Host:Bill Royce

When: Year round.

Length of visit: up to visitor

Number of guests: Number that will feel comfortable in the lodge

Fee:$250 per person per day with a two day minimum stay. Included is:

• Private cabin (double occupancy)
• Three healthful delicious meals each day
• Old Town canoes and kayaks to explore dozens of nearby lakes
• Guided canoe trips
• Guided hikes

Additional cost exploration options easily arranged by Birch Pond Lodge include:

• A flightseeing trip to Denali, including a glacier landing if you wish
• Guided salmon, trout, or pike fishing in the Susitna drainage
• Guided dog sled rides in winter
• If you have a special interest just let us know and we will do our best to help you discover your personal Alaska.

Deposit of 50% required. Full payment is required 30 days prior to your arrival. We will refund your entire deposit if we are able to fully re-book your accommodations (less a $50.00 fee for re-booking). Other rules apply.

ORIENTATION:
Birch Pond Lodge is located in the heart of the Susitna River Valley in a huge paper birch and spruce forest wilderness dotted with spring fed lakes to the horizon.  Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the Alaska Range fill the horizon 100 miles to the north, clearly visible from our property.  The Talkeetna Mountains rise to 6000 feet just 20 miles away.  At the lodge we have 100 acres of forested property and four pristine spring fed lakes.  A 22,000 acre Alaska State Park, our neighbor to the south, counts 130 lakes and ponds.

We provide canoes and kayaks for those who wish to explore any of the lakes. The Lodge is a perfect starting point for hiking, berry picking, and catch-and-release trout fishing as well. Birch Pond Lodge is located near the base of the Talkeetna Mountains. If you want to hike alpine ridges covered with acres of wildflowers, visit gold mining country, and take in vistas that stretch for hundreds of miles, let us show you this little explored mountain wilderness. A short 25 mile Jeep ride will get us high up above the brush line. From there, the hiking and exploration are limited only by your time and your energy. ;

ABOUT BIRCH POND LODGE:
Birch Pond Lodge offers two unique, individually designed, ecologically sensitive, hand crafted cabins and a huge second floor suite in the main lodge. The main Lodge is just a short walk from your private cabin. You are welcome to relax, browse through our library, and enjoy meeting your fellow guests here. The great room has comfortable furnishings and large decks on its east and south sides make for pleasant times outdoors.

MEALS:
You will savor hearty and healthy meals in the main lodge. We enjoy good food and think it will show! We look for the best, freshest foods available and plan a menu accordingly.

Our breakfasts include sourdough-beer pancakes, Belgian waffles, gourmet frittatas, "camp" hash brown potatos, fresh breads, fruits, and juices. We will bring a "light" breakfast of breads, fruit, juice, yogurt, and hot coffee or tea to your cabin if you want to have a relaxed morning with no time constraints.

Lunches tend toward a hearty soup, a salad and sandwiches, and Birch Pond Lodge's soon-to-be-famous Chocolate Chip cookies. Our box lunches for guests who will be out enjoying nature all day are gourmet quality.

We serve hor d'ourves prior to dinner in the main lodge, where you are welcome to relax with a glass of wine. Typical dinner menus include fresh wild Alaska salmon, Matanuska Valley produce, and hand-made ice cream. We will accomodate special preferences, just let us know.

ACCESS:
Birch Pond Lodge is easily accessible just an hour and half (driving time) north of Anchorage. We are adjacent to Nancy Lake State Park--five miles west of the Parks Highway at mile 67.5 (the Nancy Lake Parkway). There are several options to get to Birch Pond Lodge.

• Driving: We will provide you with a map and detailed driving directions when you make reservations. Allow one and one half hours driving time north from Anchorage.
• Motorcoach: Daily motorcoach service is available from Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Denali National Park. We can make arrangements for you if you wish. Cost is approximately $40 each way to or from Anchorage.
• Float Plane: Fly from Lake Hood in Anchorage directly to Birch Pond Lodge. This 30 minute flight (approximately) takes you over hundreds of streams, lakes, and rivers, giving you a bird's eye view of some of the country you will be exploring at the lodge. Additional flightseeing options abound and vary with time and distance.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES:
Hike high open tundra ridges deep in the Talkeetna mountains. We lead hikes to clear mountain lakes and old mining claims. You can watch weather develop a hundred miles away from these ridges -- and not see a single soul beyond our small group. Paddle and portage through a natural wilderness of lakes and forest. Birch Pond Lodge shares a boundary with Nancy Lakes State Park, a 22,000 acre jewel with over 130 lakes and ponds.

WINTER ACTIVITIES:
We have cross country ski trails groomed for classic and skate skiers. Our ski trails connect to 15 kilometers of trail groomed for classic skiers in the Alaska State Park next door. Snowshoeing is a great way to access and explore places you never find in summer, and you will find the tracks of every animal you share this place with. Take along a tracking book from the lodge library and identify your neighbors. We clear one end of Birch Pond for ice skating and keep a warming fire going and hot drinks flowing. And, if the magic is in the air (or the right solar particles) you will be in for a wonderful treat as you sit back on a foam pad in the snow and marvel at the Northern Lights. Birch Pond Lodge can also arrange sled dog rides with experienced dog mushers who live and train in the Willow area. There are hundreds of miles of trails to explore -- and seeing the forest and lakes quietly glide by from your dog sled is an unforgettable experience. Naturally, we will send along a delicious hot snack from the lodge kitchen. You may find that the best activity for you is simply curling up with a good book as you enjoy a postcard view of a winter scene from the warmth of your cabin. At Birch Pond Lodge we have no set activities -- only a beautiful setting which encourages enjoyment of nature at your own pace.