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The oldest continually operating roadhouse in Alaska (National Register of Historic Places), Gakona Lodge and Trading Post offers its guests an authenticly rustic yet comfortable Alaskan experience in one of state's last remaining historical treasures. It consists of the main lodge, three cabins, the Trappers' Den Tavern and the Carriage House Restaurant. Located at the confluence of the Copper and Gakona Rivers, Gakona Lodge also offers guided fishing and sight seeing river trips.
The main lodge has nine upstairs rooms of assorted size and bedding arrangements that share bathrooms.The three cabins are composed of one, two or three bedrooms. The two and three bedroom cabins have full kitchens and a common room in them as well. WI-FI, a continental breakfast, and all taxes are included in respective accommodation list prices. For most vacationing couples, small groups, or families, we recommend looking into cabin availability first as they provide the best combination of privacy and economy for your trip.
This is an historic property located near the headquarters of Wrangell St Elias National Park. Rustic hardly begins to describe this place . Fair warning: if you are expecting anything more than hot water and a portable heater think twice about staying here. On the other hand if you want a quiet room and the chance to meet locals and to interact with the remarkably friendly owner and her staff, including Kona the malumute, this is the place for you.
There is an on-site cafe and tavern that serves decent pub food and cold beer. A continental breakfast is included.
We very much enjoyed our stay not because of the Spartan accommodations but because we felt like we had dipped our toes in real Alaska rather than tourist Alaska. If this appeals to you by all means stay here for a day or two.
Part of the excitement of a trip to Alaska is getting up close and personal with history. This 100 year old lodge does just that. Out of two weeks of travel, we voted that one night as having the best beds! Great night sleep with windows open and the night air breezing in. The bartender at the Tavern was very accommodating in getting s vegetarian meal, delicious!
The historical cabins are charming and comfortable, the three bedroom was plenty of room for our big group. Rebecca is an attentive, thoughtful hostess. If you're lucky you might even get to hear her sing! Got a great burger and fries at the restaurant, bar's got a fun mix of locals and visitors, and local beer on tap. Definitely recommend this gem off the Richardson.
Date of stay: September 2022
Traveled with friends
Written September 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wonderful place, staff were great and dried out wet clothes for us. Great bar on the property and lodge. Cabin was clean and beds were great!! Oldest roadhouse in Alaska and was at a perfect location for our motorcycle trip up to Fairbanks and back to anchorage Highly recommend
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The historical cabins are charming and comfortable, the three bedroom was plenty of room for our big group. Rebecca is an attentive, thoughtful hostess. If you're lucky you might even get to hear her sing! Got a great burger and fries at the restaurant, bar's got a fun mix of locals and visitors, and local beer on tap. Definitely recommend this gem off the Richardson.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had a great stay at Gakona Lodge. The cabin was cute and accommodating. The nearby bar has a friendly, local feel. Good place to meet new people. Also fun movie options and good dog energy. Thanks!…..
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A must stay for an authentic Alaskan experience. Friendly Bar, great food and beer with an amazing host. Great location, very quiet. Rooms in the lodge or separate cabins. Rustic buildings with plenty of history and atmosphere. Met lots of locals. I would recommend this place to everyone.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Make it a must to place to stay
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A great lodging to stop in at on any Alaskan road trip. The cabins are quaint, and serve their purpose well enough. The showers are hot, the sheets are clean, and the bar serves plenty of cold beer! All around this was a very Alaskan experience, from the locals, to the bar staff, and the cabins themselves; we found ourself continually amused by our Alaskan surroundings.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Furthest away cabin seemed to be the winner.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is an historic property located near the headquarters of Wrangell St Elias National Park. Rustic hardly begins to describe this place . Fair warning: if you are expecting anything more than hot water and a portable heater think twice about staying here. On the other hand if you want a quiet room and the chance to meet locals and to interact with the remarkably friendly owner and her staff, including Kona the malumute, this is the place for you. There is an on-site cafe and tavern that serves decent pub food and cold beer. A continental breakfast is included. We very much enjoyed our stay not because of the Spartan accommodations but because we felt like we had dipped our toes in real Alaska rather than tourist Alaska. If this appeals to you by all means stay here for a day or two.…
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in the Cabin for an overnight stay on the way back from Valdez to Fairbanks. The property needs a lot of work but is diamond in the rough. The property is on sale . But the best part of the stay was the time we spent at Trapper's Den the bar/restaurant attached to the Lodge. The food was good and the bartender Chris Epperson was the best. He made our time at the Lodge fun and totally welcoming! I would highly recommend stopping by the Trapper's Den and meet Chris!
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Part of the excitement of a trip to Alaska is getting up close and personal with history. This 100 year old lodge does just that. Out of two weeks of travel, we voted that one night as having the best beds! Great night sleep with windows open and the night air breezing in. The bartender at the Tavern was very accommodating in getting s vegetarian meal, delicious!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our room was clean, it was quiet, and met our basic needs. There are no locks on the doors. We stayed in the main building with the shared bathrooms in the hall which were very clean as well. Breakfast was included and had a good variety. Owners are very nice and I appreciate the challenge of the upkeep of an older place such as this.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Clifton Potter, Owner at Gakona Lodge & Trading Post
Responded Jul 17, 2021
Thank you for the positive review. I enjoyed talking with you at breakfast and I hope you had a wonderful trip. -Rebecca
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Only hotel within 50 miles. Shared bathrooms. It was clean and the free breakfast was good. No door locks, only a inside nail lock. Very remote location, staff very nice and friendly. I did not see any smoke detectors or sprinkler system. Hotel in need of lots of work. Owners trying to sell lodge.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Clifton Potter, Owner at Gakona Lodge & Trading Post
Responded Jun 17, 2021
Hello and thank you for the review and the kind words about our staff. Being a log building built in 1929, there are "rustic" features. Many of the rooms still have the original burlap and horse hair chinking in the exposed log walls. As you noticed there are 2 newly renovated bathrooms that are shared with the more budget friendly rooms in the upstairs of our lodge. There are also 3 cabins and 1 room downstairs in the lodge that all have modern full bathrooms for travelers wishing for more private restroom accommodations. The guest rooms are decorated with antiques and quilts and all feature new sheets and new towels. There are always projects to do around a 100+ year property. We at Gakona Lodge and my family pride ourselves on maintaining a clean authentic Alaskan lodge and providing our guests with a unique experience you can only get in remote Alaska.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.