Copper Oar and St. Elias Alpine Guides exceeded my expectations. They helped me fulfill my dream of plein air painting on an extended wilderness trip. Their high level of professionalism, knowledge, and skill coupled with the right equipment led to a safe, comfortable trip.

I enjoyed my guides’ and fellow travelers good cheer, humor, companionship, not to mention the tasty meals. I am planning on returning for more adventures with St. Elias and Copper Oar.

Jackie B.
Copper River
2012

Our family of 4 (kids aged 8 and 11) did a 3day/2night wilderness rafting trip with Copper Oar that was fantastic. Top notch all the way. We’ve done multiday rafting trips in Utah and Idaho before and the trip we took in Alaska compared very well to those trips and had a completely diffferent feel to it.

Well worth the money. We started by flying in a bush plane from Chitina to McCarthy and an overnight in McCarthy (which was a great experience in itself! Loved the amazing tasting menu restaurant there!) We put in in McCarthy just down river from the Kennicott glacier and ended up in Chitina after 3 days on the river. We didn’t see a single person the whole time, just a bear, a couple of moose and lots of bald eagles. Great bouncy water the first day then smooth floats the second and third day and the water volume increased and the river bed spread out.

We camped at two different spots on the river and were fed great meals by our guides Jules and Dale. Oddly enough, the camping was one of the highlights. It was so serene to be out in the middle of nowhere watching the sun set (sort of) and the rise (again, sort of) with craggy mountains and huge vistas all around us. We had fun spotting bear tracks (black and brown) and moose tracks. The gear provided to us was great and handled the cold nights well — I never felt cold.

Our kids LOVED the whole experience and we’d all go back in a heartbeat and do another trip with Copper Oar. The rafting was a wonderful way to get away from everybody else and experience Alaska in a very intimate and awe inspiring way.

Nicola W.
Alaska River Journey
2010

The trip was perfect. Everyone was super, raft-mates and guides, the spectacular views and the experience. Couldn’t have asked for better.

Cheryl & Mike
Copper River
2012

[The guides] worked themselves to death for us. They were pleasant, professional, and personable. I loved each one of them.

Christina Y
Copper River
2012

Our guides were awesome! They are so personable and friendly. We wish they could be our guides all over Alaska!

Margaret S.
Root Glacier Hike
2014

I was looking for a wilderness adventure and I found it with the Copper Oar/St. Elias Alpine Guides. The guides’ attention to detail, knowledge of Alaska and love of nature was abundant. They made the trip! Every day was a new adventure. Whether the days were warm or cold, they were gorgeous, rich with beautiful landscape and wild life. I will be talking about this trip for many years to come.

Kathi L.
Source to Sea
2013

We’ve been in Alaska for 1 week and have had a phenomenal trip. Today was my favorite day: outstanding weather, fun & knowledgeable guide, amazing glacier features, both kids did a polar bear plunge in a gorgeous heart-shaped blue pool. Incredible!

Andrea E.
Root Glacier Hike
2014

If you like wilderness, nature, beautiful landscapes and a good company to organize that, this trip is made for you!
-A Very Satisfied French Group

Pascal T.
Copper River
2011

What an amazing experience, life changing too. Let’s start with our guides – where do you find these Supermen/women? We’ll never forget our first meeting with Lucas, beaming enthusiastically from the airstrip. He’s just such a great guy and a great guide and we heard the same compliment from a lot of other people too. He looked after us and worked so hard to ensure that we had a good time. We always felt safe with him, enabling us challenge ourselves and really get the most out of our trip.

Lisa & Eamonn F.
Multi-Sport Package
2012

Copper Oar gave us an unforgettable experience exploring the incredible Wrangell St Elias NP – a trip which I would have no hesitation flying halfway around the world for again. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Nicole G.
Alaska River Journey
2012