DAY ONE

Arrive in Anchorage today, where you will be met and transferred to the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel.

Depending on your arrival time, you may wish to explore Anchorage today. In the revitalized downtown district along G Street, you can stop in for a decadent snack, or shop for funky local clothing and accessories that are inspired by the iconic animals and natural formations of Alaska.

Alternatively, schedule a massage at the hotel’s Ice Spa.

Tonight we recommend a downtown cafe where the adventurous menu changes daily, always with a featured Alaskan twist. Your hotel offers a free transfer service at your convenience.

DAY TWO

Head straight to the Anchorage Airport this morning for your early morning flight to Kenai, where you will meet the brief charter flight to Lake Clark National Park. Your hosts will meet you with an ATV, and transfer you to Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, located on 40 acres of private land within the Park.

Every stay at the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge is unique. You will have an opportunity to plan your activities with your guide. The following itinerary offers suggestions and a general idea of your visit.

Begin your visit with an orientation, and then head straight out into the field for your first guided wildlife viewing trek. The lodge has had a safe and successful bear-viewing program for 15 years. You will be able to move freely about while observing safe bear-viewing practices in the company of a well-trained guide.

Break for lunch at 1 pm. Another trek or a fishing trip can be arranged with your guide for this afternoon. From late July through September, the small tidally-affected streams provide unequaled spin and fly-cast opportunities for catching silver salmon, chum, and pink salmon, as well as dolly varden char.

Your stay at the lodge is fully-catered, featuring meals prepared by the resident chef, as well as homemade breads and desserts created by the resident baker.

The menu features local seafood, including salmon, halibut, clams, and mussels, as well as fresh greens and herbs from the on-site garden. Dine “family style” in a comfortable dining room which offers spectacular views of the Cook Inlet. It is not uncommon for a bear to appear on the meadow in front of the lodge during dinnertime, completing the ultimate Alaskan dining experience.

Because there is an abundance of daylight in the summertime, you may wish to venture out after dinner as well. End your day with a relaxing sauna and a comfortable night’s rest in preparation for tomorrow’s outdoor explorations.

DAY THREE

After breakfast today, you can choose between a guided wildlife viewing hike, fossil exploring, or clam-digging on the property. You may also embark on an optional excursion aboard the lodge’s 25-foot charter boat, which provides all gear, and takes anglers to offshore halibut grounds with incredibly high success rates. Vacuum seal machines are available to insure your catch will be properly processed.

This afternoon, if the tide is high, you have the option of taking a guided sea kayaking trip along the west side of Cook Inlet. At high tide, the creek and sloughs around the Lodge itself become an ideal kayaking site. The trip is excellent for beginning paddlers, but features plenty of scenery to keep the veteran enthusiastic. You may see a brown bear and its cubs feeding on the grass, or a bald eagle scouring the shoreline for food.

DAY FOUR

This morning, you will have time for one more trek, but you may wish instead to spend your final hours relaxing on the property. Your hosts will transfer you to the beach for your return flight in the late morning.

Collect your rental car at the airport and return to Anchorage for your flight home, or to continue on to your next Willing Foot destination.