Bettles

I hope the owners, I believe they are Eric and Donna won't be reading this, lol... The Bettles Lodge. I booked with them as part of my journey to reach 2 of the most remote national parks in the United States...Gates of the Arctic NP and Kobuk Valley. Upon arriving in Fairbanks, Alaska...which is the primary town you need to start from in order to begin your journey to Gates and Kobuk...I immediately called The Bettles Lodge and spoke with Donna about availabilities for this summer. Btw...when you Google - Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley National Parks, (they're situated right beside each other and if you're going to visit one, you might as well visit both) this Bettles Lodge comes up right on the front page. And...their tours and itineraries look very enticing for the casual tourist who may not be prepared to say...hike and camp out in nature for days or a week at a time. And FYI...that's what comes with the territory for exploring Gates and Kobuk. There are no roads leading to them. Only driving and then hiking...or simply flying. Reading Bettles Lodge's online itinerary, this was my interpretation... They offer this fantastic package where you fly to them in Bettles and... - Have access to the Gates of the Arctic Visitor/Ranger Station. - Spend your 1st evening at the lodge. - The following day you take a seaplane out to Kobuk Valley for a few hours and then hit Gates of the Arctic as well for an all-day excursion/adventure and getting to check 2 parks off your To-Do Lists...especially if you're a national parks enthusiast! It sounds great. But...I'll get to it, lol. - 2nd night you sleep again at the lodge. - 3rd day you take a little river rafting trip before departing back to Fairbanks later in the afternoon. Before I go into my poor experience, let me give as many details as possible... - For 2 nights and 3 days at Bettles Lodge with everything included...it cost $2500. But remember, if you're on that once in a lifetime journey to see all the NP's...this is definitely the most affordable way to get it done. - If you chose a camping or hiking adventure to the parks...you're looking at a 4 - 7 day package costing up to $4000 - $6000...and that could be for just one park! Imagine having to do both? - All the meals are included at Bettles Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus, you dine with other guests and get to meet and share in their travels as well. In fact, a couple I met...I became friendly and traveled with them to Lake Clark National Park later on in the summer where we stayed together in a cabin. So, hey, you never know. - Booking with Bettles Lodge, airfare is also included in the $2500. Donna booked my flights with Wright Air Service out of Fairbanks. I arrived on a Friday morning at 10am. But there was nothing to do in Bettles and my all-day park trip wasn't until the following day, Saturday. I walked around Bettles, I stopped in at the Park VC and then sat around. I was bored. All Friday was wasted, sitting and sitting. A major problem for this past July of 2022 was heavy smoke from wildfires in the region. Now...guests who arrived before me were having their park day excursions cancelled and or delayed because the smoke was so intense. There was no visibility for the pilots. Now...I'm starting to freak out because if guests before me had their trips cancelled/delayed, what about me? Not only am I standing around doing zero, but now I'm stressing. The following day Bettles Lodge had their one and only pilot fly the group of folks who missed their initial trips the day before, out to the parks...going in the morning and then returning in the afternoon time. This afforded me the second half of the day. But, now...half my day at the parks was ruined as well. Time was precious. Granted, it rarely gets dark in this part of Alaska during summer times, but basically... I sat around till 4pm on Saturday (bored) until finally it was my turn. But...I only got 30 minutes at Gates and 30 minutes time at Kobuk as well. It was like...we landed, took a couple of pictures and hopped back on the plane. It wasn't fulfilling. I spent all this money and left feeling down. Plus, with the smoky conditions, the scenery was barely visible from high above. Btw... First, we went to Kobuk Valley which was a 2-hour fight! Then over to Gates, which was another 1 hour. Then, back to the lodge which was 1 more hour! In total, 4 hours of flying...while 30 minutes at each park! Boo!!! But this is how it was. What can I do? The 3rd and final day I once again, sat around. Bettles Lodge needs to offer way more for guests while there! Finally, the flight arrived to transport me back to Fairbanks. When checking out and paying...there was a tip line for all the staff at the lodge. I gave $100 for their kindness during my stay. Overall, this experience was a letdown. Too much sitting and not enough exploring. I would have been better served backpacking and camping out with a tour guide.

