Avens Alaska

Location & Environment: The lodge is situated in the remote, scenic Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, near Jack Lake, Twin Lakes, and the Nabesna Road, offering access to hiking trails, cross-country skiing, canoeing, and wildlife viewing.

Avens Alaska is a gem of a family-owned lodge in a remote area of Wrangell St. Elias NP. It is an off-grid location with a lodge for dining complete with a bar, and various types of lodging accommodations from Yurts to cabins with different levels of amenities. Ours (The Alaskan) included an indoor private bathroom. The wash house is a nice building with two separate bathrooms with showers for accommodations without indoor plumbing. There are lakes close to the cabins within easy walking distance. The beautiful property is conveniently located on Nabesna Road with lots of hiking options. The views of the mountains are amazing. Unfortunately, the Northern Lights were not active while we were there. The cabin we rented was clean and beautiful. The owner personally showed us through the cabin and explained how the pellet heater and appliances worked. There were two queen beds (one in the loft). The bed was comfortable and the plentiful blankets were warm. There is also a kitchen for preparing food. We did not use a hair dryer or curling iron as the wattage usage is very high when power is provided off-grid. The food was amazing! We bought the food package since there are no nearby convenience stores, restaurants, or grocery stores. The owners grow much of the food onsite and source locally. The culinary creations were fabulous with chef level presentation. The homemade desserts were marvelous. Even the boxed lunches were sensational. Their son was our waiter and he did a splendid job. Michael and Victoria were wonderful hosts! We would stay there again.

We stayed two nights in mid-August in the Ursa Major yurt. It’s only a year or two old and is more spacious than most other lodging. Very clean. Plenty warm with the wood pellet heater. The yurt has a small kitchen with everything that you’d need, but we purchased the meal service and we highly recommend it. The food was excellent restaurant quality — fresh, well-prepared and varied. Beer and wine available too. Michael was a very friendly host and knowledgeable about the area. Overall, a great place to get away from the crowds and enjoy wild Alaska. Although I thought that the road in was passable to the lodge at mile 28 without four wheel drive, you really should have high clearance and four wheel drive to go further south into the park and to access the primary day hikes. The road deteriorates quite a bit after the lodge.