice wood-fired sauna. Dinner and overnight at Kenai Riverside Lodge.

Following breakfast, bid farewell to Cooper Landing and Kenai Riverside Lodge, as we travel through the Chugach National Forest to the picturesque seacoast town of Seward, situated at the head of Resurrection Bay. Board a custom catamaran bound for Kenai Fjords National Park, home to an array of glaciers and marine wildlife such as whales, Steller sea lions, sea otters, puffins and more! A four-hour cruise allows time to explore the dramatic coastlines. Enjoy lunch in front of a tidewater glacier before arriving at our exclusive lodge destination: Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge.

After breakfast in the main lodge, choose from an array of activities to match your interest and energy level. Guided options include interpretive nature walks, canoeing, sea kayaking and coastal explorations; or, relax at the lodge and peruse our natural history library, or take a leisurely stroll along the beachfront. Overnight at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge.

This morning allows another opportunity to canoe, kayak, or explore the area in the morning before bidding farewell to Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge. Midday, we'll embark on a return coastal wildlife cruise back to Seward and from there, board the historic Alaska Railroad for a scenic backcountry rail tour back to Anchorage returning by 10:30pm. Dinner, hotel and/or airport transfers not included. Dinner is available for purchase on the train.