I joined TripAdvisor just to sing the praises of this outstanding adventure lodge and it's superior staff. What a Team! From Toby Sprinkle at the top of the Team to the Lodge Culinary Staff to the guides to the beach staffers all we can say is WOW! Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and introduced to a few of the Team then off to our first adventure. An awesome hike with Guides Taylor and Adalie picking wild berries, viewing the salmon running up stream, the hike was spectacular with scenery abound. Happy Hour and dinner that night and planning the next day. Day two was a calm Kayak trip up the Moose River. Beautiful, relaxing and scenic. Back in time for another great dinner and then hitting Kings and Silvers from the beach. Day three on the Kasilof River with guides Ken and Nolan....two of the finest guides in drift boats. Day four Seward and the glaciers by sea (it really is Alaska's best). Day five, bad weather so no halibut but no problem with Toby's planning. It was back to the Kasilof for the boys harvesting limits of Silvers and a Sockeye for good measure (thanks Nolan!) and Homer's historic sites for the girls. Our last full day it's off to Bear Camp on a 'flight-see' over more beautiful Alaskan wonder. Every day we said "it doesn't get better than this" and the next day it did. We cannot wait to come back! THANK YOU GREAT ALASKA!

If you are looking for the right place to go to see what Alaska is all about, book it here. You won't be disappointed!

The Scott Group

There are not many good hotels in Alaska. I think this is due to the small window of the tourist season. I chose this hotel due to the number of activities it offered in one central location. I was traveling with two children and did not want to drive for miles and miles to do different things. Great Alaska has a family package that included fishing, kayaking/canoeing, hiking, fjord/bay cruising, sight seeing, dog mushing and even an (optional) bear watching tour. This package, like most stays in Alaska, is not cheap, for a family of four you are looking to spend well over $1,000 per day, including food.

First the bad news.

The lodge is clean, the rooms are no frills, lower end motel 6 type accomodations. Plastic bathrooms, white paint and thin carpet make them really unnacceptable. All meals are serve yourself affairs buffet style. The breakfast usually had a special daily item (french toast, eggs benedicts, etc) and then bacon or sausage, toast and hashbrowns. Breakfast is over at 8 am. You make your own lunch from deli meats (ham, turkey or roast beef), a bag of chips and cookies. At 7 pm there is a happy hour with limited complementary drinks where you can meet your fellow travelers and the guides that will accompany you on your next adventure. There is an oderve serve during happy hour (sweedish meatballs, brushetta, cheese spreads, etc). Dinner consists of a salad, dinner rolls, one main item and one side. They do arrange for special diets, ie vegetarians.
Don't come here for the accomodations or food or you will be sorely dissapointed.

The good news.

You didn't go to Alaska for gourmet food and Four Seasons accomodations, you went for great adventure, so you are in luck at Great Alaska. This is primarily a fishing lodge so if salmon, trout and halibut are your cup of tea, this lodge has the finest fishing guides in the state. The property also sits where the Kenai and Moose rivers meet and the salmon are jumping just steps away from you, plus there is a guide right at the water's edge with all the gear and tips you need to reel the big one in, and many do. Want to hike and float down the Kenai instead? The non fishing guides are as good and friendly as the fishing guides, they will point out flora and fauna along the way and give you tid bits of information that will make your trip more enjoyable. Everyone here is enjoying themselves tremendously, even though they work long hours (wake up call for fishing is at 4:15 am, every guide is there at 7pm for happy hour). Many of the staff come year after year and are very familiar with Alaska, even if they are from somewhere else. Stan the breakfast cook has been there 7 years, he'll greet you with a sarcastic "good afternoon" if you show up after 7 am (he can't leave until you are done), after a week you'll love the guy.

The Bear Camp

We took the option of spending the night at the bear camp. This is a camp, not a luxury tent camp in Africa, a vinyl tent camp with a port a potty. It was raining constantly, and it was cold, not great camping conditions. But if you want to see bears, you've come to the right place. I counted 26 the first day, and you are close, truly as close as you want to get to these magnificent creatures. Since they have a day trip to the camp, I can't recommend you spend the night there.

Overall

Overall we had a great experience. The people staying at the lodge were all great, the staff was wonderful and Alaska is beautiful. Could the rooms and food be better? Absolutely, it would surely not detract from the experience. I, for one, would return.

Took a family vacation here and did salmon fishing, bear viewing, kayaking in Homer, and rafting down the Kenai. It was an incredible stay! The lodge is peaceful and minimal. The meals each night along with the happy hour on the patio really added to the experience. You got to meet other people and tell stories of what you did for the day. Spent one night at the Bear Camp and it was an experience of a lifetime...something everyone must do once in their life. We saw a ton of bears and came within 15 feet of them, very scary for me at first. We did hear of people going the next night and seeing absolutely no bears. Our experience was quite the opposite, we watched a bear for about 45 minutes catch salmon after salmon right in front of us, amazing! The staff at the bear camp was so nice! We even met the homesteader of the land and enjoyed his company by the fire. It was nice to stay at a place and have them plan your activites and take you to them. Meals provided at all activites. We caught our limit of salmon and sent them home and are still feasting on them!
Would defintely recommend this place. Kinda funny, being from a metroplitan area, we were surprised that we were not given keys to our lodge rooms. We asked for keys and they said we wouldn't need them, theft nevers occurs. Imagine that! You can fish in the evenings right in front of the lodge before and after dinner, then your to bed to rest up for you next day's activities. Loved it and hope to go back!

If you can afford this place - book it! We decided that this lodge would be the "big splurge" portion of our trip to Alaska. Spent 4 nights (one of which we stayed at Bear Camp). The lodging was spacious and the complimentary happy hour each evening was nice as you got to meet your fishing guide for the next day. Best part of the stay was the location - right on the river. No fighting the crowds. 12 yr old daughter caught a 46inch King Salmon right in front of the lodge. A guide is on the riverbank all the time - you can fish as late as you want (after a full day of fishing off a boat or touring). Very nice people - especially Nate (beach guide - excellent with young kids). If you are flexible in your arrival time (a bit off season) they may discount the rate a bit.