Alaska from Above
Take a heli-tour for wildlife views, dogsledding, skiing and more.
More than half of Alaska’s summertime visitors arrive via cruise ship. But to really appreciate the vastness of the state’s landscapes, it’s worth lifting off for an aerial view of what is undoubtedly some of North America’s most aweinspiring scenery.
No matter the season you’re targeting for adventures in Alaska, make it a priority to get a bird’s-eye view of incredible glaciers, mountain peaks and rushing rivers. Helicopters offer the best way to access some of the state’s finest whitewater rafting, fishing rivers, skiing and glacier hikes, too. Wherever you travel here, you’ll find a heli-tour waiting to whisk you off for the adventure of a lifetime. Read on for a few favorites to bookmark … and cue the wanderlust at altitude.
Guests at storied Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, tucked away to the northwest of Anchorage in the Alaskan backcountry, can head out by helicopter for glacier viewing as well as one of the state’s most epic fishing experiences. Lift off to chopper to remote and otherwise inaccessible riverbanks and waterways around Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, and your pilot will put you in the water on rafts to fish while floating to a remote pickup spot down river. The best part? Pilots choose places where the other anglers aren’t, so you can be sure you’ve got the best shot of getting a big one on the line — and hopefully on the plate later, too. After all, Arctic char, rainbow trout and Pacific salmon are among the tasty species commonly biting in these parts. For something extra-exciting, heli-tours can even bring you to Alaska’s first via ferrata for a truly epic climb.
Book with NorthStar Helicopters and go walkabout on glaciers during helicopter flights from Juneau that see you touch down atop ancient ice. You’ll fly above old-growth trees within Tongass National Forest (the largest national forest in the United States) and whirlybird above mountainous peaks, too, before touching down on a glacier in NorthStar’s provided mountaineering boots and climbing harness, all set for new icy adventures.
Alpine Air Alaska, a helicopter tour company located less than an hour from Anchorage, takes you into Chugach National Forest and other famed locales around southcentral Alaska. Pair scenic helicopter flights with on-the-ground activities like dogsledding with Iditarod dogs atop remote glaciers, whitewater rafting, kayaking and hiking.
A crew of “pow addicts” are your guides when you sign up for one of skiing’s most excellent adventures: a backcountry tour with Third
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Edge Heli, a boutique heli-touring company that operates out of the six-bedroom Eagle’s Nest Lodge, just an hour’s drive (or 10-minute heli flight) from Anchorage. After a day of skiing or snowboarding the pristine fly-in-only bowls and glacier runs (believe it or not, there’s terrain here for every ability level), the lodge’s Nordic sauna, hot tub and crackling fireplace await.