Drifters Lodge Reviews

What an Excellent Experience! The guides are fantastic, very personable and most importantly, get you the fish that YOU want to catch. I can't wait to go back!

First class service from the minute we got off the plane until we were back at the airport. We will do this again

Our guide was Hunter and he was fantastic! Our group of 6 showed up with ice chests and bags galore for the long float trip down the canyon. We didn't realize that there was a 1.5 mile hike from where the boat let out to the shuttle. Hunter helped us decide what to take and what to leave, and we got it all packed into two small float bags. We saw a Kingfisher dive completely understand water and come up with a tiny fish, and then we watched as the bird ate it's meal. We saw at least 50 eagles, and we were so close to some of them that we got a photos where you can see the eagle's tiny face feathers and the blue of its eyes. We saw other birds that Hunter knew the name of, and Hunter pointed out salmon swimming in the water. Hunter was a super nice guy and talked easily with our family, jumping right in with witty comments when we teased each other. Our youngest member was annoyed that the float was going to take 6 hours, but when we got to the end, she said, "Wait... That's it? I don't want it to be over yet." The hike was not too difficult, and we took a few breaks since it was super hot and we were carrying our bags. Hunter knew a lot about the area and pointed out several landmarks throughout the trip- including part of the forest that burned in a wildfire. Watch out for his "Albino Eagles" though!

I went there for the rafting trip.(I hope this is the right place).if it is, I would give the 10 stars. There people are among the kindest in Alaska, and subpurb in service. They led you boots, pants, and a jacket to stay completely dry on this easy going scenic river "cruise". I love bald eagles, and around every bend, was one. Wild life is included in this wonderful tour. Not only are they better then there competition because of service, but they have a location higher up on the river, allowing you to experience a whole area untouched by the competitors. Our tour guide Jacob was a great dude. Pointing out wild life and quirky facts about the surrounding wild life. The owner Bob is incredibly kind and caring to be is employees, offering lodging and meals to his employees for his growing business. After the ride, I see why this company is flourishing.

Excellent, quiet, comfortable bungalow room with private deck makes the scenery breathtaking. We loved it.

I love this place! Great accommodations, great service, great people!

I love to fish and be on rivers. I have a drift boat and raft and often drift the Kenai River. I was at the Sportsman Show in Anchorage and on a whim decided to rent all four seats of a half day fishing trip in a guided drift boat. It was a great day! I took my two adult daughters and son-in-law. James, our guide took care of the rowing, tackle, and the many, many fish that we caught. He did all this, told great stories, and kept us all in good humor. It took all the responsibility away, and I could just fish and have fun with my family, I loved it! It was a day we will all remember. My youngest daughter caught a giant rainbow within the first hour. It was a fish that will go down in family folklore. Many thanks to all the folks at Kenai Drifter's Lodge for a great day. I think this my be an annual tradition for our family.

I'm coming back to this post, to edit. I've got some really great things to say about the Kenai River drift Lodge here's a few pictures for now.

My friend and I just spent 5 days fishing.
We had a great time, the guides were excellent, and the hospitality was phenomenal. They happily accommodated requests. The cabin we stayed in was clean and comfortable. We will be going back!

The Admin side was 1st class. They answered all my questions. The fishing was good and the guides were very considerate of my elderly in laws. The boat and tackle met all my expectations.

Overall, a great outfit to fish with. I've stayed in the cabins as well and they are quite nice.

Drifter's lodge was amazing. The cabins were nice and the guide we had James was fantastic and easy to be around. I would highly suggest booking a trip there.

It was a fishing trip of a lifetime. I would absolutely recommend Kenai River Drifters Lodge to anyone looking for a world class adventure.

John in Cincy...

The hospitality and willingness of the staff here is amazing. The owner, Bob is very caring and provides nothing but the best. I'll recommend to anyone.

