Within the Wild

Begin today with optional morning yoga at 7:00am, followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. Then join your guide for a helicopter-supported adventure. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Options today include the following:

Heli-hiking

Board a Robinson R-44 helicopter with your guide to the summit of Wolverine Ridge or the surrounding area mountains in the Tordrillo Range. Spend the day hiking along the ridge or exploring the tundra ecosystem, watching for caribou, brown bear and moose. Other favorite spots include Lupine Falls and Glacier Ridge for views of Tremble Glacier and delightful patches of blueberries and wildflowers.

Glacier Trekking

Explore the features and ancient beauty of your precious glacial surroundings. During the flight, search for moulins, glacial pools, animals traversing the moraine and dramatic crevasses. Land on the ice to explore a 1000-year-old glacier. No prior glacier experience is needed for this opportunity and you may try sledding or snowshoeing in the summertime!

Happy River Float

Fly from the lodge to meet your river guide on the Happy River. Meander along this rarely visited glacier-fed class III river while looking for bears, eagles, Dall’s sheep and salmon. This is a favorite spot because the deep gorge and surrounding mountains offer outstanding views and serenity.

Fly Fishing

Set out to one of the many secluded rivers–all gear included. Throughout the summer, guides scout the top-secret spots to fish for salmon, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. Float, walk or wade down a quiet Alaskan river in this pristine region.

Fly the Iditarod Trail

Fly the Iditarod Trail by helicopter to the next checkpoint, for a unique vantage of this historic course.

In the evening, join lodge managers for a wine and cheese tasting, appetizers, local Alaskan brews and gourmet sodas. Dinner is server at 7:00pm, after which you may choose to relax in the hot tub or enjoy the wood-fired sauna.

Start the day with optional morning yoga at 7:00am or look for the resident swans and loons on Winterlake by kayak or canoe. Breakfast is served at 8:00am in the main lodge. At 9:00am, join the guide for a hike to the saddle of Wolverine Ridge for stunning views of the valley. In the afternoon, kayak or canoe around the lake, enjoy the lakeside sauna or relax in the hammock.

Enjoy 7:00am optional morning yoga followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. After breakfast, take one last walk through the sled dog yard and bid farewell to your fellow travelers and lodge employees. At 9:00am, meet your floatplane at the dock for an 1.5-hour scenic flight south to Tutka Bay Lodge (added cost); enjoy views of Lake Clark National Park and the Kenai Coast along the way.

Check into your room with a view of the Grace Ridge and Tutka fjord. Today, perhaps explore the artist’s community of Halibut Cove. The guide will have suggestions. Nearly all guests at the lodge enjoy hiking in the Kachemak Bay State Park. Kirsten recommends visiting a nearby oyster farm. Appetizers are served at 6:00pm. Dinner at 7:00pm. Don’t forget to book a complimentary massage.

After an early 6:00am breakfast at the lodge, depart for your full-day excursion: either deep sea fishing in Kachemak Bay or bear viewing on the wild coastlines of Katmai National Park.

Deep Sea Fishing

With an early start, this excursion will take you to the deep, pristine waters of Kachemak Bay. Spend the day fishing for salmon and halibut alongside informative local captains with all gear included. Kachemak Bay is home to one of the most productive fisheries in the world due to intense tidal fluctuations. Listen to stories from your guide about this unique region. A specialty lunch will be provided from the lodge chefs for your day on the water. At the end of the day, your captain will clean and fillet your catch at the dock. Ship it home or take it to the lodge for the chefs to prepare.

Bear Viewing

This excursion provides an amazing opportunity to explore one of the most populated wild habitats of Alas­kan brown bears. The day starts with an early rise at Tutka Bay Lodge and a water taxi over to Homer where you meet your pilot and guide. At the hanger, you will be fitted with waders for the day, then take off for a 1-hour scenic flight. The destination flight takes you over glaciers, volcanoes and the rugged coastlines of Katmai National Park and Lake Clark National Park. Land on a remote beach where you may walk alongside bears in their natural habitat and, depending on the time of year, see bears grazing on sedge grass, digging for clams, playing together, courting, resting and/or fishing. Expect to make some stream crossings and do light hiking (2-6 miles) alongside highly knowledgeable and helpful guides. (Please note this is a remote trip and there is no access to facilities.)

When you get back to lodge, enjoy a hot sauna or soak before your complimentary massage. This evening, join the lodge managers for wine, local Alaskan brews and gourmet sodas during appetizer hour. Following dinner, take a walk to Sunset Beach to relax before views of Mt. Illiamna.

Today might be a day for a long exploratory sea kayak tour around the bay or, perhaps another expedition up Grace Ridge or just relaxing around the lodge soaking up the local scenery. It’s your choice. Don’t forget to join in a yoga class or get a massage before dinner.

Join an after-dinner bonfire ocean-side to bid farewell to favorite guides and fellow travelers. Enjoy a Within the Wild tradition—homemade blueberry marshmallows with graham crackers freshly made by the lodge chefs.

After optional morning yoga at 7:00am, enjoy breakfast at 8:00am in the main lodge. Bid farewell to fellow travelers, favorite lodge employees and resi­dent sea otters. Maybe enjoy one last low tide experience before the adventure ends with a water taxi ride to Homer (added cost). From Homer, consider a 9:00am floatplane ride back to Anchorage (added cost).