Expeditions Alaska

Office staff (Emily) was extremely helpful. She was always prompt and accurate in answering my questions as I planned. There were no surprises or problems. When one question (about photography in the area) required the input of the owner, Carl, he stepped in quickly to add useful expertise and resources. The trip design and logistics were well-constructed. The equipment and vehicles were in good shape. The smaller group size (five clients and one guide) was another major benefit of traveling with Expeditions Alaska. Our guide, Rachel, was spectacular. Having been a guide in Alaska for years and explored it extensively on her own, she knows the area and she reads the landscape expertly. She clearly understood and prioritized our safety above everything else. She also did a wonderful job of finding every opportunity to explore the coolest landscape or maximize our opportunities to watch the wildlife. She made sure we were prepared for everything, and scouted our routes carefully. A very experienced glacier guide, she led us across at least two miles of the Russell Glacier during one of our hikes. She was incredible at spotting wildlife, and able to explain everything we saw around us. She also built an atmosphere of mutual respect and enjoyment, helping us form a happy and mutually supportive group, and was a lot of fun to be around. Her love for what she does is infectious. She also did an amazing job of cooking for the group (even using curry powder she brought back from India in one meal). In dozens of ways, she showed how much she respects and values the animals and the land, and she found every opportunity to maximize the experience for everyone. Knowing I'd gotten some information from Carl about photography locations and timing, she familiarized herself with the same information as well before leaving. We also crossed paths with another AE group, led by Garrett, and I enjoyed meeting Garrett as well. He also went out of his way to direct me toward something cool in the environment when we happened to be in the same place. During our trip to Skolai Pass, we saw grizzlies, caribou, ptarmagin, pika, marmots, and several raptors - plus moose during our commute to the park. We also saw wolf sign, and the other group mentioned above saw a wolverine.

What an amazing adventure with an amazing guide! I seriously cannot imagine a better trip. Garrett took me around the Turquoise Lake area of Lake Clark National Park on a base camping trip. He was so friendly and helpful that I was confident in him immediately after meeting him. As the trip went on I felt like I had a new friend. We were clearly in the adventure together and I learned so much from him that can’t be quantified. On the last day he even caught a fish in the lake and cooked it up for lunch. It was amazing! I will be talking about this trip for years to come, and can definitely see myself coming back.

Was looking for a guided backpack trip to Gates of the Arctic and chose Expeditions Alaska for their great track record, as well as itinerary and pricing options. Carl had a wealth of advice to help assess my readiness and clarify any doubts I had to go ahead with the trip. Rachael Taylor our guide was exceptional. It was clear throughout our trip that group safety was the top priority, and she was always up to making sure we had the best times of our life out in the wilderness. You definitely wouldn’t go wrong with any of the established tour companies in AK, but definitely do give Expeditions Alaska a read and try. They overflow with passion in what they do, and will definitely give you an experience you will remember.

I've done three trips in three years with Expeditions Alaska, and each was incredible in its own way. Two of them were with Jared Martin, EA guide extraordinaire! I did the six-day packraft expedition with Jared on the North Fork of the Koyukuk River in Gates of the Arctic NP in August 2023. It was incredible, with memories for a lifetime. Venturing into the beautiful and untouched Alaska backcountry, with unpredictable weather and basically zero connection to the outside world, means a good guide and solid/flexible planning are vital for an enjoyable and safe trip - Jared and EA delivered on every part of that throughout the entire expedition. All logistics - food, rafts, tents, bush flights, and any other prep - are expertly handled from the start, and are remarkably affordable considering everything that goes into a trip like this. Our guide Jared was knowledgeable, prepared, personable, and most importantly patient, as we traversed 100+ miles of river in one of America's last true wildernesses. Can't say enough good things about EA and Jared, highly recommend for anyone looking to immerse themselves in Alaska, regardless of any past experience or skill. I liked the experience so much, I came back and did a second expedition in August 2024 - EA's Skolai Pass basecamping trip in Wrangell-St Elias NP. It was just as incredible as my first trip, even though it was an entirely different type of adventure. EA did another great job with all the trip logistics and planning, being both thorough and accommodating, and our fearless guide Liz Wolfgram was everything you'd want for a five-day hiking and camping trip in the backcountry: highly experienced, patient, flexible, attentive to the clients' needs and interests, and just an all-around nice and enjoyable person. Wrangell-St Elias is beyond beautiful, some of the most amazing scenery I've ever seen. I went back to Wrangell-St Elias with EA guide Jared in July 2025, to kayak Icy Bay. My third trip was somehow even better than the first two! Jared has the perfect skill sets and mindset to lead a seven-day, 75-mile paddle through ice bergs to see incredible glaciers and Mt St Elias, all while keeping us happy, well fed, and fully aware of how to expect the unexpected in ever-changing Alaska conditions. Having done three amazing trips, I can definitely say I'm already hoping to come back and do a fourth. If you want to see Alaska in a unique way, EA is the best option out there!

