I'm a little surprised by all the glowing reviews. This was an okay tour but we were a little…read moredisappointed. It felt like we were playing follow the leader for 5 mi up and 5 mi back on a largely straight trail. The endpoint is a lovely home with a picturesque stream but we were expecting that once we got there we'd actually be able to freestyle on the ATVs a bit. This was simply our expectations, there's nothing in their advertising that says this will happen. Even so, if you're hoping to have an exciting ride, this was kind of tame. We never really got above 15 mph on the trail. The guides were great, nothing against them. Just really missed our expectations. Based on the other reviews, most people seem to love it.

Overall a good experience. The guides were excellent and very knowledgeable about the history of…read morethe area and the layout of the land. Dennis's cabin where you drive to is a sweet piece of the backwoods. Nice, clean, lunch was a really good, although it's a 1/2 sandwich. Shooting the guns were fun. The only negative is you go as fast as the slowest person in the group. Our party of 5 was put together with a party of 4 70+ year olds, needless to stay a real downer. When you go to the original homestead, it is mosquito ridden make sure you use the deet offered or pay the consequences.

If you have limited time in the area, do not hesitate to book this tour. Fred will go out of his…read moreway to make sure you have a wonderful, authentic Alaskan experience. During our visit to the Talkeetna area there were wildfires burning, we were unable to make it to the meeting area but Fred and his helper Rich came to the hotel and picked us up so we wouldn't miss out on the fun. He first took us to a secluded spot by a river where the salmon were literally swimming between our feet. We could have reached down and scooped them up, but we were there to learn how to fly fish, so learn we did! Fred was extremely patient with me and my husband....and our limited fishing abilities! He came supplied with everything you could need or want during the tour. The waders fit perfectly, and kept us warm in the glacier water. While driving to our second fishing spot he supplied yummy croissant sandwiches to snack on during the ride. The second fishing spot had just as many salmon and we were able to catch quite a few fish. I had a beautiful trout on my line but unfortunately I didn't snag him and he got off the hook. I was bummed, but Fred is so encouraging before I knew it I had a huge salmon on the line and brought it in successfully. While we enjoyed fishing Rich cooked up some salmon by the shore along with vodka tonic and rum and cokes. We took a break to enjoy a perfect meal of deliciously cooked salmon and a nice cocktail. It was seriously a perfect day, despite the wildfires in area. I just hope that Rich and Fred's property were not impacted. If I am ever back in the area, this would be the first tour I book. It was a great experience and a super fun day!! Thank you Fred and Rich for making this the highlight of our trip!

This was the highlight of our Alaska trip. We did the fishing trip with Fred and He was amazing. We…read moremet up with Fred around 2pm. Had a delicious lunch and drinks and caught fish all afternoon. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. The spot Fred took us the fish were jumping out of the water right before our eyes. As the sun started to go down it was impossible not to catch a fish. We even ate our fresh fish on the beach. We were celebrating my Mom's 60th Birthday and Fred made it an extra special day. My brother is already wanting to make another Alaska trip next year just to fish with Fred!

I have been on ATV tours in Vermont that involve twists and turns, steep up and down hills and more…read moredrama. This is not that kind of tour. You drive 5 miles out on a public straight dirt road to the owners house. It had just rain, so there were many puddles to splash through which was fun. My guess on why there is limited variety to the route is because everything around here is private land: Nevertheless, this was a fun quirky trip that seems to be made for Alaska and we had a good time. You ride on these four wheel ATVs with big cushion seats. So, no issues with your hemorrhoids flaring up! They provide waterproof boots and head to toe rain gear plus helmets. You should use their stuff so that your clothes don't get muddy and you will need the water proof boots for the gold panning. You can't take pictures while driving, but if you have a GoPro, you can attach it to a helmet with a head strap. I put mine facing backwards and had the kids drive behind me. There are big containers attached to the ATVs where you can put your stuff. On the trail, you parallel the train tracks, and seeing the Alaskan train pass by was neat. You get to the owner's house and he is super hospitable. You are basically having lunch in his house, with overstaffed, easy chairs, family pictures on the walls and stacks of National Geographic magazines. The guides were very nice and helpful, and they were open carry pistols. Don't tell me that was in case we were to see a bear, as the ATVs noise would've scared off a herd of elephants. The food is nothing special, though he does accommodate what you need. If you have food sensitivities or allergies, bring your own food to be safe. Then you do some gold panning in a nearby creek. That was fun although I didn't find any gold (there goes my college tuition plan). Finally, you shoot an assault weapon AR-15, which was interesting and something I haven't done before. I did manage to get a higher score than my kids. I'm knocking the score down because the ATV riding was non adventurous, the food was meh and I think it's overpriced.