The service was the best. I couldn't get over the fantastic customer service. From the staff at the front desk to the guide who led us to get our limits on Salmon. I will be booking just a week to spend at the lodge after having spent a month traveling this last trip to get a feel for the area. It was by far the best outfitter and guiding and overall experience. Thank you so much!

Wonderful location and service. We had a lovely rafting trip and this was by far the nicest place in the vicinity! Very friendly and helpful staff--we'll definitely be back!

Great crew, cozy cabins, and a steamy hot sauna looking out on the water!

Great place top stay. Accomodations were great. One weather related issue on one of the excursions that was quickly remedied by the lodge. Overall would definitely recommend it.

We had a great time rafting. The guide was great, friendly, funny, and personable. I would recommend this company to anyone!

A thoroughly enjoyable place to spend time whether local or just visiting Alaska. Staff very friendly & helpful. Scenic raft float trip was amazing!

My wife and I had a great time with these folks. We had not been salmon fishing like this for years and our guide, Ben, was invaluable in demonstrating the skills we needed to be successful. We were fishing on the Kenai River with another couple and Ben and it will be an experience we won't forget. The folks at Drifters Lodge set us up with waders and packed us a lunch to take with us. We were so busy fishing and having a great time we forgot about lunch. "Fish On" was the phase of the day and Ben definitely knew the "hot spots" to go to. We ended up with several nice big sockeye "reds" on the beach. Thanks again for a trip we won't forget. We will recommend you folks to everyone we know down here in Oregon.

Drifter's Lodge on the Kenai River in Cooper Landing Alaska is a most worthwhile destination for anyone as well as their friends and family who hopes to get an unadulterated taste of what Alaska and it's Kenai peninsula have to offer in terms of majestic beauty and spectacular fishing opportunities while staying at a most comfortable, friendly, reasonably priced, accommodating lodge with gracious staff and masterful fishing guides, all right on a spectacular river that surpasses your imagination.

D. L. ,MD
Long Island, New York

Bob and his staff at the Kenai River Drifters Lodge are top notch. I've done 2 King Salmon charters with Shawn and both were fantastic. The first my boat hauled in 9, and the second I got a really nice King. Ask for Shawn if you can for your trip but everyone has been 5 stars that I have worked with.
If you get a chance talk to Mike their maintenance man, he is a character.

Great trip and Tommy our guide was awesome! Still no bears though

Best fishing charter ever! Scheduling was a breeze, friendly, courteous and informed! Parking, logistics, and location all smooth and wonderful. I am disabled and was late to the start, our guide was patient and keep everyone cool. The water conditions were terrible, flooding and windy. No problem! The guide capably put us on the trout right away, against rough odds! I felt safe and relaxed and had massive fun. It was a birthday trip for me. The guide made it so fun, I will always treasure the day. I hooked into the largest 'bow and four (!) different species for a mixed bag of delightful catching. Everyone on the boat enjoyed success thanks to the guide's expertise. Landing and return was easy. Views were breathtaking. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to an epic memorable trip of catching on the upper Kenai!

I have been on two different fishing trips with Kenai River Drifter's Lodge on the middle Kenai. Both trips have been very enjoyable. The guides that I had were friendly, very knowledgeable, made the trip fun and most importantly, knew where the fish were!

Great guides and staff! This was my second time back

I booked a scenic rafting 'float' tour for a friend who was visiting from the lower 48. She's in her 50's with some physical limitations and was initially intimidated by the thought of getting in and out of the raft and then going down a rushing river. But she didn't need to worry. The guide at Drifter's Lodge was amazing and made her feel safe and secure the whole time. He told some great stories while he expertly traversed the river and pointed out wildlife. It was a perfect day and I am so thankful for the professionalism of Drifters Lodge for making it a great memory. I will definitely be back, hopefully to stay in one of their cabins and try a fishing tour. The grounds were beautiful with a really cool fire pit, and great views of the river and mountain.

