alaska river adventures

Very pleasant float trip on the Kenai River. Four couples and the guide. Our guide was professional and knowledgeable. We were provided with gear to keep dry. On our trip the River was up two feet from rain and runoff. A great way to see the Kenai if you do not wish to fish.

Great scenery. saw moose,and lots of eagles. worth the trip.they hand out rain pants,rain jacket and boots. definitaly you dont get wet. there were some waves in which the kids enjoyed.

You want a cool and awesome boat ride?? This is the one! Take a few friends and enjoy the boat ride and the knowledge the drivers offer in all sorts of locations you travel to. there are also places you get out of the boat and just scavenger as well and they provide safety in case bears are around, trust me, it is cool.

We have just returned from our Alaskan vacation and wanted to share our experience with Alaska River Adventures (ARA). The first portion of our trip, was a cruise of the inside passage that originated in Vancouver. While fishing excursions were available, we opted to wait until the cruise was over to allow us to put together a land package. After looking at several areas, we decided we would stay in the Cooper Landing / Seward area and try Salmon fishing, since we would be visiting in early August. I reached out to the Seward Chamber and received several suggestions. I looked at most on the web and also via Trip Advisor and emailed Alaska River Adventures. George Heim, the owner of ARA, emailed me and after looking at several reviews, we booked a full day for my husband and a half day trip for myself and our teens (ages 14 7 16). We had a marvelous day on the river. Our experience started early at ARA (around 7:30). On arrival, we were able to purchase our a one day Alaska fishing license as well as hats for me and the kids. We then went out to the supply area to suit up in waders/boots and left with our guide. The kids and I were with Jason, who we think is the BEST. I am the least experienced and had some concerns that I wouldn't be able to manage the rod. Jason told us from the very beginning, that as long as we had a good attitude and wanted to fish that he would do ANYTHING to help us. As we began our trip down the river, other guides greeted him, and shared positive exchanges. Clearly, he was known in the community. He never tired of answering our questions and was very good in helping to teach us how to cast & set salmon. Once he had the three of us situated in the river bed, he carefully watched us and corrected our "techniques". I was a bit challenged in maneuvering in the water and he supported me after I hooked my first salmon and helped me get back to the bank. Even after I fell into the water, managing to keep my salmon on the line, did he ever make me feel foolish.He was a GREAT Guide. I would highly recommend ARA and encourage you to ask for JASON. We had a FANTASTIC day, caught several salmon, which have just arrived as we had it vacuum packed, frozen, and shipped home.My husbands experience was also good, although his team of 4 guys, were further down the river and fished all day. Alaska River Adventures does a great job.

All of the Alaska River Adventures (ARA) Team treated us well from the moment we arrived. We opted for this ride because it left at 2pm (there is also a 3 hr float tour before and after this time slot). It was a cloudy-ish day but we actually got hot on the river with all of the rain gear supplied by ARA. We brought our wool socks for under the rain boots.Our boat launched from the top of the Kenai River by the lake at the bridge in Cooper Landing. We saw a bald eagle right off the bat and learned a lot about the early explorers and gold miner's in the area including the super crazy Europeans.Neil, our guide, was great at spotting eagle's nests in the cottonwood trees and other wildlife such as red breasted mergansers. We enjoyed looking for sheep and goats on the nearby hills. The time flew by as we gently floated down the river. We would do this float trip again for new opportunities to spot wildlife along the route. We selected this trip over the competitors trip because it was more time on the Kenai River for less money. Great choice.We used our 2 for 1 coupon with 2014 Alaska TourSaver Coupon Book.

This 3 hour float trip down the awesome Kenai River is a must for Alaska visitors. You get to see up close the magnificent scenery, wildlife (saw 2 bears and 4 eagles) and many, many fishermen trying to hook the elusive Alaska Salmon. Our tour guide and pilot "Nutty" was wonderful

We did the 3-hour upper kenai scenic float trip, using a Tour Saver Coupon. After getting thoroughly suited up in case of a disaster (which apparently never happens, thank goodness), we headed out for a calm float trip on the Kenai River. The guide pointed out birds and buildings or river features of local significance while he paddled and the rest of us chatted and relaxed.There were only two times when the river was only slightly less smooth than a bathtub, so no one should be anxious about this trip. The guide warned us on those two occasions that there might be a splash or two, so we had plenty of time to tuck our cameras away so they wouldn't get wet. We were hoping to see anglers wildly battling for salmon, but apparently our timing was off for that, although we did see a number of fisherman. We also saw a number of eagles and their nests.Having done a kayak tour earlier in our visit to Alaska, I was very pleased to let someone else do all the paddling so I could just enjoy the peaceful scenery. At the end of a very pleasant experience (we actually had dry weather on the day of this trip), we boarded a van and went back to the point of origin. With all of the waterproof gear I had on, I was as dry when we got back as when we started.

Our family went fishing with Gary in early July. We started at their office and were outfitted with nice waders for all and floatation vests for our girls (10 and 12yrs old). We drove to a lake that connected to the Kenai River where the fish were. It was early in the Sockeye run. We are not experienced at fishing. Gary was patient and positive with us. He explained to us what we should be feeling and made us laugh at the rock "fish" we caught. We ended up catching 11 fish, with almost 50lbs in Salmon to ship home. He fileted them near the boat and explained the anatomy of the Salmon to the girls. Overall a great Alaskan fishing experience.