This was so disappointing. My friends and I love ATV riding but this was such a joke. Don't go…read morehere. Nice people but it was a really dusty, straight ride out along the railroad tracks to this guy's house. So boring I thought I was going to go mental. Save your money. I wouldn't have paid $20 for this experience (if you can even call it that). I can't believe that I'm in the middle of Alaska and I we were riding single file slowly along train tracks. The destination which is the house is just a house. This was the only bad part of our trip. They should be ashamed of advertising this as an adventure. Show some imagination, knowledge of the local geography, and respect for people's money!

WOW! Just wow! This was one of the most incredible adventures our family has ever experienced. If…read moreyou're visiting Alaska, this is an absolute must! We started with the UTV trail ride, which was an absolute blast. The course took us through water crossings and a variety of on and off trail terrain, making for an exciting and unforgettable ride. Then we experienced the sled dogs, which was equally amazing. We got to meet the dogs, learn about the sport, and see their enthusiasm and team work in action! The staff were outstanding from start to finish. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire experience fun, safe, and memorable for our whole family. We are already planning to come back because there are several other adventures we didn't have time to try. Snowhook Adventures is 10/10!

Amazing Dog Sledding Experience!…read more I had an incredible time with Snowhook Adventures -- truly one of the highlights of my trip! The entire experience was well-organized, smooth, and unforgettable from start to finish. A special thank you to Lindsey, who did a fantastic job providing clear, helpful information and putting together our itinerary. Everything was easy to follow and stress-free because of her attention to detail. And huge kudos to Hannah, our musher -- she was absolutely awesome! She was knowledgeable, friendly, and very professional throughout the ride. You could genuinely see how much she loves her dogs... and how much they love her right back. That made the whole experience feel even more special and authentic. They have everything you'll need to keep you warm from suits, gloves, and shoes... AND you will also get to see the cute puppies! If you're considering dog sledding, I highly recommend Snowhook Adventures. It was an amazing, memorable adventure!

I don't think that I can say enough good things about Ute and Billy FitzGerald, the good folks who…read moreown and operate Denali Trekking Company. The New Wife and I are active hikers and adventurers. When it came time to decide on a honeymoon location Alaska was top of the list. As a matter of fact, it was the ONLY locale on the list! A little research sent us north of Anchorage to the great little hamlet of Talkeetna. We booked a 3 day base camp hiking adventure with Denali Trekking Company. Several months in advance we had contacted Billy via email. He responded promptly asking for a good time to call us. The New Wife spoke with Billy for about 45 minutes. She then turned to me and said "We have found our guy!" Just read the "about us" section of their website to learn about the FitzGeralds. They are not just active in Talkeetna, they are the people who make up the heart and soul of the place. The Trip: After a couple of days in Talkeetna we contacted Billy to let him know we had arrived. He invited us to his cabin to meet and discuss our trip. We spent an hour talking about our lives, local politics and Alaska. We were pumped for the adventure! The trip was delayed one day due to rain, rain, rain and low ceilings. Great call on Billy's part. It would not have been safe or enjoyable. Day One: Rain and low ceilings still. Billy called and said to come out to his place. We met our guide Wade. Homemade Blueberry brownies passed the time. We went to a little cafe for a some lunch and then checked with the local float plane dock regarding the weather. Cleared to go a 4 seater loaded us up and off we went to the campsite. We made it out sans any issues, set up camp and the rain and wind started again. Time to hunker down in the Honeymoon Suite with amazing moose spaghetti made for us by Wade. I woke up at 3 am and looked out of the tent. The payoff was there! Crystal clear skies with more stars than you can imagine! Days Two and Three: More clear skies! Wade had coffee and breakfast for us. Off we went for nice hikes. The views were fantastic. Wade made it very enjoyable by pointing out everything from birds to wildlife to plant life. Bald Eagles, Osprey, a Golden Eagle!, Loons and caribou were checked off of the "seen it" list. After a great day 3 hike Wade called in the transportation. Billy landed on the lake next to the campsite in his beauty of a Piper Super Cub. The Super Cub is one of the finest little 2 seaters ever to grace the sky. The New Wife went in first. About 40 minutes later I was loaded up and had an enjoyable ride back to the dock where our car was waiting. We are still smiling. Tips: This is not a trail hiking adventure. It's "path of least resistance" hiking. The tundra is mossy and soft. Come ready. Get In Shape!! It will make all the difference. Bring quality gear. Hiking sucks if your feet are wet and hurting. LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDE! They know more than you and will keep you safe. I'd trust Wade to lead me into any back country Alaskan adventure. He was professional, friendly and never condescending. Thanks to Denali Trekking Company, to Billy and to Wade for a great honeymoon adventure!

