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Alaska Family Multisport

Alaska Family Multisport

"To the lover of pure wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world," wrote John Muir in 1879. Although the prospectors and traders of Muir's time have been replaced by adventurers sporting cameras and binoculars, Alaska's vibrant frontier spirit and overwhelming natural grandeur still have the power to enliven the senses. So bring your family and experience it firsthand. Marvel at the snow-clad immensity of the surrounding mountains, hike to an awe-inspiring glacier, pedal the Kenai Peninsula's wooded roads to a spectacular overlook and view marine life on Kachemak Bay. By bike, foot, boat and dog sled, Alaska with Backroads is an unforgettable family destination.

Days 1-3 Chugach National Forest

Meet in Anchorage  Bike on the rolling Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, with views of Cook Inlet and the Alaska Range Journey south to the Kenai Peninsula, a wonderland of rugged mountains, glaciers, fjords and lakes   Hike verdant trails in the Chugach National Forest  Experience the excitement of Iditarod racing in dog-powered sleds In Kenai Fjords National Park, kids explore the majesty of Exit Glacier with a Backroads leader before heading to the Sea Life Center  Adults trek to incredible Harding Icefield - the hike of a lifetime! Take to the water with expert guides on a float trip down the Kenai River and watch for moose, eagles and beavers Make your way on foot to a picturesque spot above the Russian River, where salmon jump upstream.

Days 4-6 Anchor Point

In Anchor Point State Park, pedal to a scenic viewpoint overlooking Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains and Homer, one of Alaska's most beautiful towns Travel by water taxi to Yukon Island, a haven for otters, seals and nesting birds, and spend the day paddling among its vast sheltered coves and lagoons Explore Homer's shops and lively marina Amble through fields of wildflowers on a beautiful nature trail.

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RIVERSIDE AMONG THE TREES: Deluxe Camping

Trail River Campground (3 nights): Spacious campsites set amid tall spruce trees on the shore of Lower Trail River.

Slidehole Campground (2 nights): Located just a short walk from the water, enjoy expansive views across Cook Inlet as bald eagles swoop overhead.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

On this Family Trip, our routes generally follow gentle terrain, except for the rigorous hike to Harding Icefield. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.


Routes For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Biking Average Walking Average
Level 1 2-3 hours 10-20 mile 2-5 miles
Level 2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 5-7 miles
Level 3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 7-9 miles
Level 4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 9-11 miles
Level 5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 11-13+ miles
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years

Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years

Minimum age restriction to kayak: 6 years

Minimum age restriction to raft: 5 years and 35 pounds

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping Trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

Our Alaska vacation was all that we hoped for and more! All of the leaders were friendly, courteous, professional, fun, engaging and very accommodating! They all contributed in their own unique ways to making this vacation one that my son and I will both remember for the rest of our lives. For a family trip, there was just the right amount of activity for the kids. We met many fun, interesting and friendly people, and we took home with us many wonderful memories. I am already recommending Backroads to all of my family and friends back home. We will definitely be traveling with Backroads again!
Diana P. - Georgetown, MA

It was the best vacation with my children I've ever had! The leaders were outstanding, and the camping accommodations were excellent. The overall experience exceeded my expectations.
Pat Jackson - Pasadena, CA

Wonderful. Activities were diverse, well coordinated, lots of fun, opportunities to make several activities more challenging. Sites, sounds, camping experience, food were fantastically outstanding. This trip in particular had many wonderful experiences: Biking, hiking, rafting, kayaking, more biking and more hiking (Harding Ice Field hike was awesome--it was challenging, but worth every ache and pain). Every day provided new opportunities to experience Alaska in a different way. The camping experience allows one to become immersed within the elements of nature associated with that particular micro environment. The evening campfire allowed everyone an opportunity to reflect on the day passed, and talk about how to prepare for the day ahead. The coordinated meals allow for enhanced group interactions, and as always, there was plenty of amazing food to be had.
Martin Brandt - North Wales, PA