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Reviewed April 9, 2019

My adult kids and I spent the summer of 2017 at Iniakuk and decided to try out the winter experience this year. You fly into Fairbanks commercially and then take a small bush plane into the Arctic. The trip was to be an expedition-style dog sled trip to a campsite, followed by the Arrigetch cabin on the Alatna River and then returning (4 days on the trail). We were lucky to get into Iniakuk the day we arrived due to a pending storm. The storm hit and lasted two days piling up the snow drifts. There was no way we were going to make it to the campsite and back in the time we had left but that is part of being in the Arctic. You are not in control of the weather and conditions. An open and flexible attitude is important. The good news was that we were safe and warm at the Lodge, we sledded everyday and even got a chance to go into the Gates of the Arctic National Park (which was just named the most remote national park in the US) with our dog teams . The food was out of this world and never disappoints. John and Thom are not only experienced and great guides but also good hosts.

Thom brought 14 dogs up for the season. The first day you learn how to mush and start with 2 dogs so that you begin slow. The dogs go out everyday no matter the weather so the two day storm may have stopped us from venturing out to camp but it did not stop us from enjoying the mushing. The dogs are all business and live to run. There is a lot of cheerful barking when you harness them up but once you are a ways down the trail, they are all focused.

Other activities should you want to do more include snowshoe and skiing. You eat 3 square meals a day that are all fixed fresh and you will never go hungry. There are even fresh baked cookies in the afternoon with appetizers before dinner.

Due to the storm and cloud cover, we only saw the aurora one evening and we were fortunate that it was earlier than normal. John is committed to giving you the experience of the aurora and will monitor through the night every 30 minutes and wake you if they are out. There is a lot of work to do to keep the guests comfortable and happy and John and Thom work hard to keep everything humming from blazing dog sled trails, digging out the solar panels, chopping wood, replenishing water from the lake, feeding and caring for 14 dogs and making sure we are all well fed.

There is no running water but they put hot and cold water in the bathrooms for you to use all day and they will set up the sauna/shower if you want to try it. We love Iniakuk and the Arctic! Its silent beauty and remote location really allow you to take a break from your hectic life and "get off the grid" for a while. It was hard to leave and we plan to go back.

Room tip: In winter rooms are in Lodge. Each room has one single and one queen bed.
Date of stay: March 2019
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Location
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
3  Thank Kristine H
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.
Reviewed July 29, 2018

My husband and I are enjoying seeing our country's beautiful National Parks in retirement. We had the Ultimate Week's Adventure in late August of 2017 staying in both the Caribou Cabin followed by the float down the Alatna River, and the Arrigetch Cabin followed by another float down the Alatna. Imagine seeing a grizzly bear and a beautiful Male moose along the river banks, which probably had never seen a red raft paddling along with humans. We also saw a wolverine loping along Gaedeke lake shore and Caribou migrating south across the lake. We experienced unexpected blizzards in both locations, but had a clear days to hike also. This is a wonderful way to experience the real Gates of the Arctic National Park.
This year we just returned for a 3 day visit starting off with a flight to land on the unusual sand dunes of Kobuk Valley National Park. We had lunch under the wing of the plane and hiked around the dunes photographing special flowers that only grow there. Again we had a clear blue day to experience this wonder of geography. We then relaxed at the lodge for 3 nights and a morning. We canoed 6 miles on the calm crystal clear lake accompanied by 2 species of loons. After lunch, John Gaedeke guided us 2 miles up the Tobuk River in the same canoe to 2 ponds, one of which is bright turquoise after being dammed up by beavers for several decades. We witnessed one of the busy little guys swimming to and fro and then we floated back down to the lodge. The next day John took us on a hike to Rocky Knoll, which gave us a beautiful view of the lodge and the river and flat lands behind the lodge, now used for mushing in the winter. He also motor boated us around the entire lake and we walked along a trapper's trail. Of course, we see evidence of moose and bear on these hikes.
The food is superb. Pat and John really care and try to give you the best experiences they can depending on the weather. Conversation is stimulating as their own life experiences are unique interfacing with people from many places. If you just imagine the work and planning that it took to build these cabins as a family, survive in the wilderness, and then to continue to maintain them for their customers; you will be filled with appreciation. You can experience a raw, remote serene wilderness in comfort with an adventurous spirit.
We always feel safe with John as our guide. He is very knowledgeable and skilled in everything one needs to know about living and enjoying in the wilderness. We also felt safe with the pilots of Brooks Range Aviation and Wright Air to transport us from and back to Fairbanks.
Our times at the Iniakuk Lodge and on our excursions with the Gaedekes are etched in our memories as one of the highest ranked vacations we have ever experienced. If I need to draw upon a serene moment, I can envision the peace and solitude during a white blizzard, or waking up to loons calling to each other along a gorgeous clear lake surrounded by mountains. This is a magical place and we are very blessed to have been able to experience these places with Pat and John Gaedeke showing us the way. They will always feel like friends to us because they care so deeply.