Took my parents to Drifter's Lodge for an Alaskan fishing adventure in June 2018 and it did not disappoint. We stayed in Cabin 4 (closet to the fire pit, best views IMO) on an all-inclusive package and it was worth every penny. The Monte & Jardin blankets in the cabin were so soft I ordered some for Christmas presents this year! The staff was extremely friendly and always helped to accommodate every request. I love this place and have great memories.

We made a quick stop after cruise in Seward for a half day Russian river salmon, fly fishing trip, with family of 5. Never fly fished before, Sean and Kale, our guides were awesome! They were very professional and patient, with us city folk. We had the best day fishing that they had so far. We caught 21 red salmon, that they said came directly from the ocean, swimming 80 miles, upstream. We had a great time. They picked us up in Seward, our driver Steven was great. He was very accommodating and courteous. Thank you KRDL, for a memorable moment that my wife and I and our 3 boys will never soon forget!

Great Day on the Kenai! Will be back and highly recommend the guide service.

The wife and I chose this fall to drift the Kenai River with Drifters Lodge for our 30th anniversary. Drifter's was gracious enough to offer a discounted trip as we wanted the whole boat to our selves for the special day. They also threw in a free lunch to help us celebrate. We drifted from Sportsman's to Jim's Landing twice that day and we probably caught 30 fish a piece on both runs. We wore our arms out pulling in rainbows and dolly's. Drifter's is very knowledgeable about the Kenai and also very personable when it comes to their clients. Highly recommend them to all my friends, but hope that doesn't hinder me when I want to book my next trip. Maybe we should keep this our little secret?

First time ever visiting Alaska. They were very knowledgeable about the area as well as the wildlife fishing species and laws and regulations. Putting us on salmon and trout. Making the entire experience successful would definitely recommend. I will be contacting them again for their excellent guides.

Cooper Landing was a wonderful place to visit. Drifters was a great.

Bob and his folks at Drifters couldn't have made this, our first fishing trip to Alaska, any easier (unless there's a way to make getting up at such wee hours to beat the crowds to the fish...but it was worth it!) Kudos to the excellent staff and superb guides John W. (and incidentally Ben, who was fantastic with the family he guided for reds on the Kasilof), Josh, Sean. Special thanks to Jason for getting us to a most memorable morning with the sockeyes. Wow.

Had a great time fishing the Kenai with the guide from Drifter's Lodge this past October. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and the equipment, including the motor boat were top notch. Caught my biggest rainbow trout to date -- a 27" beauty!

Jack was the best guide! He took us deep into the mountains to a series of secluded lakes to fish. It was my family's first time fishing and he made us feel safe and taught us the ropes. I highly recommend Kenai River Drifter's Lodge. Ask for Jack!

We had the best guide Hunter he was the bomb. Even went out of his way to return a rain jacket to our bud, that got left behind, He brought it all the way back to where we camped! What a great guy....

Our guide Drew was the best!! He had so much knowledge of Alaska. I would not of had a better time, with any other guide. We had no tip money when leaving, so since I lived in Alaska I was sure to bring homemade jelly and canned salmon back as a gift for such a wonderful experience. We have shared our experience with family and friends who booked with Drifter's Lodge a week after. Do it ...have fun on this relaxing trip.

Claudia Lachinski

Coming here was one of the best vacations I've ever been on. Drifters know how to give you the best Alaskan experience. The guides were incredible and the service and accommodations were great. Bob has built an amazing home for many people from all around. We met many people here who were visiting for the second, third or even forth time. Multiple time they went above and way beyond to help us have a great visit. I will come back here no doubt. This is a must for those wanting to experience Alaska.

Update: I came here a second time with my wife. She always wanted to experience Alaska. And without fail drifters exceeded expectation and helped us have a fantastic experience. Thanks Alex, Andy and Bob and the rest of the team. Can't wait to come again

Adorable and clean place with a friendly staff. This will be one of our stops next time we are in Alaska too.

