Johnstone Adventure Lodge - Seward, Alaska

Suzanne Meller

My husband and I stayed four nights at the one-of-a-kind Johnstone Bay Lodge for our honeymoon. It was a luxurious, private wilderness experience unlike anything we’ve ever had. The remoteness of the lodge made it feel like the pristine turquoise lake and 2 glaciers were ours alone to explore. The lodge is so new and the terrain so vast (and ever changing) that it felt like we were the first humans to step foot in some areas. We were treated to delicious meals, craftsman chalets including amazing showers, and great hiking and exploring each day. The owners are wonderful people and we appreciated their hospitality. We enjoyed kayaking, hiking to waterfalls and glaciers, and strolling on the sublime beach. We had a great personal guide named Joe for each adventure, which made the wilderness feel safer. One night they built us a beach bonfire, and we watched the sun set while we ate halibut ravioli. Johnstone Bay is an incredible wilderness experience with luxury accommodations, and we’ll surely be returning.

abc400

We arrived via float plane with Sky Dance aviation - a stunning flight from Anchorage with an excellent pilot, and were greeted by Jordan, Jamie and the family. Form the start we were made to feel at home||The cabins are beautifully furnished and equiped. The meals are wonderful and tasty - Jamie is a great cook - ask for the cherry baked oatmeal for breakfast at least once||We spent a few days with Joe acting as our main guide - boat trip to the glaciers, hiking, walks on the beach. A real chance to get away from everything and everyone to see the real Alaska

Linda Jones

Johnstone Adventure Lodge was a truly amazing place to stay! Our adventure began with a helicopter ride over beautiful mountains, glaciers, and glacial lakes. Just a short hike from the ocean beach where we landed was our private log cabin. The cabin was very comfortable, warm, and clean, with a kitchen area, living area, full bath, and a queen-sized bed. Jordan and Jamie were wonderful hosts, making sure our needs were met. Jamie brought delicious homemade meals to our cabin every day. She also packed lunches for us when we were out exploring. She even packed us a lunch the morning we left. Activities were tailored to our wishes, leaving time to explore on our own. We would highly recommend Johnstone Adventure Lodge for a wonderful unique wilderness experience with fantastic hosts!

Jennifer P

I could not be more pleased with our experience at Johnstone Bay Lodge. Upon arrival we were greeted by Jordan and Jamie and they made us feel comfortable and so excited for the adventures ahead. They are both super knowledgeable about the area and their dedication to the land and the lodge is truly incredible. Expect to be blown away by the beauty in nature here! Our boat tour was magnificent with excellent food prepared by the lodge staff. It’s BYOB so we prepared ahead of time and brought along our favorite wine to celebrate 🙂 We treasured every moment at Johnstone Bay! Thank you so much Jamie, Jordan and crew we will be back!

Catherine S

Of all the vacations I have ever been on, this one ranks among the best. Jaime and Jordan made the entire stay so personalized, customizing every memory. We hiked several different terrains and enjoyed easy access to the ocean and teal glacier lake. The food was phenomenal. Jaime seems to have a gift for vegan/ vegetarian cuisine, so if this is your thing, you won't be disappointed. Jordan was so knowledgeable of the surrounding area and was able to provide adventures that would create lifetime memories. Everyone will have a great time. If you are looking to step away from busy life and hide away in nature, this is your retreat. We will be going back!

Peter Waser

Johnstone Bay is a superb location, especially for those who like solitude and natural history! We experienced both rain and shine and both were spectacular. The helicopter rides in and out were just plain astonishing. Once there, it’s a little Eden -- the 2-mile-long cobble beach, the trail to the lake, and the shorter “nature trail” are magical places to walk. The forest is beautiful, and there’s an astonishing array of mosses, lichens and ferns disturbed only by bear trails; seals are common and curious (though better left undisturbed) and on the helicopter flights we also saw otters and whales! Plenty of seabirds (lots of kittiwakes, cormorants, murrelets, even puffins). Jamie and Jordan are congenial, flexible and helpful hosts (and son Roan is a bonus!); The two cabins are beautiful (and the showers are excellent). Jamie’s meals are delicious. Joe is a highly personable guide, his Zodiac tours of the lake were superb and a real high point for us was hiking to the spectacular waterfall, where a dipper flew in out of the blue to forage in the rapids, as if on command, when I asked Joe if he’d seen one there.
Be aware that the weather requires flexibility, we were unable to fly out for the first day of our visit and could not take the floatplane back to Anchorage as initially planned. We’d recommend building an extra day into your plans in case the weather prevents Marathon helicopters (or a floatplane) from flying. Jamie and Jordan were super helpful in arranging an unanticipated night in a Seward motel for us, and in getting us train tickets back to Anchorage when we couldn’t fly there directly -- but they can’t do anything about the weather.

Pat H

Wow!

I don't really know where to begin. My girlfriend and I stayed at Johnstone for 3 nights last week. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!

To start, I have never experienced a trip like this in my life. We arrived last Tuesday after taking a helicopter ride from Seward Airport. This was a very relaxed process and we simply showed up 15-20 minutes before our flight and the workers were so friendly. From there, Mike the pilot who was also very friendly took us to Johnstone. The flight is something I cant comment on. You simply just need to experience to understand how beautiful the ride is. Words wouldn't do it justice. There is no better way to show up to your vacation than this!

The property speaks for itself. Similar to the views from the helicopter, I cannot even begin to describe the views that are everywhere you look. To put simply - these will be some of the best views and photo opportunities of your entire lifetime.

Johnstone wouldn't be the same without the hosts. When we stayed, they also had a guide named Joe helping out (Who was also awesome!). Jamie and Jordan do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable and AT HOME. All 3 meals were provided (breakfast, lunch, dinner). However, I would recommend bringing some snacks if you like munching throughout the day like we do. They did provide snacks IMMEDIATELY upon request but I would still recommend bringing some if you prefer.

As far as things to do, everything is right there for you. A list of activities that we did include:
4 wheeling
Hiking
Waterfall chasing!
Glacier viewing (also different hikes for different views of the glacier)
Boat trip on your own personal bay/glacier
Paddle boarding
Animals! (Seals, eagles, etc)
Night time fires on the beach (my personal favorite)

That is just a brief list off the top of my head

To summarize, I really wish there was a way I could do justice and interpret this experience into words. Unfortunately, there is really just no way. I would 1000% recommend this trip to anyone who loves adventures and physical activity. I am already thinking about gifting this trip to my sister for her wedding!

Thank you again for everything!

marcia bettger

What can I say about this amazing accommodation? It is not just an accommodation: this is a real Alaskan remote experience. As you land with the helicopter, you are on a pebbled bay facing the Gulf of Alaska. The beautiful lodges are nestled in an unbelievable moss covered forest. The guide Jordan took us out on a huge glacial lake, where we saw blue glacial waters, curious seals, and amazing glaciers. More importantly, you experience a peaceful remoteness. I felt refreshed and recharged when I left. The coffee is wonderful and I had a delicious halibut meal with fresh veggies. I will always remember my experience at Johnstone Bay!