Glacial Lake Inflatable Kayak Tour

Not worth it. Read the Liability Waiver Form

Owner canceled our trip after we already paid. Her reason was because she wasnt happy that I didn't initial the portion that pretty much says I will be financially responsible to them even if I get injured because of their own fault. Mind you, I signed the entire agreement, but didn't initial that portion. I felt that I got baited to sign up. The liability info should have been discussed before taking our money. We left Kennicott and traded a tour of the mine in exchange for the kayak adventure (out of courtesy) since the manager called me while we were already heading to the mines. When we were about to start the kayak, we signed the waiver forms but owner was forcing us to initial the provision on the Liability Waiver Form that pretty much says they dont need to call 911 on you if you end up drowning, dead or if you get lost... you can die in the river and they couldn't care less if you end up dead, and if you end up needing to go to Court to contest their screwed up paperwork you will pay them. I placed this review in a different platform, and instead of properly addressing a legitimate issue, owner attacked my person. Just to reiterate: 1. The Liability Waiver Form is NOT standard at all. I have traveled all over the US and in many countries. I have not seen such absurd provisions. Calling 911 isn't just about getting medical assistance. It is also for proper documentation. In Alaska, GROSS NEGLIGENCE is non-waivable but this company wants people to hand over their lives and your money without any accountability on their part. 2. To the owner, you could have simply addressed my concerns in person instead of shunning us after you took our money and time. I am glad that you made a statement about your screwed up Liability Waiver Form so people can now expect that you will maintain emergency protocols and having a trained rescue team/staff to ensure their safety. 3. Nowhere in your marketing representations or documents did you state that your staff is trained to do EMS, etc., not even when we spoke with each other. Rather, your own documentations state that you will let people die in your company if things do not end up well. I If people are paying you $$$$, it is a reasonable expectation from customers that you would give them a little courtesy of making sure they will be okay in your company and you are not going to screw them over. All your 5 star reviews are worth nothing if any one ends up dead and you can walk away from it! Obviously, you only care about your 5 star reviews and taking people's money than fixing serious problems on how you do your business. Good luck! Warning to Travelers: No adventure trip is worth doing if the people who are facilitating it will let you die on their watch and laugh at your mourning family after you end up dead in their company.

Response from the operator: We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, though we’re disappointed to see a public review so misaligned with the actual events. Especially from someone who ultimately did not participate in a trip with us. At McCarthy River Tours, we take guest experience, professionalism, and safety extremely seriously. We also believe in transparency, so allow us to offer some context for future travelers. Your trip was a customized experience, arranged outside of our standard operations. Despite your same-day, last-minute request, we made every effort to accommodate you by launching a private kayak trip hours after our advertised departure times. Our guide even provided a complimentary shuttle pick-up, ensuring easy access to our office. These are accommodations we rarely offer, but we did so in the spirit of hospitality. However, participation in any of our trips —like every reputable outfitter in the U.S.— requires a fully completed Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement. This is not unique to us, it's a standard legal requirement, recommended by our insurance provider and legal counsel to protect both our guests and our company in wilderness environments. Your trip was not canceled because you asked questions. It was canceled because you refused to complete a required portion of the agreement, specifically leaving out your initials on a section acknowledging personal responsibility. Without that, we cannot legally allow participation, no matter how far along in the process a guest might be. Some of the accusations you’ve made —particularly around “letting guests die” and “laughing at mourning families”— are not only inaccurate, but offensive to the professionals who dedicate themselves to protecting and guiding our guests through challenging and often unpredictable wilderness terrain. Our waiver explicitly states the opposite. In fact, Clause 5 of the agreement reads: “I hereby provide my consent for MRTO to administer emergency medical treatment to me, including first aid, CPR, or AED, as may be deemed necessary by MRTO or its agents as a result of my participation. I additionally agree that MRTO may seek any reasonably available emergency medical transportation for me, which may include evacuation by helicopter to a medical facility.” This clause and our broader medical protocols reflect the reality of working in remote Alaska, where emergency resources require pre-planning, training, and consent. That’s why all of our guides hold: *Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification *CPR & AED training *Swiftwater Rescue Certification *And participate in ongoing safety refreshers and annual drills. We are also the only rafting company in the region to provide all guests with drysuits, helmets, and Type V high-float life jackets, not because we have to, but because it’s the right thing to do. Your suggestion that our waiver "is not standard" ignores the reality of outdoor adventure tourism. We invite any traveler to compare our policy to the industry norm. What’s not standard is organizing a fully private, custom tour for two guests on short notice, something we did for you at no additional charge. Finally, for those reading, this is our first 1-star review out of more than 280+ TripAdvisor reviews, and it comes from someone who never actually went on a trip with us. We also refunded the full cost of your trip, despite our cancellation policy not requiring it in this situation. We sincerely hope you find future adventures that align better with your expectations. Meanwhile, we’ll continue doing what we’ve done since 2010-deliver safe, high-quality, personalized adventures in one of the most remote and awe-inspiring places in North America.

via Tripadvisor

Great time kayaking!

The tour was customized for us. John, our guide, was very helpful in helping us get into our dry suits and explaining what to expect on the short hike to the lake we were Kayaking on. Not only was he exceptionally knowledgeable about the history of McCarthy and the mountains and glaciers we were seeing, but had lots of information of the geology of the area. He told us about local plants. John is very skilled, patient and kind. We loved every minute of our Four hour adventure!

via Tripadvisor

Wow! Iceberg Jumping!

A group of friends and I went on the Glacial Lake Inflatable Kayak Tour and wow, what an amazing day of adventure! The scenery was breath taking, our guide was friendly and professional and even the weather cooperated with us. After a lovely paddle back to an ice wall we stopped for some lunch and a chance to take in our surroundings. Then it was off to find an iceberg to jump off! Yes, an iceberg to jump off! That was definitely the highlight of the day. Each of us took our turn plunging into the glacier lake and swimming back to the iceberg edge. Exhilarating to say the least. We have lived in Alaska for 6 year years now and have done lots of adventures, but this experience is at the top of our list. Even our friend who are lifelong Alaskans agreed it was one of the best adventures they've had. And if that was not enough on the return paddle back we hit a couple awesome rapids that also thrilled us! I would highly recommend trying this or another trip offered by McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters. Safety and professionalism come first, but adventure definitely comes second!

via Tripadvisor

Awesome half-day river adventure

We were not sure what our weekend getaway would look like due to COVID but McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters provided an unbelievably fun experience! Health was always considered, as we prepared and got out on the lake. Our guides Sam and Johnny were a blast to hang out with, and made sure we felt safe throughout our trip— especially as we navigated our own inexperience on kayaks. Such a great time. I’d definitely book with them again!

via Tripadvisor

Johnny is awesome!

Thank you to Johnny at McCarthy River Outfitters for a great trip from start to finish! Our family had a wonderful time kayaking on Kennicott Glacier Lake and learned a lot about the McCarthy area. Johnny was professional, knowledgeable, safety-minded, energetic, and super fun to hang out with for four hours! We highly recommend McCarthy River Outfitters. Thanks and let us know when you get those t-shirts in stock.

Response from the operator: Hi Kelly, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We enjoyed meeting you and your family while getting out on a covid safe experience. We appreciate you supporting small, Alaska owned business' during what is definitely our hardest summer of operation due to the pandemic. I hope the rest of your trip went well and we will see you again in the Wrangell Mountains!

via Tripadvisor