This is a terrific spot for enjoying the lake in a hot summer's day…read more The water is crystal clear (except in the swimming area where all the dirt has been kicked up). - There are several campgrounds. - There is a picnic area with grass and space to throw a football. - There is a beach area (gravel type) for swimming. - There is a boat launch and parking for around 8-10 trucks and trailers. - There is a dock. - There is limited parking AND IT DOES FILL UP. On those hot summer weekends, expect there to be a full parking lot and the possibility of waiting for a spot to park. - There is a camp host that walks around and checks the cars for the fee receipts. Make sure to pay or have your state parks decal displayed.

Lulu's tents and events is a MUST stop! The accommodations are beautifully placed right along the…read moreknik river. It's a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle. If you happen to book during one of her concert nights, you won't regret it. The artists are real and have hearts for music. The community gathers and it gives you the true Alaskan experience. Anyone can stay in a hotel, but few can say that they have stayed in a place like this. Give the people back home something to be jealous about when you share about your trip.

So I'm struggling to assign a star value to the Knik Public Use Areas because there's so many…read morevariables. So for starters, it's free... so in my mind that's 5 stars off the top just for being gratis. There really aren't very many places that you can camp these days where it's legal and free. So that's dope. And the view, looking to the east is fantabulous. Not so much the Knik River, which is a wide, muddy mess, but the view of the mountains here is priceless. Turn around and look to the west though, and it's nothing but dust and sad, scrubby trees. And when I say dust, I mean DUST. And there's a lack of public facilities. No shower, no bathroom, no BBQ grills and not enough trees to afford privacy while relieving ones self. RV'ers favor this place because with a house on wheels you can be comfortable. But in a tent, you might be dissatisfied. If you are into dirt bikes, ATVS or mudding, you'll love Knik Public Use. This is probably the most popular location to do those things in the valley. It's legal and you won't bother anyone. I've also seem people launch small watercraft from here, but I think the ability depends on the tides and what kind of equipment you have. The old abandoned Knik River Bridge is also found here, which is safe to walk on and get a good view of the goings on. In summary, it's a cool place to visit, but without an ATV or RV there isn't enough to keep my attention here for more than a few hours.

Amazing, small ski slopes just outside of Palmer, Alaska in the Hatcher Pass. Most definitely…read morerecommend. Staff were so friendly, lift lines less than a couple of minutes wait time, mountain runs were expertly groomed, and the price was amazing....day pass and equipment rental was around $80. Finally, the ability to access backcountry was unexpectedly easy. Looking forward to returning.

There are still a lot of people that don't realize we finally have a chair lift in Hatcher Pass for…read moreskiing and snowboarding!! In its second season, it's getting busier and busier all the time. My dad bought a season pass and is definitely working towards getting his money's worth and I'm not far behind. If you're familiar with the different resorts around the area, I'd say that as it sits right now, Skeetawk is a mix between Hilltop and Arctic Valley... or Alpenglow if you're not as old school as I am. Anywho... At only 300 vertical feet and I believe 30 chairs on the lift, its a fun ride! It also beats hitchhiking back up the mountain road. As of right now, the offer porta-potties, which is a bit uncomfortable to say the least. A two story yurt houses the newly opened ski rental, which unfortunately, at this time does not offer snowboards. They're working on getting more gear, instructors and tuning... all of which, especially the latter two are quite important and sparse. As for the people... for the most part, pretty cool folks working up there... cashiers, lift attendants and patrol! I'm not going to throw anyone down the hill and bash them, but some could be a bit friendlier... well, one in particular in leadership. It seemed that if you weren't in her age group, not in her circle or something... I can't quite put my finger on why, but it came across that she just didn't care about you, your ability or what you had to offer, even to the conversation at hand. In making suggestions to reach out for a couple different things, I felt a bit of a cold shoulder, which is indeed a turn off when you're local and wanting to get to know people with similar interests and promote a new hill.... even if the only similarity is winter downhill recreation. It is what it is... and I don't see myself joining in on the conversation again. They have a long way to go... and need a lot of money to get there, but for now, it's worth it to go. It's a quick trip from my house, doesn't break the bank and is even nostalgic for those of us that rode backcountry up there and stayed at the Motherload back in the day.