Gosh it is going to be very difficult for me to write this review because my Dad and I had an action-packed couple of days at Bettles Lodge and I don't want to forget any of the details from our experiences. First and foremost, my Dad and I stayed at Bettles Lodge from Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 to Saturday, July 6th, 2019 (three nights, four days) and I originally discovered Bettles Lodge through internet searches as they offer a "National Park Collectors" package. The whole purpose of my Alaska trip this past summer was to visit the eight National Parks in the state. It's darn-near impossible to visit Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley National Parks without breaking the bank. Bettles Lodge offered an appealing solution: not only flight seeing to the parks but the ability to LAND in both parks at a fraction of the cost of staying in the parks for days or weeks. Please don't get me wrong, I will warn you now: it's still expensive but more on that later. We traveled to Fairbanks and then took a small plane piloted by Wright Air Service to Bettles, Alaska. Bettles is a bush village located above the Arctic Circle! Despite being above the Arctic Circle, it was summertime where the days were warm and the nights were long. No, we didn't get to go dogsledding or see the Aurora Borealis but we did have the most fantastic greeting and subsequent village tour from Bettles Lodge owner Eric Fox. We also saw the dogsled dogs and musher Peter. Our accommodations were in the Aurora Lodge as we had one of the Jacuzzi tubs. No complaints - we had our own sink, toilet, and tub. Showers were down the hall. The rest of the day was spent visiting the nearby Visitor Center, eating a great salmon dinner, and relaxing in the lodge. There was plenty to do - watch movies, read, put a puzzle together, etc. It's bush Alaska - you don't have cell service, there's no Wifi, and you occupy yourself. The following day (July 4) was the best day of my life. We headed to breakfast and waited for the go ahead - it was time to visit the parks! We drove down to Float Plane Lake and loaded up the Beaver. Our pilot, Sigg, was awesome and flew low on the way to Kobuk Valley so we could see various animals and beaver dams and hotels. He flew a bit higher on the way back (good thing, my stomach was getting a little queasy). We literally ate lunch on the shore of the sand dunes in Kobuk Valley and we landed near a remote island in Gates of the Arctic. Absolutely incredible experiences to land and walk around in these parks. At times I was thinking to myself, wow I wonder if I'm the first person to ever step foot here. Landing was great but the views from the plane were spectacular. Again, best. day. ever. AND, the day ended by attending a party the locals were throwing for the Fourth of July. Bush Alaska is awesome. The following day we did a float down the Koyukuk River, about 7-miles from Bettles to Old Bettles. I loved this day, as well, because we were able to see Old Bettles. I'm telling you, an archeologist needs to get out there to document and research this area. Super cool to see the old buildings and learn some history from Eric. After floating my Dad, Uncle Jeffy (our new friend), and I walked around Bettles to take some pictures and we stopped at the Bettles Post Office to mail some postcards. Later that night we watched a movie in the Aurora Lodge and I journaled a bit. Ah... the last day... we departed Bettles to head back to Fairbanks and ultimately back to Anchorage to gear up for the second half of our epic Alaska trip. I honestly can't recommend Bettles Lodge enough. You need to understand that you're above the Arctic Circle, it's Bush Alaska, and it's a fly-in only village (aside from winter time when the ice road is built). Eric Fox is an icon in Bettles and is doing everything right. It's expensive but it's also in the middle of no mans land. Despite the price tag, I would highly consider coming back to Bettles in the winter time to try to see the Aurora. Eric was nothing but kind and he was responsive to every email I sent - even when I had a slight panic attack that the Park Collector package was sold out. With that being said, book in advance and rest assured you're going to have a great time. Just remember, it's RURAL, BUSH, ALASKA - don't expect a 5-star resort even though Bettles has a 5-star price tag.

The highest compliment I can pay is that we felt like we were at home for the 4 days we spent at Bettles. The staff is PHENOMENAL! Heather, Eric, Donna, Jason, Rick and Robert (aka Fred lol..) simply amazing. If you go hungry there it's your own fault! Had a great time dog sledding, snow shoeing and snow machining. The Northern Light show during our stay was breathtaking. It's a rustic lodge so don't go expecting luxury accommodations but the rooms were clean, comfortable and warm. Worth every penny and we would most definitely love to return one day soon! :)

