The owners of the Winterlake Lodge are Alaskans who, from late January through late April, open the doors of their winter home to share it with you. In addition to authentic Alaskan hospitality, your stay at the lodge is custom tailored to your interests and private activities can include learning how to dogsled, guiding your own sled dog team, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing through Alaska’s backcountry. Return to the lodge each evening and enjoy the lodge’s famous cuisine while waiting for the aurora borealis (northern lights) to make an appearance.
Whether today is the first day setting foot in Alaska, or if you are returning from another Alaska adventure, an overnight in Anchorage prior to your Winterlake Lodge visit is highly recommended. Receive a personal greeting upon arrival, followed by a private transfer to your hotel for the evening.
Overnight in Anchorage.
Breakfast is included at the hotel prior to your private transfer to the Lake Hood ski plane base. Enjoy a scenic 1-hour private flight by float plane to Winterlake Lodge where you will land on the frozen lake and be greeted by staff.
After an orientation of the property and lunch in the main lodge, spend the rest of the day planning how you wish to enjoy the winter wonderland of Winterlake Lodge. This evening enjoy a cocktail reception and meet the other lodge guests, followed by a gourmet dinner.
If the Northern Lights are on your bucket list, let the lodge staff know that you’re interested in a ‘wake-up’ call should the auroras make an appearance this evening, or at any point during your stay.
Overnight Winterlake Lodge
Winterlake Lodge on Finger Lake serves as a checkpoint at Mile 123 along the Iditarod Trail. The Dixon Family, owners of the lodge, plays host to dozens of dog mushers who stop here for a break – and enjoy a traditional ice cream social. While it takes years of training and experience to run Alaska’s Last Great Race, you can experience a bit of life on the trail and become a musher for the day. The lodge is home to a team of sled dogs, many of which are cousins and descendants of world-class dogs who have actually run the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Learn what it takes to harness a team of dogs from an experienced musher and how to guide these excited animals using common commands such as ‘gee’ and ‘haw.’ Take a ride along a lake trail as you witness these magnificent animals do what they love to do most – run!
Winterlake Lodge takes pride in offering a number of wellness amenities for its guests. Yoga classes are available each morning in the main lodge to wake you up and get you ready for a day of adventure. Other relaxation options include use of the wood-fired sauna or enjoy the wood-fired hot tub on the front deck of the main lodge with a glass of wine in the evening. And each stay includes a complimentary massage to rest and rehabilitate in between adventures. There are plenty of options available to ensure you leave the lodge relaxed and ready to take on the world.
The chefs of Winterlake Lodge have been cooking in Alaska’s backcountry for more than 20 years, and each has a passion for cooking and for Alaska, and they love sharing these passions with their guests. Locally-sourced ingredients, including Alaskan seafood, are the featured highlights of the lodge-prepared meals. And if you want to learn more you are welcome in the kitchen at any time, or for a more in-depth experience you can schedule a private cooking class.
Winterlake Lodge offers a number of Alaskan winter adventures. Have you ever donned a pair of snow shoes and traipsed through the frozen snow? Are you a cross-country skier who loves the swish of snow beneath your blades as you cross a frozen lake? What about a snow mobile (or snow machine, as we Alaskans call them) – have you ever taken a ride through the forest – as in over the river and through the woods? All of these amazing winter experiences are yours for the taking! You can even charter a helicopter for a day of exploration beyond the lodge.
Finish your day with a gourmet meal, followed a cozy campfire and homemade ‘smores. What better way to end your winter wonderland adventure?
After breakfast bid farewell to your hosts as you return to Anchorage via ski plane. Your private driver/guide will meet you upon arrival to embark on an Anchorage sightseeing tour, transfer you to your hotel, or connect you to your next Alaskan adventure.
The main lodge featured at the center of the property, offering a comfortable main room with relaxation by the fireplace and prime viewing of the lake from large, picturesque windows. There is also a cozy dining area and large kitchen for the preparation of the lodge’s signature gourmet cuisine.
Winterlake Lodge also houses a large wellness room, located separately from the main lodge, where wellness instructors offer daily yoga, meditation, and stretching classes. Other relaxation amenities include a hot tub on the main deck and a wood-burning sauna on site.
There are 6 guest cabins on the property, each with different bed/bedroom configurations. In the winter cabins do not have running water. Hot and cold water is replenished by lodge staff daily. All cabins have a private bathroom with a toilet. Private showers are available in the main lodge.
You can only reach Winterlake Lodge by float plane from Anchorage or Talkeetna. Flight time to the lodge from either destination is approximately 1 hour.
Lodge owner and renowned Alaskan chef, Kirsten Dixon, is a passionate culinary student, educator, and an avid gardener. Kirsten often spends time at Winterlake Lodge, the namesake of one of her award-winning cookbooks, and welcomes the opportunity to share her culinary passions with you. When she’s not personally at the lodge, one of her experienced chefs will spoil you with delicious cuisine.
In keeping with tradition, Alaska lodge cuisine is featured at Winterlake Lodge. Gourmet meals are prepared from natural and local Alaskan ingredients, often from the lodge’s own gardens, and paired with complementary wines. Special dishes may be made on request and the chefs are flexible with dietary restrictions.
If you wish to pick up a few new culinary skills of your own, the chefs offer daily cooking sessions. The evening wine tasting and cheese pairing course provides the opportunity for you to mingle with other lodge guests at the end of each exciting day.
Local guides will tailor activities specific to your abilities and interests. In the winter, from late January through late April, the lodge welcomes guests for dogsledding runs, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing through Alaska’s backcountry by day and waiting for the Aurora Borealis to make an appearance by night.
And you might want just simple relaxation and enjoying your beautiful surroundings. Winterlake Lodge offers guests yoga and stretch classes, therapeutic massage, and the soothing hot tub or sauna amenities to soothe your tired muscles.
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We had a wonderful time and we appreciate all of the arrangements you made. Everything was top notch. Great itinerary, great places, great people, great plans, great guides, great adventures, great food, great driver, the whole package. Loved it all!
Barbara Simon