I can't tell you how great our tour was in words. The team…read morewas so great. We really enjoyed visiting with them, and the trip was incredible as well so much fun for our family. The only downside is we just did the half day trip Take the full day trip. The half day trip is worth it, but it's so much fun, you will want more. Thank you so much for making this such a great experience!

Highly recommend! Our family of six had the best time on our June tour!…read more Latrael & Katie were fantastic guides! They were encouraging, kept us safe and cheered us on all day long. They were also a wealth of information about local history and landmarks. Also, made some damn good salmon quesadillas! Beautiful views and interesting terrain all day long! If you're thinking about taking this tour, do it! You certainly won't regret it!

There's a reason why they have 5 stars on here and google reviews. Working with Sabine was a…read morepleasure! Just go on there website and click on "about us" and you'll see the people who work at this lovely family-run business. With your quote, everything is included, airport pickup/dropoff, rental insurance, beddings, chairs, etc. Simply fill out the form to get a quote within minutes. They also have cheaper camper vans available

My family rented an RV from Amazing Accommodation Alaska (AAA) for 13 nights from late June to…read moreearly July. It's summertime in Alaska so I booked the RV months in advance. Sabine (the owner) answered all the questions we had from RV to mosquitoes to everything else under the sun. She helped us so much on planning the entire Alaska trip. She was so patient and kind. Because AAA is outside of Anchorage, you don't have to pay the 10% tax. Another thing we love about AAA is that they have no hidden fees. At the end, I think we saved about $700 renting from AAA comparing to other big RV companies in Anchorage. The RV was very clean and in good condition when we got it. Picnic chairs and table and cooler come with the RV rental at no additional charge. They provide a good supply of kitchenware (pots, pans, dishes, small bowls, cookware, silverware, etc.) toiletries, clean towels, first aid kit, cooler, pillows, blankets. They will make sure you have enough for the length of your rental. They even put a pair of latex glove for dump stations which we thought was very thoughtful. They let us borrow a bear spray but luckily we didn't need to use it. Before you take off, Sabine, personally, would go over the RV with you, and show you how to operate the gas stove, turn on/off the generator, water heater, AC, heater, etc. She put together a little manual in case of emergency. She gave us her cell number in case we ran into any problems with the RV, we would have been able to contact her. We forgot how to operate a few things and I had to call her a couple times; Sabine was more than happy to show us again. I can't say enough how happy and satisfied we are with Sabine and her rental company. They are amazing beyond words. I would strongly recommend using Amazing Accommodation Alaska.

We did the 10 day tour and it was amazing. We were so impressed with all of our excursions. We did…read morehorseback riding, Denali flight, Glacier hikes, whitewater rafting, ziplining and a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier with a dogsled ride. Jamie Smith was our guide for the week and he was awesome. He took such good care of us like we were family and even helped us get our son's some fishing in. He was so knowledgeable and really made the trip for us. We were all sad to leave him when it was time to say goodbye. We really had an adventure of a lifetime and would highly recommend Alaska Adventures Unlimited to our family and friends.

Rod was amazing! We did the Grand Discovery 10 day tour in June for our honeymoon and couldn't have…read moreasked for a better time. Not only did we have an amazing of adults, but Rod was a true gem. He is an Alaska HS sports legend, full of stories that you never get bored hearing. He taught us so much, was incredibly patient, funny, and 10/10. We have recommended AAU to many colleagues and friends and I hope we have a chance to make it back up there again.

My mom and I went on the 10 day tour in August with Cheryl as our guide. Best trip!!! So many…read moreterrific memories from all the excursions. Can't think of one thing I would change. Really good food! Really nice accommodations! Comfortable van that we switched up the seating every day. Cheryl went out of her way to take care of us. So grateful for such an amazing time!