Bears of Summer July 24. Katmai National Park. Where do I start ? The trip I did was out of this world. Expeditions Alaska is awesome ! Communication is brilliant using the Basecamp platform. The whole operation is seamless with precise instructions on gear you need and any questions you have answered promptly. The back country camping experience from the float plane in til the very end was fantastic. Top quality tents (to cope with fickle and often windy weather)and air mats fit for the gods ! Food was great in variety and quality. The bear experience is nothing short of magical. We were fortunate to see a whole range of bear interactions, fishing for salmon and lots of cubs. Photography opportunities were sublime. I felt completely safe with Carl, our super experienced guide and it's an experience I'll never forget. The experience was rounded out with a great bunch of other photographers in the group. There was great conversation and much hilarity. This is a unique opportunity to see Grizzlies in their natural habitat fishing for sockeye Salmon. I would not hesitate to recommend Carl and his team from Expeditions Alaska for an adventure you'll never forget.

My experience with Expeditions Alaska has encompassed 2 trips over the last two summers at Lake Clark National Park and Wrangell St. Elias NP. I am extremely happy to have found this group to help me plan and experience my adventures in Alaska. Carl is excellent at curating your individualized plan to get the most out of your experience. The guides he has working for him are top notch and in our case Trevor was as good as it gets. He is excellent at navigating the terrain and making sure you stay safe, while enjoying the best of backcountry Alaska.

Our trip down the head waters of the Copper River was amazing. The scenery and terrain were beautiful, the river was a constant source of energy, and the expert guidance and friendly company from Rachel was a key ingredient to our overall enjoyment. The itinerary was a great mix of structure and flexibility, the guidance was as robust or lax as we wanted in any given situation, and we had an impressively diverse menu of food. Alaska, and specifically the Copper River, offer lifetime experiences and memories, and we highly recommend Expeditions Alaska as a wonderful trip facilitator.

Words can't express my love for this trip. The nature, the people, the bears. It was amazing. Carl was a perfect guide. Easy going, fun natured, and confident. Any nervousness I had going into the trip was immediately put at ease once I got there. The crew on board Le Canard was also amazing. They made me second guess my life choices. So many memorable moments with the bears. Hearing a bear breathe and crunch grass... I mean, c'mon. I have more photos than I even know what to do with at this point. If you're considering this trip, just book it. Carl will take great care of you and make you laugh while doing so.

Alaska Coastal Wildlife and Brown Bears I did this tour in August 2023. It is a photography-centric tour and it lived up to the hype. We had bears. Lots of bears. Bear cubs. Carl Donohue was our Expedition Leader and did a great job. It was great to have someone with tons of bear experience, as it was close sometimes! It was a boat-based tour so that we would have the freedom to move to where the bears are. Day one we had bears. Day two we had weather, lots of weather. We were in Alaska after all. From there on out we were in bear heaven. I shot literally thousands of images (shooting at 30 frames per second will do that) and I really struggled to delete down to the 400 or so that I'm at now. It's tough to delete amazing photos because you have some that are even more amazing and you just don't need them all. The boat (yacht?) at 98 feet was super comfortable for our small group of photographers. The crew was awesome and the food was very good, certainly more than you would expect for a boat-based trip. I can't imagine how good you have to be at planning to pull that off. Every day I took "shot of a lifetime" photos of bears.

This is my second photography tour with Carl Donohue of Expeditions Alaska and all I can say is that he delivers on what is promised. The first was the Bald Eagles in Haines in November 2022. Recently, in April 2023, I went on the Hungry Whales trip in Sitka, photographing bubble-net feeding whales. In both cases the awesome photo opportunities far exceeded my expectations. If you're looking for creature comforts go on an Alaska Cruise. If you are a dedicated photographer, seeking unique photos, stick with Carl. He does his best to connect you with the subjects and help you capture those stunning shots you seek. If other opportunities arise, such as eagles feeding on fish in the whale tour, you'll get those as well. I strongly recommend Expeditions Alaska for your photo needs in this beautiful state.