This is the best lodge in Cooper Landing. People are awesome, great place

I went on a guided trip with Jon at the mouth of the Kenai River below Skilak Lake on 9-7-16. It was an awesome trip for 8 hours. We caught salmon, dolly varden, and rainbow trout. The largest rainbow was 26 inches. By far topping my personal best in Tennessee and Georgia. I would highly recommend their guided service.

The reviews are correct. This place is like a dream. The staff personally greeted us at 1 am after our long drive from Fairbanks. They could not be friendlier. They have awesome amenities, including a sauna that overlooks the river!

Enjoyed the cabin and guides; although while there lodge staff kept calling my home number in Pittsburgh to arrange trips. We booked/took 6 trips during our stay. Heather (staff) extended our stay yet Son and I felt like we were pushed out the door when leaving - so unlike the way we were treated for most of the week.

My family had a great time at the Kenai River Drifter's Lodge! The cabins were clean and very comfortable with real quilts on the beds and a small fridge and cooktop. The kids loved the "breakfast" shack for snacks, the guys loved the fly-out fishing and the girls really enjoyed the horseback riding. The staff helped to get us to our horseback riding and picked us up from our scenic float trip. We liked staying here better than the Princess Lodge. Thanks, we will be back!

I went out to Drifters Lodge for a fishing trip down the river. The guide was a great guy and helped us as much as possible. The aren't a lot of fish in the river the day I went so I didn't catch anything, but I was in good company and really enjoyed my trip. The owner is a great guy as well. He's always giving to charity and helping individuals with special needs.

I'd give this place 10 stars if it were possible, everything from the moment we arrived was absolutely perfect, the staff at the front office greeted us with such kindness and the cabins we stayed in we perfect with everything we could possibly need we Chartered 2 boats for salmon fishing and our fishing guides Jack and Ben we phenomenal, they really took great care of all of us and we each limited out in just a couple of hours. I would highly recommend Drfters Lodge to anyone, we will absolutely be returning. A huge thank you to all the staff for making our visit wonderful.

This was so much fun Rafting the River..
5 For Sure~Highly Recomend!!

We were a party of six and we had a wonderful time. We will definitely go again

I stayed at Drifter's Lodge for 2 nights in September. The beds were comfortable, the room was just the right temperature, the staff was helpful and friendly. I loved the homey atmosphere of the room and soon I am going to book for next year. Thank you Drifters Lodge for a great stay!

Once in a life time experience that you do not want to miss! You only get to see your first bear once and it happened with Drifter s Lodge. Words cannot portray the beauty of Alaska accurately, but if you take a ride down the Kenai with Drifter s - you will understand. Baby blue water, bald eagles, ducks, beavers, mountain goats...Oh yea..lets not forget to mention the BEARS (plus so much more wildlife). There are no skyscrapers blocking your view - only mountains blocking your view of more mountains! We took the 7 mile trip and got to see FOUR BEARS! A brown bear and a black bear with two cubs. Just walking along the side of the river - like right there in front of you - just doing their thing. We saw tons of other wildlife as well but man....those bears just steal the show! So so cool!

We went down the river with Dan who is super enthusiastic and passionate about nature. His excitement and love of the environment made the trip down river much more enriching. He knew the names of birds and mountains and threw in some jokes along. He stopped the raft at a safe distance for us to view the bears which was super amazing! I felt safe in his company throughout the trip even through the baby rapids.

The crew made sure we were dressed appropriately and prepared for our trip - they even had some emergency clothes if you are severely underdressed. The rain gear you wear is pretty warm and definitely effective. Bring a camera but don t spend the whole river trip looking through it because nothing is as beautiful as seeing it with your own eyes. Especially not the BEARS!!!!!

Thanks Drifters!!!!! Thanks Dan!

Beautiful, clean, comfortable cabin. Awesome guided float trip on the Kenai River. Very friendly and knowledgeable people.

A beautiful setting along the Kenai River. The cabins were quaint and homey.The staff was great and the complimentary breakfast quite adequate.
The camp fires every night were wonderful where everyone share their daily events over their favorite adult beverage. We will return!

