Info for Parents

Our trips are designed for parents and guardians who want to spend virtually every moment of their vacation with their children, to learn and play together, and together experience the wonders of the Last Frontier.

Safety

Without a doubt, the safety of all our trip participants is top priority. Our staff will be giving your group a safety briefing during orientation on your first night. We will do our best to present the group with safe, supervised and enjoyable activities for the whole family.

Moose, caribou and bears, oh my! Alaska is a land of wilderness and wildlife, and while we may not see animals each moment, they are in our midst. We hope to view wildlife from a comfortable, safe distance while traveling, during our Kenai float trip, on the boat excursion into Kenai Fjords National Park, and while hiking. Our guides will brief you on how to manage potential close wildlife encounters on the rare occasion that they may occur, as well as educate the group about not feeding animals and maintaining safe distances.

Activities

Our guides and helpers will make sure to provide age appropriate activities that fit the general intent of our trips: to provide educational, fun, hands-on learning experiences for each participant (including adults!).

Our hikes are “casual” in terms of elevation gain and difficulty. We take a stop-and-smell-the-flowers approach to hikes, where the guides look for opportunities to create activities for the children to keep them learning and interested, while also presenting information that is interesting for adults, too.

Kenai River Trips

The Kenai River is a Class II+ river experience, on a scale of I to V. We offer two different trips depending on the ages of your children. You will be advised at time of booking which trip to take with your family:

  • For younger children (from 5 to 7) our scenic Two-Hour Float Trip works best. This river float travels through the upper stretch of the Kenai River watershed, allowing us to view the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge from a unique point of view and search for wildlife such as moose, eagles, and bears. This float trip is appropriate for kids over 35 pounds.
  • For older children (7+) a full day adventure through the Kenai River Canyon is recommended. This trip is scenic as well, spends a longer time on the river, and travels through remote stretches of the Kenai River as it flows through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. This trip spends five hours on the water, and stops every two hours or so for breaks, as well as a 1-hour stop for a wilderness picnic lunch. The trip finishes by motoring across a huge glacier-carved lake. This raft trip is appropriate for kids over 55 pounds.

Each guest will be outfitted in rubber boots and a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for the float. Our guides are in charge of the safety and navigation of the raft, and will share their knowledge of the river as the group floats past spawning salmon, fishermen, snow-capped mountains, and dense spruce forest.

Other Activities

For our guided activities such as hiking, canoeing and other special activities included in the itinerary you select, most activities are best suited for kids at least 7 years and older. Sea kayaking at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is recommended for those 10 years of age and older, based on experience, weather conditions and group dynamics. At most of our Lodge properties, we offer more casual, half-day activity options which are also well suited for families with youth travelers, and families may opt to return to the main lodge mid-afternoon to enjoy a puzzle or board game together before a festive family-style dinner.

Special arrangements for travelers under the age of 7 can sometimes be made, and our Reservation team will talk through the specifics with you before you reserve your trip.

Rooming Configuration

Our prices are based on double room occupancy. However, we do offer triple and quadruple occupancy discounts for families who wish to share rooms and economize. Most cabins and guest rooms have at least two beds and private bath. Best efforts will be made so that families who wish to spread out to two or more cabins will be placed in close proximity to each other at the various lodges involved in the trip. There are a limited number of cabins that have three beds. Please inquire about the availability of these cabins at time of booking.

< Back to Plan