Our family had the most incredible time at Black Spruce. Jeff and Katie were the most welcoming…read morepeople and their passion for their dogs and mushing was evident from the moment we arrived. We did the Sled Dog Safari Tour in early June. There are other sled dog experiences you can do in Alaska and we participated in one of those too, but our time at Black Spruce was our most memorable experience in Alaska. We were able to meet all of their dogs and we were very lucky that they had a litter of puppies when we were there which we were able to snuggle. If you are spending any time in Fairbanks, this activity is a must!

The most fun! Friendly & fun guides, adorable (hardworking) & snuggly pups, beautiful views, and…read moreHUGE smiles on the sled. We couldn't have enjoyed it more. Highly recommend!!

This was a really fun experience overall. It was a nice, relaxing dog sled ride through a serene…read morepublic park. Our guide was fun to talk t, a nice guy who has been training and running sled dogs for years and had great stories. Checking in: When you arrive, you check in at a little house at the bottom of the long driveway downhill and then head over to the sled waiting area. Meeting the Dogs: While you wait your turn, you can pet and play with the dogs. It's a little bit sad at first because each dog is chained to a stake near their individual dog house. Some of them were really tired and just wanted to be left alone, but others were super friendly and eager to make friends. The Ride: When it's your turn, you just pop right into the sled and off you go! A quick heads-up: make sure you get completely comfortable before you take off, because there is no stopping to re-adjust once you start. Also, keep in mind the seating arrangement means the person in front is essentially laying back on the person in the back. While it was a fun bucket-list experience, it's probably a one-and-done activity that I wouldn't necessarily feel the need to do again. Pro tip: Warning (The Hill): To get to the rides, you drive down a long, snow-covered driveway hill, roughly 150 yards. As I was driving down, I couldn't help but wonder if my car would be able to get back up. Sure enough, afterwards, my SUV rental could not make it up the slope and kept sliding backward. Even though I was driving an All-Wheel Drive SUV, it only had standard tires instead of proper snow tires, which caused me a ton of grief and ultimately required a tow up the hill by AAA. (If you're curious, I rented the vehicle from Budget at the airport, you can read my separate review about that nightmare!). It's a fun, authentic Alaskan adventure. Just make sure your vehicle is truly winter-ready.

What an amazing adventure. We had a fantastic ride through snowy forest being pulled by beautiful…read moredogs!! We had a great chat with our musher about life in Alaska and she stopped for photos. Petting the dogs afterwards was a wonderful way to end the trip. Highlight of our trip to Fairbanks.

A MARVELOUS experience, OMG! At first, I was a bit hesitant and felt bad for the dogs, but after…read moredoing some research and living the experience, I can say it was definitely the highlight of our Alaska trip. The service was wonderful. We booked the 30-minute (2-mile) sled ride, and wow, you can tell these dogs truly enjoy what they do! Check-in was a breeze; they gave us clear safety instructions and explained the history behind the kennel. They even lent us heavy-duty gloves for the cold. Our musher was fantastic, sharing curious anecdotes about the dogs throughout the ride. We stopped at the 1-mile mark for some stunning photos, and at the end, we got to pet and cuddle the dogs, it was amazing! To top it off, they welcomed us back with hot coffee and freshly baked cookies. I felt so well taken care of by the staff. Highly recommended! PS: Don't be afraid to go fast; the dogs LOVE the speed!

I thoroughly enjoyed my mushing experience with Trail Breaker Kennel. If you're not really packed…read morefor the sledding experience, this place has the necessary gear on site for you to use without you having to overpack your bags. The dogs are all very friendly and eager to take you on an adventure. Our musher, Elena, was friendly and gave us fun facts throughout the ride. She also stopped to pick a nice place for us to take pictures. At the end of our mushing, we were able to warm up at the cabin and get some complementary hot chocolate.

This 2 hour dogsledding adventure was the best thing we did in Alaska! Jenna and David were so warm…read moreand welcoming. You can tell how much they love their dogs, and how much their dogs love them. It felt like a truly authentic local experience instead of a mass-produced tourist trap. The landscape we sledded through was all gorgeous permafrost, boreal forest, and frozen river - it was magical. It was amazing to be able to stand on the sled runners in the back, in addition to just sitting in the sled. We also spent some time in the kennel yard playing and taking photos of all the beautiful dogs, who all had such distinct personalities! Would highly recommend this experience to anyone traveling to Fairbanks -- totally worth it.

Jenna and David are the best host and provided the true Alaskan experience. In their beautiful…read morecabin home hidden in the forest and facing the river, our family had the best time in all of our Alaska trip! We could not forget the amazing moments of viewing the aurora light in their heated tent, Husky dog sledding tour, ice fishing, wood carving, snow shoeing and more... And you get an opportunity to learn how the couple built their big log cabin with their own hands without any heavy equipment! The meals they prepared for us are just out of the world, from home made icecream, berries and the fish they caught. We came from San Francisco with no snow year round, and we were doing very well and enjoyed every moment spent here at their homestead. I highly recommend them, and can say wholeheartedly that their host made our Alaska trip PERFECT, and it is such a fond memory for years to come. Thank you Jenna and David! We hope that we can come back some day...

I would recommend anyone visiting Fairbanks to visit Nita at Sirius Sled Dogs Rescue. It was the…read morehighlight of our trip! We did the Kennel tour due to constraint in our time but would go back and love to do aurora viewing and dog sled as well. She had so many dogs that all looked happy and healthy. We met all her dogs and she told us all about mushing and how to care for these dogs properly. It was lovely meeting her and all lovely animals that she is helping!