I've taken at least a half a dozen or more trips with Alaska River Adventures over the past four years. In many cases I have brought friends along because I am confident that there is a high probability that they will enjoy an excellent day of salmon and trout fishing. Although on one trip I didn't get to keep any of the salmon I caught, on the other trips I've come home with my limit of Sockeye and Coho. I've fished with Gary a number of times and have found him to be one of the most knowledgeable guides on the river (and perhaps the most colorful). Sockeye fishing can be a challenge in that it requires a unique approach that requires some mastery. Even most beginners can catch on in a couple of hours at the most but particularly first time visitors may struggle. The person that wrote the review complaining about floating past the "combat fishing" to go to spots only the guide knows due to his years on the river should have been complimenting the guide as it's those spots that only you are privileged to fish in that manner because only the guide knows where they are. More recently I've fished with Ty whose always put me on fish and coached me to properly hook and land them. A trip with Alaska River Adventures lacks for nothing except it's bring your own lunch but then when you're having that much fun, who can stop to eat? Finally, remember, they take you fishing with comfortable equipment in one of the most productive rivers in the country. The catching is up to you. Have fun!Warren C.

George was very professional through the booking process when I made reservations 2 weeks prior to our visit. Once we arrived, we were outfitted with waterproof gear and the staff was very helpful. Our float guide, Neal, was very informative and friendly. We had absolutely perfect weather and saw several eagles (alas, no bears.:). Only wish we had more time to return and try the fishing, too!

Our guide, Gary,was awesome! He worked so hard and genuinely wanted everyone to have a good time/ catch a fish. I could not get over how he rowed and maneuvered that boat. He was also very patient. I have fished only rarely in my life so I was a real novice to this. Gary showed me how to cast my fishing pole a dozen times or more but was also so polite and never gave up on me. I would definitely do this tour agaim!.

My buddy and I took our two sons to Alaska for their senior trip after graduating from High School. We had never been to Alaska but had always wanted to go and experience several different types of activities. George, the guides and his folks at Alaska River Adventures not only suggested great ideas, but executed our trip flawlessly. The communication before, during and even after our trip was very timely, professional yet it was not sterile or transactional -- very personable and customized for what we needed - when we needed it. Even the other businesses that George connected us with were as professional and helpful as he was. He set everything up for us -- We did everything from Salmon fishing on the Kenai River to a cruise in the Kenai Fjords to see wildlife and Glaciers. When we go back, we will use George and Alaska River Adventures again to plan our trip. 5 stars out of 5 -- memory making at its best!

It is always disappointing when you go out on a fishing trip and come home empty handed and I sympathize with Bill G and wish he'd had a better day with a bit more luck.Two of the other folks on the trip managed to get their limits of salmon so were very happy with the trip... the 4th person also lost all the fish he managed to hook though he too was quite happy with the trip and described the trip as 'awesome'.Salmon are not easy to catch... you need to make a good presentation and keep your lure in the right part of the river column... when one bites, you need to keep a tight line but not force the issue - finding that balance can be challenging as Bill G found out the hard way. If you give them slack, your rod loses the bend that keeps the line tight and they shake the hook. When you go to re-apply pressure, the hook pulls free. Luck plays a role as does previous fishing experience so sometimes a guest gets skunked - even here in Alaska.That said, I have to address a couple of his other points... the spot "where the action was" is a place where several hundred people were fishing shoulder to shoulder - since the salmon move upriver in little schools it is common for there to be several folks hooked up in this section but it doesn't mean that it is "the spot where the action is" - 3 fish on for several hundred fishermen is not 'action'. Not that we would want to join that scene any way. Also, any fish that reach this section will have to swim by us first as we fish down river from it.State law requires that any fish that is snagged (not hooked in the mouth) must be released. We do not allow our guests to perform illegal acts on our trips so Bill G is correct... we insisted on releasing the fish he had snagged in the back.Gary's driving maneuver saved us from being part of a head on collision. While it was an event we would hope never happens again, it was the right thing to do. Our full size van plus the boat on the trailer, makes us a 50' load. A speeding vehicle overtaking us on a curve began to pull into the oncoming lane to pass... Gary could see traffic approaching in that lane and realized that, if he allowed the guy to attempt to pass us, there would be a head on collision involving several vehicles - including us. So he moved over blocking him then pulled back into his lane in plenty of time to avoid the oncoming cars.

Gary was the ideal guide. He effortlessly moved the raft through the water and we really enjoyed yarning to him about the history and wildlife of the area and his life experiences as we peacefully floated downstream. We saw lots of bird life on our afternoon float and evidence of animals but no sightings. The scenery and forest colours were very impressive. I strongly recommend Alaska River Adventures for your float trip.

We were lucky and had a beautiful day for our float trip down the Kenai/Russian rivers. Our guide was great, we took lots of beautiful photos, saw lots of eagles and fishermen... only a teddy bear in the woods.