Highly recommend MICA's Advanced Trek to someone who wants to hike on the glacier for a closer look…read moreand experience some ice climbing. Our guide Quinn is passionate, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. We really like him and it was fun and exciting going on the tour following his lead! My friend and I (both female in our late 30s) went on the Advanced Trek in late-June. It was a sunny day, around low to mid-60 degree Fahrenheit on the glacier. The entire tour including the gear-up time was about 6.5 hours. We arrived 30 minutes prior to the start time to check in (sign the waivers and pay the glacier access fee). The participants to guide ratio was 3:1 in our group, allowing us to move efficiently and have all our questions and needs taken care of throughout the tour. Before heading to the field, Quinn brought us to the gear room and thoroughly walked us through the gears: microspikes, crampons, harness, and helmet... etc. Next we took a 10-minute car ride to the glacier trailhead. We first hiked for about 2 miles on the moraine which didn't feel like a long walk probably due to our quick pace. During the time on the ice we saw a beautiful blue glacier lake, walked on a shallow glacier stream, climbed an ice slope about 3 or 4-story high, and hung on a slope to see a moulin (vertical well-like shaft) from above. It was incredibly fun to get the close look and feel of the glacier! There were also snack breaks when Quinn was building the rope system and stairs. Kudos to him for working so hard while we were on breaks. During our time in Alaska, we had seen glaciers from an overlook on a trail and from a cruise in Seward, and they were both really great experience. However, going out and actually stepping on the glacier is another level and a very unique, memorable experience. I recommend doing it if you feel adventurous and have the energy to explore in the wild!

We had a fantastic time camping on the glacier (the only place in the world where one can do that)…read more Everyone we encountered at Mica Guides was friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to make our experience great. I was fearful about the ride on the tiny helicopter, but it was smooth and quick. The pilot is obviously very good at his vocation and was patient with us. Our guides spoiled us with cocktails, dinner and breakfast in the morning, and gave us fuzzy blankets to wander around in when it got very chilly. The tent is still a tent, but they did put a nice bed with a real mattress in there. We made s'mores and had great conversations during the evening time. The glacier itself is magical. We loved exploring on it and learning more about its history and its geology. I highly recommend glacier camping with MICA.

We had hiked Matanuska Glacier years ago, which was an incredible experience all on its own. So…read morewhen we were driving back from Wrangell St. Elias and saw this recreation site with beautiful views of Matanuska, we decided to stop and enjoy. There's a wonderful viewing area right by the parking lot with minimal walking. But just beyond that, there's a relatively easy 1 mile loop you can hike to get a bit closer views of the glacier. The area was well-shaded with lots of trees - it was a quiet, relaxing hike. Definitely recommend. Also had clean bathrooms. Wouldn't drive out here for this, but if you're already in the area, it's a good stop.

This campground is deceptive because you used to be able to camp in front of the glacier, but they…read moremoved the campground to this location where you don't even have glacier access. And it costs $25 a night to camp here, which is insane.

This is our second year!!! This is such a unique tour!!! Take a truck in the back roads, through…read morethe River. Get on a boat and go up the River get very close to the glacier! Then to land to spend an hour exploring the land with incredible up front views of the Knock Glacier. Tom has been there for 33 years! So knowledgeable!!! Great people. 100% recommend this tour!!! We will do it again next year!!!