Amazing dog rescue that puts their dogs first. The dog sledding was an unique experience as was the…read moreAurora Borealis guided event/photography! Nita and Greg were perfect guides for our first time mushing. They were knowledge and made us feel very comfortable. Nita accommodated a special request for a later, sunset adventure. And the dogs are amazing! Such sweet dispositions. Supporting a rescue was a nice bonus to the already perfect evening. We were very lucky to have an almost perfect evening for the lights! Yes, you can see the lights from many places around Fairbanks, but Lindsay's knowledge and expertise immensely added to the experience and her pictures are amazing!

This was AMAZING!!!! Olly and his wife Maria were great! They were so friendly and passionate and…read moreknowledgeable on the dogs. Olly had me in tears on how he got started on dog sledding. Our tour got cancelled do to a storm at another dog sledding but they put us in the books! We were so grateful and Im so happy to have met them. I would love to go back and do it again! I highly recommend visiting! Ill be back! 10/10

This is the best experience, i will treasure forever in my heary this is a Family owned business,…read morethey take EXCELLENT CARE of the furry ones. Maria was super sweet always making sure we were having fun, and enjoying. The owner is a great host , he told us all the stories and background. I definitely recommend this business and hope to be back soon

I can't possibly put into words how wonderful our experience was here…read more Our original dog sled ride elsewhere was cancelled due to weather, but that operator told us to try Friendly Arctic Adventures, which we had not heard of. Thom (the owner) was able to get us in on short notice. We had booked just the short sled ride, but when we got there learned we could have the option of driving our own team. My wife opted to ride in the sled, but I decided to go for it. At the end of the training session I was overwhelmed and doubted my ability to do it, but with my heart racing I decided I had to try. It was the single most amazing experience of my life. I harnessed one of my dogs, petted them all, and we rode the trails for what had to have been at least an hour. After the ride Thom gave us booties for one of our own dogs who likes to play in the snow but his paws always freeze up. My only regret about the whole adventure is that I missed feeding salmon to my team because I went back into the cabin to warm up when we were done. So now I have to come back to Fairbanks to do it again and give my dogs extra salmon. :)

I'm a total dog mom, so getting to do this was at the top of my bucket list and one of the things I…read morewas looking forward to most on my recent trip to Alaska. There was a slight booking error so I had to push my tour back a day (no biggie) but Thom was super apologetic and worked with me as much as he could and went above & beyond for my tour to make it memorable. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better day and it ended my trip on such a high note! His cabin has extra gear and he makes sure you are dressed properly and ready to be out in the elements, he explained everything very thoroughly to make sure I understood what I would be doing. It was only me for the tour, so I helped him harness the dogs and get set up and by then my heart was racing & so was my mind thinking, "what did I get myself into??" LOL it all happens so fast but it's SUCH A BLAST!! These dogs live to run and they love it! They take such good care of them and love them like family, they are not abused or left out in the cold. They make sure they are all happy and healthy. We stopped now and then to check on the dogs and take pics, and he would turn back now and then to take video and pics of me to send to me later. I had no idea it would be so much work - but I was sore for a good 2 days hahaha. It could have been from gripping the sled so hard (don't do that! lol ) and the couple of falls I took, one of which was on ice. But it happens and the dogs know to stop when the sled falls over. But you have to be quick getting back on! This was such a memorable, amazing, incredible, once in a lifetime memory and I will never forget it - happy birthday, merry christmas and happy new year to me!! :) :) I couldn't recommend Thom and Friendly Arctic Adventures more - book them and you won't be sorry!

Best excursion ever wish I did the 2 hour tour! Highly recommended for anyone looking g for fun!read more

Sled dog adventures is an unforgettable and immersive experience! Christen, Jameson, and the dogs…read moreare incredible. Our visit was truly excellent from beginning to end. Jameson and Christen were so hospitable and welcoming to their home! Our party of 5 had the option to stay inside their warm and cozy home or visit with the dogs in the yard as each couple took turns. Jameson, an executive chef, also had lots of helpful advice from the best restaurants to things to do in Fairbanks. We could talk to him for hours! Christen was such so knowledgeable and the kindest soul! We felt very safe under her care; she handled the dogs so well and was a wonderful guide! Their passion for dog mushing was truly evident. This was not a job for them, dog mushing is a way for them to share their joy with others. The trails are breathtaking and the sled was super warm and comfy! They also offered extra Arctic gear to make sure you stay warm. Our favorite was being able to interact with the dogs that were so happy and well taken care of. I highly recommend Sled Dog Adventures to all. Thank you Jameson and Christen for the perfect day!

Mary Shields, you are a saint!! This very sweet woman is a…read moregem to be around! Not only is she a sweet woman, she is a tough survivor with deep knowledge of everything Mushing related. We were greeted with hot drinks and home made brownies as she shared with us her story, which is beautiful. Her love for dogs surpasses anything I have ever experienced, to include each night before she goes to bed, howling to her pups from her wheelchair and listening to them respond from the outdoor kennel. We had tears in our eyes as she got choked up numerous times about her sheer passion for these beautiful animals. The first ever woman finisher of the Iditarod!! What an honor it was to meet you, spoil your furry children with love, and listen to your life story. I highly recommend anyone to spend this amazing experience with Mary and her dogs.

We called this morning to go for the 10AM tour. When we got there we met one of the most…read morefascinating people I have ever met. We enjoyed playing with the dogs very much!! They are sweet, precious dogs. Mary was so personable!! She let us play with the dogs and then brought us into her house for coffee, cookies and questions. The house was absolutely adorable. Mary is well spoken, kind and gentle soul. I do hope she will write a biography.

Jameson & Kristy are super nice and professional. We had an amazing time!!…read more Jameson is also a great coach, all of us tried ride it, and even my friend who never ski and can't really understand English can ride. Highly highly recommend. Love the experience and will definitely recommend to everyone and will do it again when we are back.