This was a good trip that could have been a great one with a few improvements by ATG…read more The biggest positive was the quality of the excursions. ATG selected fantastic local operators for the activities, including the flightseeing tour, the guided walk in Denali, the dog sled tour, the Kenai Fjords boat tour, and the Spencer Glacier float. Another positive: Our guide was incredibly thoughtful and kind. He constantly checked to make sure everyone was comfortable, anticipated what we might need, made sure we were lined up early to get the best spots for activities, and happily made frequent grocery and restroom stops so no one had to feel like they were inconveniencing the rest of the group. The bus was also stocked with almost everything you could need, including bottled water, snacks, walking sticks, Dramamine, bug repellent, binoculars, just to name a few. ATG also chose good hotels. The Anchorage hotel was conveniently near a Walmart and restaurants, and the hotels in Denali, Wasilla, and Seward all had beautiful views. The reason I gave 3 stars was because of three communication issues on ATG's part. Issue #1: Lack of communication regarding the bus seating. Although the bus is described as holding 13 passengers, two of the seats are over the wheel wells. Even a small adult can't sit with both feet on the floor because one knee has to remain bent, with that foot on top of the wheel well. Fortunately, our guide asked everyone to rotate through those seats, saying with a smile that "everyone should share the comfort of the back row." Since seat rotation depends on the willingness of the group, and some days you're on the bus for over 4 hours, I think guests should know about this before booking. Obviously, every bus has wheel wells, and I'm not suggesting they can be eliminated. I just think guests should be told before booking that two of the advertised seats require sitting with one knee bent because of the wheel wells, so they can decide whether they're okay booking the tour under those conditions. Issue #2: The information guests received before the trip didn't always match what our guide had. For example, the website says guests can use the van's cooler for some personal food items. Because of my dietary limitations, I specifically confirmed with the office before booking that I would be able to do that. But when I asked the guide if I could put a couple of things in the cooler, he told me it was only for the group's bottled water. Fortunately, I had brought a small insulated lunch bag and an ice pack. Otherwise, it would have been a real problem. On the positive side, ATG did a great job arranging vegetarian sandwiches for me throughout the trip. The website also says that on evenings when dinner isn't included, the guide will recommend restaurants and let guests choose. Again, I confirmed this with the office before booking, but every night one restaurant was selected for the entire group. Most of the restaurants turned out to be fine, but I would have preferred to have options. There were also times when the detailed itinerary we received 3 weeks in advance didn't match how the trip was actually conducted, and those differences affected our experience. For example, in Denali on July 19th, we had reserved the optional 1:30 PM naturalist walk and planned to visit the Visitor Center that morning, per the itinerary. However, our guide told us we would be going to the Visitor Center the morning of the 20th. Since we didn't want to visit twice, we had nothing else planned the morning of the 19th. I wish we'd been able to follow the itinerary we received because it would have made better use of our time in Denali. Another example involved Exit Glacier. The itinerary sent to guests included a stop there on July 22nd, but our guide told us it wasn't on the itinerary he had received. After comparing the two itineraries, he agreed to take us (and reasonably suggested doing so the morning of the 23rd due to weather). Since the stop hadn't been included in his itinerary, we didn't get much information about what was available there. Issue #3: Guests would benefit from more advance information about additional optional activities. ATG already coordinates reservations for some optional activities, like the flightseeing tour. I wish they offered the same service for other activities that require advance reservations for an additional fee. For example, we didn't learn about the narrated Tan Transit Bus in Denali or the guided tours and animal encounters at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center until it was too late to get reservations. We would have happily paid extra for those opportunities. We also discovered several free or inexpensive opportunities only by accident, including the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center, the guided tour at Independence Mine, and the ranger led walks at Exit Glacier. These are all the kinds of things I think ATG should mention to guests in advance.