Spectacular place, hot showers and heated rooms. Great staff and exceptional service. Beautiful views right on site. Cannot wait to return to this place!

Our family of 9 ranging from 9 to 72 rafted with Kenai River Drifter's and loved it. Our guide was fantastic. We all highly recommend them.

Took the 1/2 day scenic rafting trip in July with a group of 7 ages (11-40) and had a great time. They supplied everything we needed and our guide Tommy was very knowledgeable and a lot of fun. All of the staff was very nice and the gear was clean. I would recommend.

We went on the 12-mile scenic float with Tommy as a guide. Very fun and informative. A very laid-back experience with great views.

AWESOME me being deaf they went out of there way to make it easy for they come to door wake me and my granddaughter up in time to fish s and fishing silver salmon ask for Ben he awesome we had our fish s by 8:00by and the lady s was awesome to they ordered my food for me and it was good I ll be back nexts August

Accommodating to your personal bucket lists! James was fantastic - fun, knowledgeable, patient beyond belief. Take the full day - totally worth it.

Drifter's Lodge always provides an exceptional Cooper Landing experience from the clean, well-equipped cabins, to the friendly evening campfire (complete with s'mores) and the proximity to many fun activities. This time my husband and I went to Rainbow Lake for fun in the sun (picnic lunch, blueberry picking, quick dip in the COLD water). We also canoed on beautiful Engineer Lake hoping to catch some fish (no luck). We settled for seeing lovely pine grosbeaks feeding at the water's edge and various shy waterfowl. Dinner at Sackett's for Bar-B-Q briskett was excellent! We stay at Drifter's whenever they have space and we are able to spend time in Cooper Landing - an easy drive from Anchorage!

HANDS DOWN best river guide service in Alaska! It was a very personalized / 'catered to' experience! I have fished with 3 different guides from Drifter's, and each of them were very seasoned, professional, and provided an experience that I will remember for a very long time!

Me And my Family went on our family vacation. we alway try and go to new places every year. We ended up in Alaska and took a river drift down the Kenai River. I was amazing. We live in Los Angeles and to be able to see the peace and beauty of nature it was breath taking. Kenai River Drifter's Lodge did a great job taking us all day down the river and we enjoyed every last minute of it.

5 Star Bucket List Trip! Thank you Drifter's Lodge for making our Alaska fly fishing trip perfect in every way. Great staff at the lodge, super friendly and accommodating. Our cabin was really neat, so cool to be right on the river. Thank you Shawn, James and Tige for the awesome guiding, we caught so many big fish we lost count. We would highly recommend the Drifter's Lodge if you're after a once in a lifetime Alaska fishing trip!

Wonderful lodge with absolutely wonderful, knowledgeable staff. Great setting and fishing. Easily my favorite place in Alaska. I would highly recommend Drifter's Lodge!!

The scenery was beautiful the room we were put in (the eagles nest above the main lodge should never be used for anyone who needs any sleep) lodge is very noisy, early in the morning. Communication is poor between the guides and the main lodge. To fish you have to drive 60 miles from lodge to fish Kings, when you are told to be there at 12:00 and you have to call you guide and he knows nothing about it you finally get on the river at about 1:30.Guides were great. worked hard trying to get you on fish.

Sorry this review is delayed. This was an adult trip 3 couples.
We visited June 10-13. Everyone at Kenai River Drifter's Lodge was so helpful. We booked two fishing trips with them.
The accommodations are great! We stayed in the Russian House.
The house was immaculate and fully furnished with everything you could need.
Situated right on the Kenai River with beautiful views. Wish I was there right now!

Rocky start to our weekend but they made things right.
Kale and Jack were great guides we didn't catch a salmon but the trout fishing was good enough.

Staff was amazing. Do the float tour if you have the time!

Fun. This place was a lot of fun. I took my dad, cousin, & uncle here for their Alaskan vacation. They loved everything about it, the lodge was super comfortable, our guide John was a great teacher for the new fly fishers, & he got us on some big fish. Would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a great time and catch some beautiful fish.

