This was a great tour. I understand why people would be concerned for the dog's wellbeing. However, it is clear that the dogs are enjoying themselves. They're kind animals, not scare of people, and are very enthusiastic when they get to run. The tour consists of a van ride up to the camp, a sled ride, an overview of history, and some puppies to pet. Our musher told us how much he prioritizes the care of his animals: massaging their joints and paw pads, removing them from a trip if they have any signs of distress or illness, and the ample amount of stops during the ride because he was concerned about dogs overheating. You might be overwhelmed at first and maybe think this isn't the best way to treats animals, but the animals speak for themselves. read more

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Our family had awesome experience. Our Musher Phil Taylor was amazing. His experience and enthusiasm was exceptional. read more

From start to finish, our entire experience was phenomenal. Everyone was so nice, informative, and passionate. It was one of the best experiences we've ever had. Our guides were Joshua and Mark. Everyone is great but we felt very lucky to get these two! Joshua was very informative and made the drive up to camp very fun and education. Mark took us around and answered all of our questions thoroughly with enthusiasm and knowledge. Both of them were amazing and we loved our time with the dogs. We can't wait to come back! Definitely a repeat any time we visit Alaska!! Hope to catch Joshua and Mark again! Thank you guys!!!! read more

Gold Rush Dog Tours - You get to meet the puppies that will be the future sled dogs! All the animals (grown dogs and little puppies) were so sweet and adorable! - Pet Services Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Great experience and the mushers provided excellent information and customer service.

I am a dog lover who recently adopted a shelter dog so when I heard of this excursion, of course I wanted to go! I must admit that as a person who knew nothing about dog sledding, I was a little leery at first wondering if the dogs were happy or were they treated as beasts of burden. Well this tour educated me and helped me to see the love that the mushers truly have for their dogs and helped me to see that dog sledding is secondarily a sport, primarily it was and is a necessity for transportation so deeply woven into Alaskan culture. For years and even today the only method of transportation in some of the remote areas of Alaska has been via dog sledding, and the these dogs have been heroes bringing food and supplies to places without roads and otherwise inaccessible. (Remember Balto, the heroic husky dog credited with saving the town of Nome by pulling the sled through blizzards bringing much needed serum to Nome during an outbreak of diptheria in 1925). We learned these facts in the talk and presentation the mushers gave in one of the tents. They go over the history of dog sledding and how these wonderful canine heroes have assisted mankind time and time again. Dog sledding is so much a part of the Alaskan culture that dog sledding is officially the state sport of Alaska! I learned a lot about the dog sledding breeds that I never knew and about the characteristics and differences in the Alaskan Huskies, Siberian Huskies, and Alaskan Malamutes. The dogs are treated well here. This organization's slogan is "Dogs First!" My initial hesitation that the dogs might be regarded only as beasts of burden totally vanished. The dogs seem happy and robust, enthusiastically barking and wagging their tails as if they are saying "choose me! choose me!" whenever a team is chosen to pull a sled. As the musher said, the dogs live to run and love to pull ! The only drawback to this tour is the price - I thought it was way overpriced! I get it that they need to pay for insurance if they are going to have tourists on the carts and sleds, but really, for $175 and only an hour there, they should include more. However, the best part is how much interaction we are allowed with the dogs and they let us go up and pet and hug all the dogs. And at the end, they take us to the puppy kennel where we can hold and cuddle all the puppies. A double dose of aww and cuteness! read more

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This was a true Alaskan experience full of excitement and adventure. This dog sledding experience was really cool. Joshua (who lead the dogs and told us a little history) was super helpful and awesome. He even let my little brother help steer the sled. The dogs were so nice and excited, I got to let all of them and they loved it. read more

This is one of the best tours I have ever taken. Such love between the handlers and the dogs, the kind of unabated love we need in the world. And holding the puppy Peanut in my hands was an amazing experience as was the ride with all of the dogs leading the way. A special thanks goes out to Joshua Azevedo who was our guide. He made the experience even better through his friendship, sharing his knowledge about the dogs and showing his love for the dogs at every turn. I have no doubt that one day he will be a champion racer and we hope to one day to return and congratulated him in person. Mark Shaw, Author. read more

The whole experience was amazing! Matt, Zach and Matt were all fantastic- super knowledgeable and extremely passionate about what they do. You can tell all the workers love the dogs as if they were there own. I couldn't of asked for a better excursion! read more

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What a wonderful time we had spending it with the dogs. The trainers are so passionate about the dogs and really know their information well. read more

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We had a fantastic time at sled dog camp. Josh was an amazing musher and guide. He shared his love of the sport and was very kind along the way. Highly recommend this tour. read more

