From Glacier to River: Two Very Different Alaska Lodges
Written By Danielle Buoncristiani
Seen in My Lens: Alaska — The Lodges
The first sign that Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge was just ahead, tucked into the landscape beyond the trail and boardwalk.
By the time Dave and I reached Seward, we had already experienced several very different parts of Alaska. This next chapter would be different again.
We boarded the Alaska Wildland Adventures boat for Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge after two days of mist and rain. That morning, sunlight began breaking through the clouds, and it felt like a gift.
The boat ride through the fjords was an experience in itself. We stopped for sea otters, seabirds and whales, including humpbacks breaching and bubble-feeding — a behavior I had never seen before.
But the arrival at Glacier Lodge surprised me most.
There was no dock and no lodge visible from the water. We stepped ashore, left our luggage with the staff, and followed a trail through the meadow. The dirt path eventually became a boardwalk, and only then did the lodge begin to reveal itself.
The rocky path we followed toward Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, with mountains rising beyond the meadow.
The lodge revealed itself quietly, tucked into the trees and connected by boardwalks through the meadow.
Pedersen Lagoon stretched out in front of us, with mountains beyond and wooden rocking chairs lined along the deck facing the view.
Our cabin, Murrelet, was tucked quietly among the trees and connected to the lodge by boardwalk. From our small porch, it felt peaceful and private.
Our quiet little cabin, Murrelet, at Glacier Lodge.
So Much to Choose From
What made Glacier Lodge especially memorable was how many ways there were to experience the area.
There were kayaking and canoe trips, hikes, wildlife outings and quieter options closer to the lodge. With only two nights there, we quickly realized we could only choose a few.
That was probably the hardest part — there was so much more we would have loved to do.
This was also the first portion of our Alaska journey that wasn’t organized as a photography tour. I was still photographing constantly, but now Dave and I could look at the choices each day and decide what interested us most.
AWA had everything we needed organized and ready — boots, life jackets, kayak gear and meeting times — so the logistics never became something we had to think much about.
Even in our short stay, there was time for both adventure and quieter moments: sitting in a rocking chair overlooking Pedersen Lagoon, walking down toward Aialik Bay on our own, watching sea otters and seals in the water, using the wood-fired cedar sauna, or simply enjoying the stillness around the lodge.
The wood-fired cedar sauna tucked into the forest near Glacier Lodge — another way to slow down between excursions.
There was no cell service or internet, which made it even easier to disconnect from everything beyond the lodge.
By the time we left, I was already wishing we had another night or two.
Pedersen Lagoon and the mountains beyond — the view that made Glacier Lodge feel both expansive and deeply quiet.
Still water, mountain reflections, and open space — part of what made Glacier Lodge feel so peaceful.
Even quiet moments at Glacier Lodge felt connected to the landscape beyond the cabin porch.
Our second stop with Alaska Wildland Adventures brought us inland to Kenai Riverside Lodge, along the banks of the Kenai River.
From Kenai Glacier Lodge to the Kenai Riverside Lodge
Leaving Glacier Lodge could not have been easier.
We placed our luggage outside our cabin, and the next time we saw it, it was waiting for us at Kenai Riverside Lodge.
That small detail says a lot about how smoothly Alaska Wildland Adventures handled this portion of our trip. We simply moved on to the next experience while they took care of the rest.
Riverside Lodge felt very different from Glacier Lodge.
Located along the Kenai River, it was busier and less intimate. Many of the guests were there to fish, and people seemed to come and go more throughout the day.
The food was very good and meals gave us a chance to sit with other guests, but people did not linger as long around the tables. Even though we spent less time at Glacier Lodge, we actually felt more connected to the people we met there.
And that was okay. The two lodges did not need to offer the same experience.
Inside Kenai Riverside Lodge, I spent a little time going through bear photographs from the year before — Alaska still following us from one chapter to the next.
For our one excursion from Riverside Lodge, we chose a rafting trip on the Kenai River. It gave us another way to experience the landscape from the water, this time surrounded by forest and the steady movement of the river rather than glaciers and fjords.
Back at the lodge, some of my favorite time was much quieter.
Dave sat beside the river working on his wood carving while I read my book nearby. The Kenai rushed past us, and after so many days of photographing and exploring, it felt good simply to sit together and enjoy where we were.
When it was finally time to leave, AWA drove us all the way to the airport — one last example of how easy they had made the logistics from beginning to end.
Dave carved beside the Kenai River while I read nearby — one of the quieter moments of our stay at Riverside Lodge.
The Kenai River flowed just beyond the lodge, giving us an easy place to sit, read, carve, and simply enjoy the setting.
Together, the two lodges created a natural progression: from deep wilderness, to river, to road, and eventually home.
Glacier Lodge gave us the feeling of being tucked inside the landscape.
Riverside Lodge helped us begin the return.
And Alaska Wildland Adventures connected those experiences in a way that felt smooth, thoughtful, and easy to trust.
Two Different Ways to Experience Alaska
Glacier Lodge gave us a chance to be immersed in a remote coastal landscape with more ways to explore than we could possibly fit into two nights.
Riverside Lodge gave us a different view of the Kenai Peninsula — river life, fishing culture, rafting, good food and quieter time along the water.
I appreciated that the two places did not try to be the same.
Throughout both stays, Alaska Wildland Adventures remained mostly in the background, handling transportation, luggage, activities and the practical details that made the trip feel easy.
For me, photography was still very much part of the journey, even though this portion was no longer built around a photography tour.
I photographed wildlife and landscapes, of course, but I also found myself photographing families we met during our excursions and simply paying attention to whatever caught my eye.
We had enough structure to make the adventure possible, but enough freedom to experience it in our own way.
And with only two nights at Glacier Lodge, I already know there is more of this part of Alaska I would like to see.
AWA also has Kenai Backcountry Lodge on Skilak Lake — one we did not visit on this trip.
Maybe next time.
Field Notes
Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is located within Kenai Fjords National Park and is accessible by boat.
The guest cabins are connected to the main lodge by elevated boardwalks through the surrounding landscape.
Activities can include kayaking, canoeing, hiking, wildlife viewing and exploring closer to the lodge.
Glacier Lodge is off-grid, with no cell service or internet.
Kenai Riverside Lodge is located along the Kenai River and attracts many guests who come to experience the area’s fishing and river activities.
Alaska Wildland Adventures coordinated our transportation, luggage and activities throughout this portion of the trip.
AWA also operates Kenai Backcountry Lodge on Skilak Lake, which we did not visit on this journey.
One last view across the Kenai landscape — fireweed, distant water, and mountains stretching across the horizon.