This is our first time to Alaska. And I am going to say it will be very hard to find a better place than the Kenai River Drifters Lodge. We had cabin 4 which overlooks the river closest to the campfire. Absolutely gorgeous! The staff here are the very best, and the fishing guides were as good as they come. Thanks everyone for a wonderful time.

For 6 six of us, it was our first trip to Alaska. Bob and his staff gave us ideas on what to expect and provided us perfect recommendations for our trip. Upon arrival, it almost felt like seeing a long lost friend you hadn't seen in years as I had been speaking with most of the staff already on the phone. We stayed for 3 days/4 nights with Bob recommending fishing trips to the Kenai River for Sockeye, Seward for Halibut/Rock fish, and the Russian River for Trout/Sockeye. We were all very impressed with their knowledge of the waters and their overall character. As a group, we have fished all over the country but this will always remain as one of the most amazing trips we'd been on. I cant say enough about Bob, his staff, the guides, and the overall hospitality they provided. If anyone is considering a trip to Alaska, whether its extreme fishing or site seeing, look no further. I promise you will be impressed.

I had a wonderful stay at Drifter's Lodge. I loved the cabin, and the beautiful setting. It had everything we needed for the night, right down to salt and pepper and a grill. The evening campfire was awesome. My only regret was I was I didn't have time to go on a float down the river. I plan on coming back again soon.

This place is unbelievable! We stayed here last week and it was by far the best place we stayed at in Alaska. The staff are wonderful, and you cannot beat the sauna after a long day of fishing, or the view. You will not be disappointed if you stay here.

Best place I have stayed at in years!! I came here because I got a flat-tire on a trip and was supposed to stay further down the peninsula. I ended up here and planned on staying one night to continue my trip. The first night was perfect and the staff so friendly, that I ended up staying another night and did one of their fishing trips on a whim. I had Kaile as a guide and he was awesome! They even helped me with my spare tire, told me the best places in town to see, and put me on my first Alaskan fish. Great place to stay! Would very highly recommend this for not only the lodging, but fishing guides as well. 10/10. This place gets it!

Kenai River Drifter's Lodge was more than a guided fishing trip. It was a blast. Firstly, I was accommodated as a last minute reservation from out of country on a business trip. I only had one weekend available and I was granted the Alaskan fishing trip of a life time. I enjoy fishing as a hobby and the Kenai River did not disappoint. I caught my daily Silver limit and was thoroughly impressed with my guide's netting. First fish was 12.5lbs. Knowing I was from out of country, the Drifter's lodge even provided a disposable cooler to get me back to town. Great adventure and I would do it again it a heart beat.

Fishing package was great and staff even better (and were went for the fishing). Friendly, competent, professional, over- and- above.

Awesome river + awesome guide + wild life + great price = totally worth it!

Kenai River Drifter's Lodge was awesome. Austin Ziletti our guide was just fabulous. He had us up early, got to a great spot, focused on us soley...once he knew we were fishing properly he went to fishing and we watched him which then in turn educated us even more and when that happened...wham...we knew how to catch Sockeye during this time frame. It wasn't easy but he really made it easier. We fished hard too and it's not easy standing on the river bank for 8 hours, he made it fun, helped us so much. Really will want to go back and use these guys and hopefully Austin will be there when we do.

I came to Drifters with my 70 plus year old mother and my 10 year old son. They tailored our trip to our different levels of energy and experience. We made some priceless memories. Thanks Drifters!

This place is absolutely amazing! Bob has a great operation going, with a friendly staff and great guides. The lodge is right on the upper Kenai River, and is what you would expect from an Alaskan lodge.

An amazing week experiencing everything Alaska has to offer. Great staff that goes above and beyond of what is expected. Beautiful scenery right on the bank of the Kenai River and comfortable, rustic, accommodations. Oh, and the fishing ain't bad either. Thanks again for a great trip.