There are no words to describe how wonderful our stay at Bettles was. We were very, very lucky to be there on Thanksgiving, where we were able to enjoy a nice, sit-down meal with all of the guests, made by the hosts. Our visit was a joy from the moment we set foot out of the place, and were driven to the lodge by our dog-musher, Jarrett. He was friendly and kind - and we would get to know him much more over the few days we stayed there. Then, we were greeted by Donna, Eric, and Heather, and Robert, all of whom are so friendly, genuine, and kind. Donna was our go-to person until 2am, and she would wake us up if she saw the Aurora. Robert was an all-round helper, and Eric and Heather are the owners. We were treated to fresh meals cooked by Eric and Heather throughout our stay! Eric is also a voluntary fireman for the city of Bettles, and Heather is the mayor. We enjoyed their hospitality so immensely. They have loads of activities like snow mobiling and dog sledding, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and more. We enjoyed almost everything Bettles had to offer, and we would be back for more in a heartbeat because of the genuineness of all of the people there. The serene nature, the starry nights, everything. We would recommend it all in a heartbeat. Thank you so much for a wonderful stay, all of you.

We were in the last week of our three week trek through the 8 National Parks of Alaska. We needed a good base to venture into Kobuk, Gates of the Arctic and the Yukon and Bettles Lodge was our choice. Rustic is the word for the place but the charm and energy of the owners (Eric and Heather) and staff were fantastic. We really enjoyed staying there and the food was quite good. We showed up for our first night with some Sheefish which we caught on the Kobuk river where we stopped while flying into Bettles. The cook promptly grilled them up for our dinner and they tasted great! There are actually two areas to stay, the original lodge and a second building called Aurora. Some rooms have private baths, while others are shared. Keep that in mind when booking them. It was quite hot (88 degrees) and very smoky due to numerous forest fires so we upgraded :) to the Aurora building which had a private bath and was definitely cooler. Nice game room with pool table and a very nice selection of beer and wine to choose from. Really enjoyed our stay and can see going back there when we return to see the Northern Lights.

It was a magical experience. Make no mistake, this is not a high-end cushy resort in some posh location with lots of touristy things to do, and entertainment being spoon-fed to you at every turn. You are in the arctic, in a location so remote that everything - from people to broccoli to toilet paper - has to be flown in from Fairbanks, 180 miles away, at no small expense. This place is RURAL. The amount of expense, planning, and effort that clearly goes into the simplest of daily tasks is daunting to behold. Given that, the quality of accommodations that they are able to provide is actually pretty impressive. The room was clean and warm, the bed was very comfortable, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the staff was fun, friendly, and helpful. I never found myself wanting for anything. The community dining room/living room area really contributes to a family atmosphere, where you quickly get to know and become friends with other guests and the staff. They do offer some activities like FlightSeeing, snow machines, and dogsled rides; they aren't inexpensive (nothing in the arctic is), but if it's in your budget, it's worth the cost. Otherwise, you will have to get a little proactive and take a little responsibility for your own entertainment. There's plenty to do, if you can handle being unplugged. If you want to hide from the weather, there are plenty of movies, puzzles, and games to occupy you. But it's hard to stay inside for long when the surrounding area is so beautiful and pristine, with plenty of opportunity to stroll along plowed paths, or hike/snowshoe/ski a little further afield. They offer plenty of cold-weather gear to enable you to withstand the punishingly cold temps (it hovered around 25-30 below most of the time I was there, dipping to -50 one night). And of course, at nighttime, there's sky-watching! I got really lucky; the skies were clear and the Aurora was active the entire time I was there. Bucket list item: check! Overall, it was an incredible experience. I got to meet some wonderful people from all over; I got to witness a way of life that is so very different from anything I've lived; I got to see some really impressive Northern Light displays; I got to take in some of the most beautiful and unspoiled landscape you can find anywhere. I'm pretty sure I left part of my heart there. Word to the wise: if you are a thin-blooded Southerner like me, consider getting one of the Jacuzzi rooms, if available. That bath was a Godsend the one time I got badly chilled during my brilliantly fun dogsled ride.