I recently went on the eagle photo tour in Haines Alaska . It was great fun and the photo ops were unbeatable. The trip was everything I hoped it would be. Our guide Carl offered a flexible agenda each day - it was relaxed and non regimented but well organized. This trip left me with super photos, and new friends. I highly recommend checking out a tour with Expeditions Alaska! There is something for everyone who likes the beautiful outdoors.

Carl at Expeditions Alaska killed it with this trip! We spent 5 nights and 6 days packrafting Gates of the Arctic on the N fork of the Koyukuk. The logistics to put this trip together must have been an elaborate dance. I highly recommend booking with Expeditions Alaska to take care of all your needs so the packraft trip can be enjoyed to the max! On the river we saw lots of moose, and wolf and bear sign. It was pretty crazy and cool to paddle all night under the midnight sun. And take Carl's word for it, book your flight departing Fairbanks a day or two later--flights out of Coldfoot are weather dependent. Surprisingly there is lots to do in Coldfoot too--Lodging, Bar, buffet dining, and the GOTA NP visitor is nice, new, and jam packed with cool sights and information. I double recommend booking your meals with Expeditions Alaska as well--guide Rachel Taylor made all my meals and it was nothing short of gourmet dining! She is the best guide!! Would love to go on another guided trip with her next year! Hats off to this group and thanks so much for a trip of a lifetime.

We went to Wrangell St.Elias on a week long backpacking trip with our guide Trevor. ​ The weather was extremely unpredictable and it changes rapidly. Our guide (Trevor) provided all these information first-hand and equipped us with the essential gears required. Before starting from Anchorage, he checked the gears we carried and he asked me to buy a new fleece since the number of layers I carried was insufficient. I would've been in freezing cold had Trevor not asked me to get that fleece. Apart from that, he also checked all our gears one by one a day before our backpacking. Throughout the trip, we was extremely patient and he also interacted with us like friends sharing stories. I was the slowest in our group in terms of backpacking pace, but he never urged me and in fact he encouraged me to stay at my comfortable pace so I can enjoy the experience better. IMO he was very knowledgeable and he gained our trust quickly. Without a guide like him, our trip wouldn't have been awesome especially when the weather changes this rapidly (and we are not used to Alaskan weather). Highly recommend ExpeditionsAlaska for your adventure.

nine day Canning River raft trip. expectations were high and were exceeded. brooks range was beautiful, arctic wolves, musk ox up close, caribou, moose, fox, jaeger and rough legged hawks. expedition grade equipment. guides, Jared and Christy were excellent.

I just returned from my fourth photo tour with Expeditions Alaska, this one to Moraine Creek in Katmai Park. Once again, it was an amazing experience. Carl is an excellent guide. He understand the bears well enough to put us in the best position to get incredible shots without getting too close. Jule does an amazing job with the food, again. If you have any interest in this sort of trip, it's a great place to go. It's easy camping, the hiking isn't difficult at all, there are plenty of bears around and, not many people. It would be hard to find these kind of photo opportunities anywhere else. I would highly recommend Carl and Expeditions Alaska.

My brother and I did the Arrigetch trip in July of 2018 and had an amazing experience throughout the process. Carl was extremely helpful with planning, had a ton of information for us. Jule was an amazing guide and fantastic throughout the trip. We would certainly recommend them and I hope to do another trip in the near future!

Carl is an excellent guide. The food was amazing. Great trip in spite of the terrible weather we had but that's something you can't control. There's nothing like seeing a 1000 pound grizzly in real time. Carl teaches you to be respectful of the impact we humans have on these great creatures and guided us to safely photograph the Grizzlies without disturbing them. Carl is entertaining, knowledgeable and enthusiastic while making sure we all get in the right place to make the photographs we want all the while keeping us safe and respecting the bears. Highly recommended.

Hiking the back country of Wrangell- St. Elias NP is like no other experience. We backpacked the Jarvis Plateau area for 9 days and never encountered another human soul. No trails, no people, and with our guide Carl, no worries either! Carl knows his way around the back country. He is a top-notch guide with a great sense of humor. This was the best trip ever. I have never before experienced truly untouched wilderness. The feeling of hiking in such a place was magical. I look forward to exploring more of Alaska with Carl @ Alaska Alpine Treks.