Date of stay: July 2018
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Rooms
    • Service
3  Thank Ronald W
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.
Reviewed September 1, 2017

A great place and quiet. The lodge is wonderful, great company of John and mum Pat and their lovely dogs, surronded by nature. Possibility of hiking or canoeing.
Great chats and super cuisine. I hope to come back soon. Thanks!

Date of stay: August 2017
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank annacK4329WW
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.
Reviewed August 22, 2017

There is so much to say about this wonderful lodge and Pat and John. We stayed with them for six days in late July. Four nights were at their main lodge on Iniakuk Lake and two nights at their Arrigetch Cabin on the Alatna River. We did a river trip with John on the Alatna. We also went with John on a day trip to Kobuk Valley National Park where we landed on the sand dunes and walked around to see this amazing phenomenon up close. John is the ultimate guide. He is skilled at everything, no exaggeration. We felt completely safe in his competent hands. He knows this area like the back of his hand and is able to handle any wilderness circumstance. Pat, his mother, is a phenomenal cook. The meals at the lodge are fantastic. The accommodations at the main lodge are cozy and comfortable. The Arrigetch Cabin is a wilderness cabin that offers comforts not usually available in such a remote area. The cost of the stay here is worth it. John and Pat handle all logistics and airfare and John is your private guide while you are there. You must bring with you a sense of adventure and ability to be flexible. Weather can change plans you may have for the day and you just have to roll with it since this is how it goes in Alaska!

Room tip: The cabin at the main lodge is across the inlet. Very lovely.
Date of stay: July 2017
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
Thank Teresa R
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.
Reviewed July 25, 2017

When my two adult children wanted a "mom and kid" trip, we decided to look no further than the Last American Frontier. I have done the Alaska cruise and am NOT a cruise person, thought about touring Anchorage and then driving to Fairbanks stopping at sites in between and then found Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge on Trip Advisor. The reviews were very helpful but mostly people going during the winter months for dog sledding. We wanted to go in the summer.

I contacted Pat Gaedeke who customized our trip and set it all up. We locked in on the trip close to a year in advance. Since I was not sure what might botch our plans, I made sure to have trip insurance and highly recommend it. The cost of the trip is all inclusive and covers travel from Wright Air Service, Brooks Range Aviation, lodging, food and specialized equipment. All you have to do is get to Fairbanks and Pat will take care of you from there.

Our first day started in a 10 seater plane from Wright Air Service to Bettles. Pat's expeditor met us at the terminal with a Yeti Cooler full of food for our remote cabins to load with our duffle bags. Fairbanks was a bit hazy due to a forest fire that was located NE but we could follow the terrain as we headed north above the Arctic Circle. Bettles is just a wide spot in the road with gravel runway and a few buildings which make up the town. We landed and loaded our gear into a pick up truck which drove us over to the float pond where we boarded our next flight to Iniakuk Lake. Once at Iniakuk, we stretched our legs and met Pat and her son, John Gaedeke, as well as, Thom Walker, who was to be our guide while at the Caribou Cabin. We then loaded back onto the float plane and began our trek north to the headwaters.

We landed on the headwaters lake and unpacked all of our gear. Once the plane left, we were 4 people all by ourselves with the beautiful backdrop of mountains and open terrain. The Caribou Cabin is above the treeline and the landscape is very dramatic. We stayed two nights hiking and enjoying gourmet meals prepared by Thom. There is daylight until around midnight and then dusk for about 3 hours. One night Thom and my son hiked to the top of the mountain behind the cabin. They returned about midnight and although the mosquitos were ferocious, they said the hike was worth it!

After two nights, the float plane returned and took us to the Alatna River where we met John Gaedeke who joined us with two boats to float 3-4 hours to the next cabin. John and Thom, as our guides, did all of the work and rowed us down river as we took pictures and got to know more about Alaska from their experiences.

When we arrived at the Arrigetch Cabin, the landscape was very different from the day before. It is nestled in the woods and protected from view. The mountains along the river rise directly up and we took advantage of hiking to the meadows of one so that we could take in the surrounding Brooks Range and the river below. Once again, we enjoyed gourmet meals cooked by our guides. We did not have to worry about missing any calories on this trip.

We floated down the river the day we were to head to Iniakuk Lake Lodge where the next float plane picked us up. Pat certainly planned our trip well. We experienced the remote cabins at the front of the trip and then the wilderness luxury of the lodge at the end. While at the lodge, we fished for pike, the youngsters hiked to the top of the mountain behind the lodge and we continued to enjoy the gourmet meals prepared by Pat. Our Arctic adventure could not have been any better and we were sad to leave our new friends and the beauty of Alaska.

Thanks to Thom Walker for his patience, humor and willingness to guide us in any activity we requested. Thanks to John for his ingenuity, travel stories and back country experiences that he shared with us all. Finally...thanks to Pat for planning the perfect exclusive adventure, her great cooking and hospitality and of course, the attention to detail. The Gaedeke's thought of everything!

Room tip: We stayed in the guest cabin at Iniakuk Lake which is across the stream from the lodge and accessible by short canoe ride.
Date of stay: July 2017
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Value
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
3  Thank Kristine H
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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