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.

Thanks for a great day on the river last week. Our guide, Ashlynn, was…read more a natural. It was beautiful and sunny and she was knowledgeable and funny, too! Overall great experience and would recommend. We loved that the raft was not overcrowded. Kristy

This was a calm, no rapids tour. A river 'float' would be a better word to use…read more Our guide was AMAZING yet I forgot her name! Alaskan native, worked for the company for 3 years. Volcanology degree Had so much knowledge of the area, the silt, animals (ALL varieties) the mountains, hikes, etc. absolutely beautiful area and professional company

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! =)

Great experience. From booking (w Heather), to check-in, to van ride to start point and especially…read morethe trip guide: all was done promptly and pleasantly. Will do it again.

We had an amazing time floating down the river with Reese our guide! We were lucky and had a…read moreGrizzly bear cross our path while in the van on the way to the drop off point. Reese was extremely knowledgeable and took time to show us and our young daughter everything we were interested in and answer our multitude of questions. We were on the early morning, 8:30 trip and it was so quiet and peaceful on the river. Remains our favorite outing of our 2.5 weeks in Alaska, and we did lots of fun things.

Had me come up to work for them, then took all my clothes tv and my DVD player and donated it to…read morecharity for a tax write off and didn't tell me till after I drove 2 and a half hours north to get my stuff. Steve and Sharon vantroba are theives do not do business with them and definitely don't work for them. Cost me 700$ to help them now it's winter and I have no clothes, literally f'd me over so bad I need to go to the courthouse and actually file for a lawsuit because Steve vantroba deliberately stole everything I owned and hides behind his loud ass dumbass wife to answer for his stuff

This is the best way to see Alaska! We loved every minute. The wranglers were amazing and the…read moreentire experience was a trip favorite! Thank you

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!

"Oh, if I could talk to the animals, And learn their…read morelanguages just imagine it" (Sammy Davis) When you have a tour guide that talks to squirrels, chipmunks, and loons, and can rattle off facts about just about every plant, bush, berry, leaf, and tree on the trail, you know you are in the company of someone very special. Words do not exist for me to explain how awesome our guide Cadia was. Her love and devotion to nature was something to behold. She was almost evangelical in her zeal for the outdoors. We were so fortunate to have Cadia as our guide for a Byers Lake Nature Walk. Every minute in her company was pure joy as we pulled off to the side of the road to see a majestic moose, learned about the edible berries and leaves around the lake, and learned about and listened to the cries of the loon among other gems. Cadia gave our tour some added value by taking us to a few Denali Mountain viewing platforms. She was one of the very best tour guides I have ever had.

Had a wonderful time on the Denali Wilderness Hike. Annie is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic…read moreguide. She made sure all members of the group were comfortable and had breaks when needed. She adjusted the pace to meet the needs of the group. Definitely recommended.

Derek was an incredible guide on our night hike at Hatcher's Pass. The hike started at 8:00 pm and…read morewe went until around 11:30-12:00 pm. He had snacks, extra gear, hot water and made sure we were comfortable the whole way.

I rented snow shoes from True North for a last minute hike in early December. I was given this…read morereferral by our cabin owner, and I was blown away by the customer service. Not only did the owner deliver the snow shoes to my cabin, but he also threw in some complimentary bear spray because he could tell how nervous I was about encountering wildlife. When I wanted to add another pair of rentals for my husband the following day, he drove his van full of kids to meet me off the highway to deliver them with the threat of a big snow storm closing in fast. We were able to leave the rentals in our cabin upon checkout, and he picked them up for us. Incredible convenient. I can't recommend this company and the sweet owner enough!

Stumbled across the cute little "interpretative walking trail" on my most recent visit to…read moreTalkeetna! It's at the end of the road by the river and runs through the woods. Fairly short little path but well kept, and lots of native flora to look at. My little pup Hazel LOVED it!

Six Mile roared beneath our raft, While Alaska's beauty left…read moreus awestruck. JP and the Nova guides were outstanding--skilled, encouraging, and fun every step of the way. From the thrilling rapids to the unforgettable scenery, it was an adventure we'll be talking about for years to come.

3 canyon river rafting. 4 of us went - river was almost too high to even go and they had warned us…read morenight before it might get canceled due to the high level of water. When we arrived the trip was still on - however, I wasn't feeling super comfortable at this point. They let me off the hook and they reimbursed me and totally understood my uneasy feeling. They agreed that the level of the river can make a serious no joke rafting experience. Anyway rest of family went - they had an awesome time!!! Would definitely be back!!