Bettles Lodge review This will be very thorough. Get yourself a cup of coffee and settle in. I have many thoughts to impart. We stayed here for three nights in March of 2016. Our decision to stay here was based on our desire to see the Northern Lights, and Bettles seemed to be the optimal location in Alaska to do so. In this respect it may be accurate, and of course weather conditions can be unpredictable anywhere, as we were aware. More on the aurora later, as it will be the most positive part of this review, and I'd like to save it til the end. I really want readers of this review to be very aware of what they will be getting for the very, very high price that they will be paying to stay here. Bettles lodge is EXTREMELY expensive. I understand that part of the package rate includes round trip flights and meals, but it still works out to be well over a thousand dollars PER NIGHT for a room. For that kind of money, we expected much, much more than what we got. Eric and Heather have a really sweet deal going for themselves here. This lodge is the only tourist option here. There is zero competition in this tiny, remote village for your dollar. They are the only game in town. They are the concession stand at the movie theater, the beer vendor at the ball game. You are a captive audience, and once you come here, you are trapped until your flight back to Fairbanks. The only problem is that in this case, the movie theater costs hundreds of dollars to get into, and it's a complete shithole. And once you are there, the concessions are awful, and you can't leave. When you go to the ballpark to watch a baseball game, you know what you're getting into. Sure, it's a bummer to pay $30 for a nosebleed seat and $9 for a 12 oz. Miller Lite, but it's pretty much the same everywhere you go. And you can expect the facilities to be decent and in good working order when you get there. Lodging: There are two choices for accommodations here: the Aurora Lodge and the "historic" lodge. If you still decide to come here after reading this, I highly recommend you spend the extra money to stay in the Aurora Lodge, if there are rooms available, and especially if you come here in the winter. It will make a huge difference in your comfort level, unless you are a really adventurous young backpacker type and are used to crappy hostels. Unfortunately, we booked our trip too late to secure a room in the Aurora Lodge, but we did manage to catch a brief glimpse into one of the rooms, due to an error by the staff. This building and the few rooms within are relatively newer, appear to be nicely furnished, and have bathrooms in the room. Additionally, they are attached to the dining, office, and lounge area, where all the activity is. This is important in cold weather. The older, "historic" lodge, by contrast, is a dump. The rooms are tiny and cramped, the walls are paper-thin, and the shared bathrooms are filthy and unkempt. The trash is not emptied, the place is not cleaned, and extra supplies are just dumped into unused rooms, almost as an afterthought. The mattresses on the twin beds are ancient and sagging, the linens and bedspreads haven't been changed in at least 20 years, the towels they give you to use are small, worn, mismatched, and threadbare. It really looks like they picked up everything to furnish this place at a garage sale. Even the soaps and shampoos they give you to use are just the free sample size ones you get for free at cheap motels. The building is barely heated, just enough to keep the guests from freezing at night. Physically, it's situated at least 500 feet from the main Aurora lodge. In zero-degree weather, this means you have to put on all your cold-weather layers, including gloves, hat, scarf, coats, and boots, just to walk over to get your meals, or even a cup of coffee or tea. There's nothing at all for the guests at the historic lodge. Eric explained that there used to be a hot water kettle here, so that guests could at least make themselves a cup of hot chocolate or tea, but that the kettle in the main lodge broke and so of course, they had to take the one that used to be here to replace it. I'm not kidding. Food, drink, and overall dining: Remember the cafeteria in elementary school? The food produced in the tiny kitchen here and served to the guests here is marginally better than that. Portions are small, the fare is greasy and starch-heavy, and vegetables are in short supply. We aren't vegetarians, but we try to eat fairly healthy. There is no such thing as a menu, because you don't get a choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They make one thing and serve it to everyone. There is some accommodation for special dietary needs or vegetarians, but it'll still be frozen, mass-quantity-purchased, very basic Costco or Sam's Club type of food, prepared in oil and grease, and for the most part, red-meat heavy. In other words, cheap stuff. After I made a special request to get a salad, I found out that this was

My husband and I spent 3 days and 2 nights there this February. It was GLORIOUS. Aside from being fortunate enough to have seen/experienced the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), the staff and the facility and food, etc was over the top. Putting words to describe our positive experience would not do it justice. You MUST go there. Put it on your Bucket List. We were booked via Bridget Bonkoski at Alaska Travel Connections. She and her staff were also excellent. Just GO!

What a fantastic experience. My wife and I stayed four nights in early February and we were able to see the lights three of those nights. The second night's aurora show being one of true wonderment. A gigantic check mark on our "to see" list. Heather and Eric have gathered a fantastic crew who did everything within their power to make our stay a delight.