If you love dogs, DO NOT support this business. It's absolute exploitation. The dogs are kept on short chains, with gravel to lay in and too small shelters for them. I cried when I saw them. I can't believe Disney offers this horrid excursion to families. It completely ruined what had been a wonderful trip. And for $800! STAY AWAY! read more

Joshua was out tour guide last April 2023. He handled the dogs masterfully and encouraged us to interact with them. He provided historical information on mushing as well as current practices and race qualifications. The entire tour was well organized ending with a puppy visit. I highly recommend Joshua and Gold Rush Tours. read more

Even The Dogs Yelped With Glee... We had to visit this place. As most readers of Yelp will attest, if your spouse or significant other has something on their so-called "bucket list" which must be realized before their untimely demise, YOU...as the other part of that relationship...have to adopt the list. Rather than tempt fate by underestimating the power of the bucket, I joined my wife on her quest to finally spend some time with dogs trained to run the Iditarod race each winter in Alaska. So, for her ------- birthday and our 10th anniversary, we went on a cruise from Vancouver to Whittier near Anchorage. The first "shore excursion" we booked about 3 months before our departure date was with Gold Rush Dog Sled Tours in Juneau. The online description from Princess seemed to satisfy her requirements, so we signed up from our home computer. By the way, all cruise ships to Alaska stop in Juneau, the capital city, and most offer a tour to see the sled dogs. I don't believe there are any other "summer camps" for Iditarod dogs in Juneau. Gold Rush Sled Dogs has 2 locations...this one about 35 minutes southeast of the city in the very remote Sheep Creek Valley and another in Skagway. From the pier, about 20 people boarded a bus, headed down the Gastineau Channel for 10 minutes and turned inland along a dirt road for another 25 minutes past the abandoned AJ Gold Mine to our destination. As visitors know, the scenery in Alaska is bigger than life and traveling through a valley with fog nipping at the tops of snow capped mountains in mid July was quite a sight...even if the weather was cold and drizzly. Just when you thought "there can't be anything out here", the bus arrived in camp. First thing we saw was a clearing the size of a football field with 120 very athletic dogs spaced evenly apart tied to long leashes by their houses. After greetings by one of the trainers on the bus, we gathered in a small building for instructions and told our tour of 20 will be divided into 3 groups. We donned rain ponchos and met our guide, Joel Kersting. He told us about himself ( sled dog guide in Minnesota during the winter and in Juneau during the summer ) and introduced us to the 12 dogs ( his own ) who would lead our wagon ( kind of like a big snow sleigh without the skis ). Everyone in our group got to play with the dogs. We thought any animal strong enough to participate in the Iditarod...a 2-3 week marathon through extremely tough conditions...must be big and bulky. Not at all. These dogs were lean ( not mean ) and reminded me of well trained ( and fed ) professional boxers. Outstanding athletes, but you might not wish to take them home. When Joel started to connect his 12 dogs to the front of the wagon, every other dog in town...108!...began to bark in unison as if they were jealous of Joel's crew. The noise was deafening and answered a question I posed at the beginning - "why is this summer camp located in the middle of nowhere?" Because they'd wake up the neighbors like a siren announcing a fire! The sled ride was about 1 1/2 miles each way through the countryside on a wide dirt path. One wagon was a 1/4 mile ahead of us while another wagon was the same distance behind. Not only were we amazed at the strength and endurance of the dogs, but with their intelligence. They executed orders as a team and seemed to read the mind of Joel, the driver and trainer. By the end of our 20 minute ride ( including a few stops ), we marveled at the task of traversing more than 2000 miles in the dead of an Alaskan winter. We gathered in a small cabin to get warm with hot tea and cookies while reviewing the experience with Joel. Then one of the highlights of the tour came ( especially for my wife ) when our group was allowed to spend 15 minutes with the stable of Iditarod puppies. I'm not a dog person, but it was pure fun to play with them. They were tame, but had huge personalities. My wife found a nearly all white, 9 week old puppy named "Harpoon" and wouldn't let him go. Joel said we needed to put them back in their pen and immediately they began to play with each other...Iditarod style. I must admit this was a great experience. The ride to and from camp was enjoyable. Joel, the guide, was entertaining and had a down-to-earth knowledge you usually only hear from cowboys in the movies! His assistant who helped with the dogs and came along for the ride was a very nice young woman from North Carolina. I apologize for forgetting her name. NOTE: After we got home, I checked the Princess website and saw Joel won many awards as best tour guide in Juneau...from among ALL the tours available...for several years! Pros: A "bucket list" item. Cons: The weather can be dicey. Dress appropriately. Suggestion: If you go, ask for Joel. Ratings: Overall: 5 Scenery: 5 Dog Sled Experience: 5 Dog Sled Comfort: 3 Dogs: 5 Puppies: 10 Joel: 5 Weather: Who cares? read more