This Knik Glacier Tour was cool. It was fun. But...3 days ago I toured Matanuska Glacier and the…read moretwo experiences weren't close. The biggest reason why I much, much, more admired Matanuska Glacier is that I was able to hike onto the glacier and get up close and intimate moments among wonderful surroundings. Meanwhile, here at Knik Glacier, you're just transported just to the edge of the Knik River where the Knik Icefield is set in the backdrop. So...I wasn't fully able to capture this Knik Glacier in all its glory in comparison to Matanuska Glacier. I will say...when I zoomed in on my phone to take photos of the Knik Glacier Icefield area...the pics came out very well. But...when I wanted to put myself into the camera's lens...the moments weren't so fulfilling, and especially since I was coming off such a high at Matanuska Glacier. I'd say, ultimately, Knik Glacier had a lot to live up to from what I had experienced just a few short days ago. Still, no problem, I very much liked my time here. I enjoyed the 3-hour tour I took. Only thing, upon now reflecting... Knik Glacier was very good...just not epically great. And the reason I compare Matanuska Glacier to this Knik Glacier is because they're located so close to each other...within miles of each other in the Palmer/Sutton-Alpine area of Southern Alaska. Let me relay the details about my 3-hour daytrip I took with Knik Glacier Tours... (btw, I believe there are helicopter tours offered where you land on Knik Glacier, but I was okay with navigating without the luxury flight option.) - It was $125 plus tax for the tour = $132. I also tipped $10 each to 2 of the tour guides at the end. - For the 3 hour tour, it broke down like this... * The first 35 minutes are navigated along on the back of an old army jeep vehicle. You'll pass over a bumpy road and through a few rivers. * From the end of the land portion of the tour...you then hop on a waterskiing boat where you'll be transported for about 20 minutes to the edge or "toe" of Knik Glacier. * Then you're afforded 1 full hour to explore along the edge of the land at your own accord, capturing pictures and venturing around...looking out upon Knik's many icebergs and the large icefield in the distance. * While on this 1-hour walk around (at your own pace)...the tour sets up a little picnic/tent area where they offer free hot chocolate and small snack items. For myself, I was so enamored with trying to snap the best and most efficient photos of Knik Glacier, I barely spent any time over at the tent area. * After the 1-hour walk along the river's edge...we then hopped back onto the waterskiing boat where the tour guide drove us straight up to some of the massive icebergs where we were afforded up-close perspectives of nature's natural wonders. We used about 15 minutes guiding through the glacial icebergs before being transported back towards the jeep land excursion and then finally to home base. - I visited and did this Knik Glacier Tour today, July 12th, 2002...and although it was pleasant outside wearing pants and long sleeves, the jeep driver recommended that I bring along a jacket because he mentioned how chilly it got out on the Knik River boat ride. And he was correct. The cold air rushing at me while heading towards the glacier was quite cold. The jacket certainly came in handy! - Although I'll post a photo of my confirmation email about the trip and where the tour begins...tours depart from this address... * 26326 E Buckshot Drive Palmer, AK 99645 - There were 7 people on my 10am tour including myself. This was a nice, personal experience. Not many people with me at all. At the Knik River's edge...we were all able to spread out and go our own ways. Overall, I appreciated my time exploring Knik Glacier. But...if you gave me the choice of doing only 1 glacial tour in this area situated about 50 - 100 miles east of Anchorage...I'd definitely choose Matanuska Glacier over this Knik Glacier. For those folks who have the time to check out both tours...then I found them each worthwhile and good in their own elements, sights and landscapes. And it's because of these glaciers and being immersed among incredible settings that I find Alaska to be one of the prettiest states in the USA.

Had an extra day before my business mtg in Anchorage and drove up to Glacier View AK. (Map shows…read moreSutton AK). Booked an ATV tour online. Very friendly guide, Tom, took a small group of us through trails to the top of one of the mountains. Trip lasted 3 hours and the scenery we drove through was amazing. Spotted several moose crossing our trail and had incredible views of the Matanuska Glacier. If you're not up to handling an ATV by yourself, you can ride in their off-road vehicle that seats up to six. ATV can be a little strenuous, and maybe a bit challenging if you having been off-road before. Highly recommend the goggles they offer (along with a helmet for ATV), and next time I'll bring a bandana to keep the dust off my face. I looked like the high plains drifter after a day is horse ride. Didn't get a chance to do ziplining, but that view is also outstanding. This place is 90 miles or so from the Anchorage airport. Waze stopped 30 miles short, but Google maps found it. Cell coverage fades as you get closer, so just stay on Glenn highway until you see the ATV, Zipline, and Pizza signs

- 10 star experience for northern lights tour - Dana is…read morefabulous - she knows! - she is dedicated to her craft - they were on time for pickup - snacks are good (chips, nuts, granola bars, water) - eat a hearty dinner before - the field is your pee break if you have to number 2, sorry for ya - our lights started at 11pm they were predicted to be highest between 1230/1 we waited until after 2, and they were still dim all the other people in the area had left - the lights REALLY started at 230, we stayed until 530 Dana had faith we believed in her it paid off - we got home at 6 - great photos by Dana - heated van all night

Mike and Shannon were the best guides for our one and only experience. Josh picked us up and we…read morewere off to their cabin where by 11 pm we're seeing auroras across the sky! The lights were so beautiful and the entire group got to experience VIP photo shoots! The skies were clear on our night and we enjoyed hot cocoa, snacks and even a small walking trail! Once clouds came along we picked up and drove to a few other locations in the area in our heated van! Nice and comfy with a great group of folks until 2 ish. I think my group would even say I got some zzz's in too Lol! We loved it!

I had a fantastic rafting experience with the NOVA guides…read more Prior to driving by the sign on the road that says "NOVA rafting," I was lamenting about how I didn't think I was going to be able to raft due to my tight schedule while visiting Alaska. I drove by the sign and thought "I will just pop down there and see if they have any space." Lo and behold, that had some space on the trip that was starting ten minutes after I got there. They got me signed up and off we went! Adam did a great job driving our bus and photographing us along the way, Gavin kept us well entertained and got us excited on the bus, Coffee (manager) gave us a very informative safety speech, and my rafts personal guide, Maria (from Louisiana), was awesome. I felt safe and had a wonderful time with her guiding our raft. Getting a gla-cial (facial from the glacier water) was a top experience of my trip. I also thought the tour and photos were appropriately priced. Overall, a great experience and worth the money and I'm so happy I did it.

