denali outdoor center

Unfortunately, we do have to cancel for high-winds on occasion, especially downstream winds. Hopefully, you will have another chance to visit and join us for a trip. We really appreciate your understanding and thank you for writing a review about our services.

Fantastic! Of course, this is the kind of experience are hoping to provide for all of our guests. We are so pleased to hear your family enjoyed your trip with Denali Outdoor Center and voted us the best part of your Alaska vacation. That is an honor, indeed. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and posting your review to Trip Advisor!

Thank you for writing such a thorough description of your experience with Denali Outdoor Center. I hope that readers will find this helpful in planning their adventure with us.It is very interesting to note that you felt over-dressed at first, just right most of the trip, and a bit chilly by the end. Our staff always recommends dressing a little warmer than you think you should. Of course, it's usually a little colder by the end of the season and the rain at the end of the trip probably didn't help.The best option for gloves seems to be either neoprene or latex (dish-washing) but anything made of cloth seems to get wet and cold.At least, you had Flood to keep you entertained, he's a great guide with a fun personality.Thanks again for your review.

It sounds like you felt at home in our cabins which always good news. We feel that sharing your experience with our other cabin guests can often times enhance your visit and it's nice to hear you enjoyed the social side of your stay at Denali Outdoor Center. We do apologize for the damaged canoes; we're hoping to import sand to create a proper beach, which will hopefully spare our canoes in the future. How great to hear that you saw a moose in Otto Lake!

How can you go wrong with a river guide named, Flood, right?! Thanks for writing a review and we're glad to hear you had a great time!

Sometimes things don't always work out as planned but we understand and strive to make trips happen whenever possible. As an owner, I'm super happy to hear we were able to reschedule and get you guys on the water, especially since it sounds like you had a really fun trip. It's also nice to know you appreciated the drysuits which are definitely important for comfort and safety on the Nenana River. Thanks for writing a review.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes, we know the "neck gaskets" can be a little snug, but that's how they keep you dry. Dylan is a great guide and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip with him. Hopefully, you can come back again and try our class III/IV whitewater adventure.

I'm glad the "safety speech" didn't scare you out of the trip . . . haha! Paddle rafting is a blast we're glad you had a good time at Denali Outdoor Center.

We're sorry to hear that the rapids weren't what you expected. Of course, with a 10 and 11 year old on board, I'm sure the guide was taking the most conservative route possible. You were also required to be in an oar raft which is bigger than a paddle raft and takes the rapids a bit more smoothly than the smaller paddle rafts. The other local raft companies won't even take 10 year olds on the whitewater section of the Nenana River.We stop at our "Otto Lake Office" for a variety of reasons: quicker to get our guests out of their drysuits (especially with 20 min delays due to road construction), and quicker to running water with flush toilets, are 2 of the better reasons.Come back when the kids are older and the water is higher for a more exciting adventure. Maybe, try a paddle raft (kids must be 14 or older) next time, too.

We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your cabin at Otto Lake. Of course, they do come with heat, extra pillows and blankets, bedside tables with drawers big enough for some clothing, lamps, deck chairs and scenic pictures of the Denali area. We also hope the view of Otto Lake and Mt. Healy added to your overall experience. Between rain and road construction, we have had to make use of the power-washer far more than we would like, but hopefully it was being used past 8:00pm.

Otto Lake is a beautiful setting and we're happy to hear you enjoyed your campsite. Yes, sometimes the wind can blow through there pretty good, but at least it keeps the bugs down. The shower house was new in 2014, so we're really happy to hear the water was hot and there was good pressure, too. Thanks for writing a review.

I apologize for any confusion but unfortunately we have recently had to change our pet policy due to allergic reactions. We only have 3 cabins, so we can't designate one as a pet cabin, which means we can't have any pets. You apparently found our mobile site, which had not been updated as of yet, whereas our main website clearly states our no pets allowed policy. You were speaking with one owner, who was conferring with another owner (me), giving further consideration to your circumstances. We are both pet owners and empathetic to the need for pet friendly accommodations. However, as mentioned above, due to allergens we are no longer able to allow pets in the cabins. We're glad you were able to find other accommodations.

What a great story! Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you made it onto the trip just at launch time and we brought you suits to the put-in at McKinley Village. Again, as I mentioned in another review response, we make every effort to make trips possible for visitors, knowing you may not have any other available time. The Scenic Wilderness section of the river offers a chance to really escape the hub-bub of the park entrance area. The views are great and the river is peaceful. We're glad you enjoyed your experience with Denali Outdoor Center.

Thank you, Lora, we appreciate your feedback. We have 2 guides named Dylan so I'm not sure which guide was yours. However, sometimes names do not come easy, but that's certainly no excuse. It sounds like we may have been busy since the check-in time took a little while. The good news is we may be getting an e-waiver that people will be able to sign when they book a trip. It does sound like you had a good time on the river which is ultimately most important. Thanks again.

Indeed, David was very upset, but I confess that I was entirely surprised by his vehement reaction. I certainly empathize with David, and I did apologize, regardless of whether he realized it or not. He probably missed that part due to his extreme discontent and elevated tone. This, quite honestly, remains the part that continues to baffle me.Unfortunately, we cannot oversee the use of every canoe, every time. I was aware that our canoes had been damaged but I had our maintenance staff repair them. To the best of my knowledge (and I had inspected the canoes after the repairs) the boats were no longer leaking. It is certainly possible that David and his wife damaged the canoes unknowingly. Regardless, the level to which David expressed his discontent, I feel, was a little over-the-top.I inspected the canoe after David and his wife's departure and found the repairs had been damaged, or failed. However, they were not leaking catastrophically and I do not believe the situation could have "ended tragically." It's important to note, Otto Lake has an average depth of about 4 feet. So, even if the canoe completely sank, David and his wife could have walked to shore. I am not trying to belittle his concerns but to threaten to "sue" me and my business over a leaky canoe seems a bit extreme. Of course, we provide and require that all guests wear a life-jacket, as well. I hope they were wearing their PFD's, but again, we can't monitor every canoe rental, every time.Obviously, it appears we need new canoes for 2015; not a problem. I hope David and his wife enjoyed the rest of their vacation in Alaska without any further incidents.