Our family came to Alaska on a cruise in August 2018. Our original plan was to fly to a glacier via helicopter and do dog mushing there. Alas, the weather did not cooperate. Our disappointment turned to total delight when we arrived at the dog mushing summer camp and found an amazing adventure waiting for us! First of all... as an animal lover, I was skeptical about the dogs and their well being and enjoyment. Once again, I was delighted to see their joy in their lifestyle and in participating in this amazing sport. The dogs were happy, well taken care of, and totally thrilled by their lifestyle. Second, the activity itself was so great. The dogs could not wait to attach themselves to the sled and start pulling. It is amazing to see them in action. We loved hanging out with the dogs. A real treat was holding one of the puppies. The training camp had some interesting historical exhibits that helped us understand the sport of dog mushing, and they gave us some really yummy chocolate chip cookies. All four of us (including two kids under 10) loved it. Highly recommended! read more

My girlfriend and I did this as a shore excursion from our cruise ship and let me tell you..... wow. We had always wanted to see sled dogs so we were very happy. As huge animal rights people, we were delighted to see how the dogs were treated. They are really well taken care of by the owners and extremely happy dogs. These dogs are trained to run the Iditarod every winter and they look like champs. A picture of the dogs taken at the 800th mile of the 1000 mile race show them well fed and happy, even on the course! The owners are very nice and clearly care very much about their dogs. The musher went over some historical information about the Iditarod and then showed us the new type of sled used. He described how he sends food to the different check points and other information about the race, including that they run at night most of the time because that's better for the dogs temperature wise. They let us meet and play with the team before heading off and then on the run, which I'd estimate to be about 1/5 mile, the team was given 3 rest breaks, as the heat we had during our visit was not very good for them. At one point, the musher stopped the team to run up to the dogs and tell them how proud he was of them and what good dogs they were. Playing with the puppies at the end was the best part though. They are so cute and cuddly we wished we could take one home with us. This was a dream come true visit and we were so happy that we went here. I HIGHLY recommend this company if you are looking to see the best of sled dogs. read more

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Prior to taking a trip to visit the Gold Rush Sled Dog Summer Camp in Juneau, AK I had heard that sled dogs really love to run. I couldn't imagine how their idea of a good time was being strapped on a line next to a bunch of other dogs and pulling a very heavy sled and musher along with them. It wasn't until visiting the Gold Rush Sled Dog Summer Camp that I fully understood the way that these dogs feel about the experience. At the time of our visit there were approximately 120 dogs residing with their owners/mushers at the camp. Amazingly, when we arrived the camp was quiet and serene, despite the presence of 10 dozen dogs. Upon our arrival preparations were made to take out teams of dog sleds. At that point the dogs began clambering for a spot on the line. They were all trying to gain the attention of the staff members, begging to run with the team. It was clear from this spectacle that these dogs LOVE to run. Our guide (musher), Matt, gave us a short history lesson on the use of sled dogs and a background on the Iditarod Race, which he had incidentally ran several times with some of the dogs at the camp. We then proceeded to go out on a 'run' with the dogs, who were hooked up on a line and attached to a summertime 'sled' (which looked more like a golf cart). It was a fantastic experience zooming along a mountain trail, being pulled by these dogs who were so speedy. It was so interesting to see the personalities of each dog come out along the road. Some were very serious and ran in line. Others were more whimsical and seemed to 'veer off' the line a bit to have a little more space from the other dogs. After the 'sledding' journey was over our group was able to hold five-week old puppies. They were so adorable and tuckered-out, as our tour was the last of the day. I think visiting the Gold Rush Sled Dog Summer Camp for a tour is a fantastic thing to do if you find yourself in Juneau, AK. read more

Gold Rush Dog Tours - Pet Services Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

The best part of the whole trip for my wife. Great information, great trainers there and sooo much awesome interaction with the dogs. Amazing to see the dog in action and all the power and skill they possess. And then the puppies, pretty fricken cute and so many little smooched and nibbles all over you. I have no idea how we got out of there with your a puppy in each pocket. read more

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my entire family went on a summer camp dog sled ride. All the many dogs were barking like crazy including the dogs pulling our wheeled sled. it was so funny and enjoyable. Watching the dogs get so excited and ready to go, then watching them all work together to pull the sled was fun and exciting. Mark King was so knowledgeable about the dogs and the history of the Iditarod. My 7 and 10 year old grandkids loved everything, especially getting to hug the dogs and hold puppies. what a great excursion. read more

I say enough about how much fun we had. Luke and Collin did an amazing job educating and showing us the history behind the sport of dog sledding. The actual sled tour with the pups was a blast! Holding puppies at the end was a bonus!!!! read more

Our musher (Matthew Failor, www.17th-dog.com) gave an awesome insight into the world of dog sledding.... How he got into it and what it takes. It was amazing to see just 12 dogs pulling our big metal cart of 9 adults! Talk about conditioning training! And the dogs love it, it's awesome how excited it makes them to work! read more