Amazing! That's the one word I would use to describe this company. The quality of guides this…read morecompany has sets the bar very high. Shoutout to David (for glacier trekking) and Jon (for whitewater rafting) for making the respective excursions memorable! Let me start with the glacier trekking. My buddy and I did the adventure trek.This was perhaps one of the most unique excisions over ever been on. The fact that you're exploring a glacier (the matanuska glacier) by walking on it and through it leaves you with a sense of wonder. It seriously feels like a whole new world that's not in earth. Our guide , David, took us to see a lot of features of the glacier and we got to see glacier crevasses and glacial pools. So beautiful and majestic. This left an imprint of Alaskan glacial beauty and I'll be sure to never forget. He even created a spout on the glacier so we can taste the freshness of glacier water! We felt completely safe with his knowledge of the glacier and he made sure to answer any questions we may have had. Thanks David! The next excursion was to whitewater rafting down the Matanuska River. For the second excursion, we did the lions head rafting tour. Let me start out by saying that it was utterly fun and unforgettable. Going through class 3 and 4 rapids is sure to excite any thrill seeker. The guide definitely makes this trip exciting especially since they are integral to your safety as well as fun. Jon made sure that we were all engaged and having a great time! Thanks Jon! I cannot recommend this company enough. Definitely do multiple activities (you'll get a discount for booking more than one)! This was the end cap for my Alaskan adventure as it was drawing to a close. I couldn't have chosen better adventures to end on! Keep it up Nova!

A couple hours northeast of Anchorage lies a stretch of highway that has become one of our happy…read moreplaces! Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge has become another reason for this! Nestled in the trees, you turn off the road into a little slice of Eden. The lodge is a spectacular log cabin style building with a huge deck overlooking the valley below - one that houses a spectacular river flowing from the Matanuska glacier. The days included sleeping in very comfortable beds, first in a solo cabin and then in one of the rooms within one of the larger lodges which have a few room inside. The lodge was nicer, but we liked the solo cabin a bit better. The common area in the lodge was nicer however. Very potato/potahto. They have a dining area and a full service restaurant/bar in the main building and it's a delight! Many meals are buffet style, and they have single to order items available as well. The Cioppino one evening was spectacular! In addition to the comfortable beds, they have a massive hot tub available for adults to use, a huge deck off the back of the main building and a rec room type building with a large TV and a big table for meeting up. The small refrigerators are located in the rec building and the lodges. It's enough room for snacks and a night of leftovers. One evening we were all sitting outside of the deck chatting around 10:30/11:00 and because the sun never sets, we saw a lovely rainbow just before heading to bed. Staff are great, there are tons of hiking/walking trails in the area and the place is even graced a couple dogs who love to keep you company! We'll be here again! In their little slice of the wilderness, it's a big piece of heaven!

So everyone has their own criteria to determine what makes a great lodging experience. For me, the…read morepeople and atmosphere get the highest weightings. MVWL had the most helpful and accommodating team I have encountered in recent memory. Cal and Anthony set the high bar for customer service. We also met the owner, and along with Cal and Anthony, we had engaging conversations about the location, Alaska, adventure and travels. Our room in Glacier Hall was basic and functional, but not luxurious. It didn't matter, because the view, lodge and property was so great. Although we didn't take advantage of all the amenities, there were several (hot tub, fire pit, etc.). We stayed on the last night of the summer season (9/14/2022). The Heli-Ski season begins in February, which sounds like a great reason to return. There is also an airstrip adjacent to the property, with several planes based there. Additionally, MVWL is very close to Matanuska Glacier. Thanks again to the team at MVWL. Below is the view from our room and also a few shots from the lodge.

This place is SPECIAL! The accommodations are amazing and the service is something very unique…read more From the coffee, to the breakfast and the fresh linens. All the details have been covered and it's truly a one of a kind experience. You can't understand until you stay here and experience it for yourself. Thank you to the wonderful Alpenglow staff for making this a vacation to always remember.

What a fun little local getaway! Mandy is a joy to work with too! Upon arrival, Mandy met us to…read morewelcome us to the location and give us a brief, but thorough tour of the grounds. All spaces were clean and easy to get to. We stayed in one of the Forrest Tents that is a short walk away, but still felt completely isolated from other tents. Breakfast is served (with French press coffee) every morning and it's DELICIOUS! Freshly made breakfast casserole and homemade granola with yogurt! There's a sign up sheet for the hot tub. The hot tub is great for relaxing with a great view. The showers are HOT HOT HOT! There's an outhouse - flushing toilets a short walk away too.

We had a lovely stay at the Glacier View cabin! Colleen was very warm and welcoming. Such a quaint…read morecabin on beautifully kept grounds. The view did not disappoint. The inside of the cabin was super clean and well kept - very cozy as well.

This place is like a slice of heaven literally in the middle of nowhere…read more Keep going west bound on glenn highway , around 10 miles ahead of Matanuska glacier there is a sign to the side road that leads to the cottages, The cottages overlook the Matanuska glacier(see photos). We were sipping on some tea sitting on the porch after the tiring day while staring at that magnificent glacier. The cottages themselves are also pretty awesome. Clean, comfy, cosy...everything you expect out of a cottage in the woods and more. The views from the porch and the windows are astounding. Also we didn't expect high speed wifi in this oblivion but there it was. All in all beautiful cozy little place in the lap of nature....Very highly recommended.