Thank you for you feedback regarding our float trip and your hiking experience. We do try our best to make both our trips as enjoyable as possible for all levels of experience, ages and various group sizes. But unfortunately, we can not always please everyone! We are very glad you enjoyed our float trip and experienced all the wildlife opportunities that you did. The hike to the falls is also very enjoyable as it can be exciting to see all the salmon and sometimes a bear or two on this trip. The two-and a half mile, wheelchair-accessible trail to the falls and viewing decks is designed to be available to all levels of hikers and levels of ability, but we do recognize that larger groups can have a tendency to move a little slower than smaller parties. Normally our hiking trips are of a comfortable group size unless the weather in the area and in other areas (Seward) limits the number of available activities. We do thank you for your input, and will strive to make every improvement possible that leads to an enjoyable Alaskan experience for all of our clientele.
We truly sorry that your experience on the Upper Kenai was not to your liking andwe fully admit our mistake to this party and to the member who requested a different departure time for this trip. Once we realized that we had missed the coordination for this groups early arrival and departure, our manager apologized for this immediately. However, please note, that after this party had their day out on the river, several of the other group members told us they all had a wonderful and great time and had good success catching salmon. Three of the group members had never used or caught a fish on a fly rod before and were extremely excited to have landed salmon on a fly rod. Unfortunately sometimes not every member in a group fishing trip is satisfied when it doesn't turn out the way they had hoped. We try our best to accommodate every groups needs and schedules and have had thousands of happy clients. Unfortunately it is out of our hands when the salmon will be running, and on any given day, no matter what part of the Kenai that you are fishing, there will be slow days and good days. Our guides have had plenty of success in catching salmon the days prior to July 23, as well as good success on the 23rd, and the days after. We focus our attention on the Upper Kenai not because we are not permitted for the rest of the Kenai River but because we want our clients to experience the beauty of the Upper River. The Upper Kenai river is the only drift only section of the Kenai and unlike the middle and lower Kenai, the Upper river abounds in solitude, wildlife and mountains and does not have the crowds and motor boats. Lucas and Jesse are both very professional, nice and extremely polite. In the fun of catching fish and being outdoors, their may of been raised voices, but am sure that it was not directed personally and had more to do with the excitement of the moment.. Lastly, Sockeye salmon are an extremely strong fighting fish and break offs do occur daily. Sockeye fishing is very hard on equipment and line and we try our hardest to maintain our equipment to meet the needs of our clientele. Thank you for your feedback, we will continue to strive to do the best we can in meeting the needs of our clientele and guests.
Our family of 6 included my 4 grandchildren (9-17), my daughter and me. Because of that, we opted for the 8 hour canyon rafting trip. Some nice white water (1&2) that made the trip. Our guide was very engaging and made the trip fun. The gear, orientation, and trip were very well organized. The 17 year olds wanted level 3+ water but had a good time. I highly recommend ARC.
My daughter and I were to take the 9:15am float trip on 7/25/14 but it was cancelled due to lack fo participants. We resceduled for the afternoon trip which was a go. We arrived at ARC as my husband and son were finishing their half day upper river fishing tour, which they thoroughly enjoyed. To my surprise, my daughter and I were treated to a personal float trip. Just she and I and our guide Fran, whom by the way, was AMAZING! Fran made sure we saw every single eagle as we floated on the Kenai. She turned the boat so we could see the eagle from all sides. Very talented! It was nice having a local as a guide too. Fran knew lots of people on the river and said hello as we passed by them. Best wishes to Fran as she returns to college. I highly recommend this outfitter. They provided us with rain gear and instruction which enabled us to have a perfect mother daughter trip on the Kenai River.
Fresh blueberry muffins and coffee started our adventure, then boots, life jackets and a briefing. We had a great morning rafting down the river with all the fisherman on the banks of the river. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw lots of Eagles and one black bear.
Had a wonderful day on the Kenai river with ARC. Took the 6 hour rafting trip and saw terrific displays of eagles and other birds. ARC provided us with all the gear we needed and Kyle did a great job as our guide. Highly recommended!
We recently did their 5-6 hour float trip. Ben was our guide. Ben was knowledgeable and tried to keep everybody happy. After rowing us to a beautiful shoreline, Ben made our lunches. Sandwiches and crackers, cheese, and sausage with hot or cold drinks. All of the staff were friendly and professional. Ben is a great guide! We saw eagles, plenty of salmon, and a family of black bears, in addition to spectacular scenery! Go with ARC!
It was a fall day late in august and mother nature prevailed in many ways. Started out a brisk 36 degrees, yet a clear sky and we were going to enjoy the sun. We were greeted by a very friendly group in charge of the lodge. Our night before hand was in there main house, extremely comfortable for large family or multiple couples.We spent a couple of days drifting with the guides Lucas and Mike, who know the river like the back of their hand. They are very talented and really had a knack for putting us in the zone. We were constantly hooked up and probably had a few of the best days on the river. ARC truly does have an advantage having an awesome team and being very responsive to the clients wants and needs. It was an absolutely fantastic day on the Kenai and I thank ARC for making our stay and trip a Great Experience.Captain Mike Morris
As we drove the Kenai peninsula in our RV's, we kept seeing the rafts float under the bridges we crossed and we knew we wanted to try it out. Our group had small kids - a 3 year, two 5's, and a 7. Alaska River Company is one of the few that has an option for kids under 6. They told us their smallest passenger was a 2 week old baby (what fun parents!) We took the 3-hour float trip that left at 6 pm. We got all suited up in the rain gear and boots that they provided. Which made for great pictures (hilarious, love them!) but probably wasn't necessary as we didn't get wet at all. I guess the boots were good, as there is a little water in the bottom of the boat. But it was a fun part of the experience, especially for the kids. Our group of 9 had a boat all to ourselves, which was way cool. We saw dozens of bald eagles and many other birds. No bears, but our guide said the bear sightings were way down this year. Last year, he had counted over 30 bear sightings by the 4th of July. This year, just a handful. Speaking of our guide, Ben was amazing. A kindergarten teacher during the school year, he was the perfect match for our rambunctious crew. He was happy to entertain them with jokes and accommodate their constant need to be loud and switch from the front of the boat to the back. When we were getting ready to disembark, Ben told the kids not to run on the landing or the "drop bears" would get them. It was funny then, but it's now become a running joke and the kids talk about drop bears all the time. So, Ben, if you see this, thank you. You made some wonderful memories for our families. And, he served us chocolate chip cookies, nice touch. The trip is peaceful and beautiful. Don't be afraid to bring your camera, unless it's raining, there's not a huge risk it will get wet. I took at least 100 pictures going down the river. Enjoy Alaska!
My fishing buddy and I stayed in one of ARC's cabins for 8 days in late July/early August. The cabin was fantastic and the staff (Erik, Cory, and the rest of the team) were really nice, helpful, and laid back. We did a full day float trip through the Refuge and everybody in the boat caught a limit of Sockeye Salmon and several nice rainbow trout. Our guide, Lucas, was great!!! Although we are experienced fisherman the technique for catching Sockeye is unique, and Lucas' instructions and guidance had us catching fish (legally) right away. Lucas worked very hard to ensure we had the technique down and that we played the fish correctly when hooked. These fish are hard fighters so it is necessary to play them correctly!!! We will be staying and fishing with ARC again on our next trip. Thanks to Erik, Cory, Lucas, and the rest of the staff for helping make our trip a success!!!