I cannot say enough good things about Billy FitzGerald and his Denali Trekking Company. I have been…read moreon many great treks throughout the world - from Asia to South America to Europe to North America - but this was my best experience yet. While Billy deserves a ton of credit, it was really our guide, Wade, that made the trip so special. We did a five night hiking / packrafting trip of the Talkeetna Mountains. We did not encounter another individual during our trip and it was unlikely that any other hikers had been in that remote area all year. However, we did see a bald eagle and had a scary run in with a bear. The hiking and rafting were challenging but Wade was careful to make sure we weren't in unsafe situations. The river had swelled recently due to steady rainfall and we ended up rafting Class IV rapids. At times, the water got a little too big to travel safely over so we ported our rafts until we found calmer waters. The hiking was also very tough as we had 50+ pound packs on our backs, ascended some steep hills, and were traversing across dense and soggy terrain. We asked Billy and Wade for a challenging adventure and they certainly have us one. While celebrating the end of the trip at a local bar, we met two young women who had also just returned from one of Billy's trips. Their experience was very different than ours - they did a number of short and less strenuous day hikes from a single base camp - but they also had a great time. Our trip was booked at the very last minute and we had some poor weather, but Billy and Wade scrambled to make sure everything worked out. I was initially hesitant to book with Billy as I couldn't find many reviews online. He doesn't push his clients to review and probably doesn't get the same type of crowds that other tour operators get. Most of the locals in town know Billy and Wade and everyone had good things to say. Their operations might not appear as "professional" as many of the tour operators that cater to the cruise ship crowds; Billy was sometimes slow to respond to inquires as he was often in the field and the orientation is run out of his home. But despite being a small family run operation, their was a real emphasis on safety and professionalism. My only major complaint about our tour was the weather as it rained the entire week we were in Talkeetna. Not only did it make the excursion more uncomfortable, but it also made getting in and out of our locations challenging. Billy uses seaplanes to transport his guests to remote lakes and he is hesitant to fly if the conditions are unsafe. As a result of poor visibility, we pushed our departure back a day and returned a day early. We still got in a great trek, but we had to find hotel rooms for two extra nights. My advice would be to give yourself as long a window as possible in Talkeetna so you have flexibility to deal with unexpected weather delays. Overall, it was a magical experience. There is no place like Alaska and no one better to show you it's true beauty than Billy and Wade. There are other easier trips that will give you a glimpse of the state's wonders, but if you want to get off the beaten path and see the REAL Alaska, Billy and Wade are your guys.

Highly recommend. My husband had to twist my arm to get me to zipline because have a pretty…read moresignificant issue with vertigo. However, their excellent instructors give clear, simple instructions that are reinforced throughout your 2 and a half hour journey through the canopy. Safety is clearly their priority- they were were confident, professional and kind. It was cloudy the day we went so we could only see the foothills of Denali, but it was still gorgeous. There we tons of songbirds seranading us in the trees. The last two zips near the lake were my favorite. Simply beautiful. Also really enjoyed the rappel. We are already planning our next ziplining adventure with their sister company in Seward which apparently includes 3 rappels.