Chad & Jamie did a fabulous job on educating us about mushers and dog sledding. The dogs were awesome, each have their own little personalities. Chads passion for his sport and dogs were inspiring. read more

Really fun experience - seems like the people who work here really love the dogs and love them well. The ride to camp is a bumpy one and the views once you get there are awesome. read more

I don't know what I could say in my review that hasn't already been covered by Richard N. This place was great and definitely the greatest highlight of our Alaskan cruise! Our tour guide was Austin and he was great. He answered all of our questions and was very nice and a cool guy. I asked him a ton of questions and he was happy to share his experiences and it was incredibly interesting to hear about what they do. I absolutely loved learning about the dogs and their racing. It was great to get to meet each dog, pet them, and learn about their personality and background. And of course we got to hold some of the puppies and I loved them. Austin recommended a book called "The Cruelest Miles," which tells of the diphtheria outbreak in Nome, AK during 1925 and how teams of dog sledders carried the serum to the town. I loved that Austin was so knowledgeable about the history of dog sledding and recommended the book to us. Everybody there was extremely nice and welcomed us into their camp and they really made the experience great--but of course the dogs were the stars of the adventure :) I can't recommend this place enough. I only have great things to say about the experience. read more

Best experience. Must go here and at least do the cart ride. Totally worth every penny. I would pay the extra to go on the helicopter ride next time for sure. The dogs were incredible and so were the views. The staff was very knowledgeable and were able to inform beginners to experienced dog mushers on the sport. Truly incredible. Thank you so much James Volek. read more

Highlight of our whole trip. Lynley and Phoebe were our team of mushers and they were awesome. Their passion for the dogs and the sport was contagious. It rained HARD the entire time we were there but we still had an amazing time - that's how awesome this place is. We brought our three-year-old and infant (wore him in an Ergo carrier) and everyone had so much fun. Petting the puppies at the end was fantastic. I also really appreciated the gorgeous exhibits they have put together with so much care and detail to truly share about the history of competitive mushing as a sport, the history of the Alaskan husky as a breed, and the evolution of the equipment involved. Just a top notch outfit. Highly recommended! read more

We had an amazing time on this tour. Our Musher Tim Pappas was an extremely knowledgeable and a friendly guide. Trey his assistant was also a super nice chap and we would recommend going on this tour. Tim we wish you well on your Iditarod challenge next year! Great dogs, great people! read more

Chad and Jaime were excellent and our experience was incredible! Chad's love for his dogs was apparent in how much he admired them and cared for them. Our favorite part was getting to pet and hold the 3 week old puppies! This memory will stay with us forever! read more

Our guides Chad and Jaime were great. They were knowledgeable and fun. We had a great time and loved the dogs.

I'm having difficulty understanding all the great reviews this tour gets! For myself and 3 others, this was one of the biggest rip-offs we've ever encountered. For over $130 per person we got a van ride to the site up the mountainside above Juneau, Alaska, looked at and petted lots of dogs, took a 20 minute dog-pulled ride through the wooded area, were rushed through 3 sheds with a few plaques explaining the history of dog-sledding in that area. We had a cookie and a hot drink and petted some very cute puppies. Would you think this is worth more than $130? Better to find some friends with dogs and pet them. No ride, but then you can buy yourself something you really want. read more

After a week on the Disney Wonder, my wife and 8 year old declared that the best part of their entire trip was our dog sledding experience. Our guide Maliko Ubl was terrific! She made the trip very special. She is incredibly knowledgable and obviously very experienced. We would recommend this company, and especially Maliko, without hesitation. When we arrived, we were broken into 4 groups. Each group started in a different part of the camp and rotated through the different stations. The highlight of the experience is a 10-15 ride in a wheeled cart pulled by a group of great dogs. If you will be in Juneau for the day and like dogs this is a great experience. read more

I attempted to reserve a spot for our trip to Juneau three times. Each time I waited over a week to hear back and got the response "we need to check our schedules" and that they would reach out once they had it. Over a month later I sent a reply asking about the schedule. Over the course of three months this happened twice (as the latest email was one week before our trip) and their response was short, rude, and gave the feeling that I was making an irrational request. I followed all of their reservation instructions yet was still treated with disrespect if not ignored completely when communicating with Brielle. I also reached out by phone a week before our trip and each try was unanswered. With my attempts it was obvious that I looked forward to a visit, so I can't imagine how many customers they have missed out on. read more

Wow! We booked this excursion from Princess. It was one of the highlights of our trip! The location was so beautiful. The dogs looked so happy and taken car of. I would do this again if given the chance! Thank you for the great time! I believe Jake was our guide, cheers! read more