Our experience with Expeditions Alaska on the Seven Passes trip was so awesome that its hard to figure out where to start. All the nuts and bolts (driving, pick ups, flights, lodging, routes, gear questions, etc. etc.) were handled with speed, professionalism, and accuracy. Our guide Jules had an incredible wealth of knowledge that kept our trip safe and fascinating. He led us to game trails that made the hiking easier, knew about spectacular campsites, and encouraged questions throughout. He also did a great job keeping our spirits up when the going got tough and helping us enjoy moments of beauty, unique places and situations, and true peace of being completely disconnected from larger society. It was the experience of a lifetime worth every penny and more. If you want to really experience Alaska and are prepared to put in the work that requires, this is for you.

My family and I had a fabulous trip on the Seven Pass Route with Rhane as our guide. It was without question the most beautiful and varied trip we have ever been on. The scenery was stunning at every turn. The trip was adventurous for us because we got to hike on a glacier and cross large streams for the first time. Rhane was an excellent guide. The off-trail terrain was definitely made easier with Rhane's guiding. He always made sure we felt safe in any situation. Because my daughters and I are short, this meant he always found manageable steps for us and we never had to jump over any crevasses or stones in the creeks. He also was very safe around bears (we saw 10!) and was careful to keep the cooking area far from the tents. In addition, Rhane was very knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, geology, history, weather etc of Alaska. In fact, he was knowledgeable about just about everything and was very good company. In terms of logistics: Carl and his crew were patient answering all of my questions before the trip. We rented two tents from Carl and some other minor equipment for the trip. The tents and other equipment were of highest quality. With some nervousness, I signed up for Rhane to provide all of our food. One of our family members is quite picky and I was concerned there would be nothing for her to eat. I was also concerned that too much food would be brought and we would have too heavy packs. It turned out that Rhane is a fabulous cook! All of our preferences (and allergies) were fully accommodated and we all loved the food. We highly recommend this company for any trips in Alaska you are planning!

My wife and I did the Seven Pass trip with Mike and it was fantastic. Everything was handled seamlessly from the time we were picked up until the time we were dropped off. The scenery was unparalleled to anything we've hiked in the lower 48. Everything is big! Mike was a great help along the way. I had severe lower back pain on the second day of hiking, but with a rest day at camp and some pack adjustments, I was able to comfortably finish the trip. If you are considering backpacking Alaska, Carl's description of "Alaska Miles" is entirely accurate - the mileage doesn't matter at all. It's the terrain that you have to be prepared for. This was not an easy trip and there were more than a few times where you had to really work to move forwards - particularly through a section of seemingly endless alder or willows, but overall the scenery is unmatched. Every valley and pass was different and we cannot emphasize the beauty of this trip. We also felt very safe - Mike was very clear in his pre-trip briefings on everything from dangerous hiking situations to bear precautions. I cannot say that for other guide services in the area. At our exit point we saw tents from another guiding company very close to their kitchen - definitely not good practice in bear country. Not the case with Mike and Expeditions Alaska - safety was always first. We thought the campsites and mileage each day was manageable - the glacier crossing day was a very long day, but that was mostly because of some hours stuck in bushes in the morning. Carl and Mike were very good about providing the few pieces of gear that we needed and everything was in good condition. Do not hesitate to take a trip with this company.

I've done two exploratory trips with Carl and I'm going back for a third. Carl's knowledge and competence in the wilds of Alaska really create the opportunity for a great experience.

I did a multi-day base camping trip to 3 destinations in the Wrangel Mountains. The scenery was fantastic. I got tons of photographs. The guide was Rhane Pfeifer, who works many of Carl's trips. He was super-knowledgeable, very experienced, friendly, supportive, helpful, well-equipped, and a hiking powerhouse. I hike frequently in the mountains of Colorado, but this was my first trip into Alaskan wilderness with no trails and no facilities. Carl's preparatory write-up and Rhane's assistance were critical to a successful trip. The base camping format was perfect for me. I would have had big-time trouble carrying the full pack over long distances, but the weight of only one day's provisions was well within my abilities. If you are not certain you can carry a heavy pack uphill over long distances, I highly recommend choosing a base camping trip like this one. Plus, be sure to read Carl's preparatory material, follow the instructions, and bring good gear!