Five star customer service to all the staff here, from the office person to zip line staff. They…read moreare very kind, polite, and compassionate about their work. Very well thought through and safety first. They know what they are doing. This particular zip line is you always stay with your group. Two staff and 8 customers. We go one by one, one zip line at a time. I was fortunate that group was very friendly and we got to know them while waiting for others to zip. They have nine zips and well, they are okay. Done here once and I don't think I would repeat again type level. Yes it was beautiful and all but excitement level was just an average for me. It's still fun way to spend a few hours outdoors safely. You may want to use a mosquito repellent prior to your arrival. While mosquitoes may not come up high, we eventually have to come down, and they are a lot of them here.

I'm not sure I can adequately describe this experience. We may not have done it because it cost…read more about the same as our r/t airline tickets from Florida but one in our party said....."we have to do this"...ok. I can say I am VERY glad we did, it is well run-safety always an issue with helicopters and winds, white outs and such. Once in the air and feeling the winds move us around between tight snow capped cliffs; I felt some anxiety. Where we left from (headquarters) was chilly but no snow, where we landed in 18" of new snow from over night...hello. It was like a different world, kind of in a basin with snow capped mountains all around..beautiful! The dogs are leashed to their dog houses and were very excited we had come to allow them to run! Our driver was Dallas Seadey the winner of this years Iditarod as well as 5 other times! How cool is that? He granddad was in the first race ever so it's in his blood. Dallas was so friendly, down to earth and a treasure of information. He and the dogs are in sync. It was cold, believe me, but I wouldn't have missed this for anything!

Fantastic. Bucket-list kind of thing. Took my two adult sons out for a 4 hour trip, and wish it…read morecould have been longer. I will admit to some trepidation as I am not in the best of shape (think too "round" and too used to sitting), but it worked out great! A perfect mixture of the fun of driving ATVs in the wilderness with stops to explore nature and learn the natural history of this special place. Started with Oliver picking is up at the hotel in Anchorage. In a brand new and spacious van. He is prompt, smart, and very engaging. A delightful conversationalist for the 40 min drive to the launch point. We were then provided excellent, new, or seemingly new equipment (gloves, gators, helmets, and ATVs) and then given a safety briefing, and operations review of the equipment. And we were off... A wonderful morning of trails through woods, through stream beds, up to glacial lakes. We saw bald eagles, 1 moose, some sheep, and felt like we were in a truly special place. The guides were careful to make sure we had a fabulous (and safe) time. On the way back, we came to the aid of a stranded Alaskan who had lost a belt on their ATV, and we brought him back out. It's difficult to imagine a better morning introduction to Alaska. Would recommend it to anyone...no, no everyone!

Loved everything about this. Cory and Brian our guides were fantastic. Didn't see much for wild…read morelife but the views were beautiful and their stories of the area were great. Jet boat was so fun to ride in. Thank you!

Mahay's backpack/small luggage temporary storage review!…read more I am sure for those reading this they are probably on the Princess land tour. Talkeetna seems to be a major stop for the cruise line, The bus drivers encourage people to leave their backpack here 1. Its only $2 2. You don't have to carry it around, if its heavy or if it's raining it'll stay dry 3. Its convenient since the bus drivers meet in front of the shop. At first it was quite the scene, some lady takes your money and doesn't give you a ticket or anything in return, she just tells you to keep moving... Goodness they make money! We'll you have to walk in the shop to put your bag in there, might as well souvenir shop. When we were done, I was happy to know that our stuff was still there and the workers were very attentive to what people were grabbing asked the color of the bag/location etc etc. Overall, it worked out - trustworthy spot! =)

This was so much fun. Picked this company because we wanted to see Denali and to explore ok snow…read moremobiles without having to be in a tour. We grew up in the desert knowing how to read trails so this was easy to find our way around as they mark their trails really well.