Why you should bring your kids to Alaska

01 - Kid-Friendly Activities and Excursions

Kids love staying at Pybus Point Lodge, and we love having them as our guests! Many of the excursions that we offer are both fun and safe for everyone, no matter their age.

Seaplane Ride

What better way to start your trip than by having an unforgettable, authentic seaplane ride deep through the Tongass National Rainforest with your whole family. Seaplanes are Alaska’s favorite mode of transportation, and your family will be full of smiles as you fly past breaching whales and breathtaking waterfalls. To top it all off, you’ll end your flight by experiencing a smooth landing in the world-famous Pybus Bay.

Scavenger Hunt

For our younger guests, we offer an exciting nature scavenger hunt! Your kids will earn points whenever they spot one of the many incredible animals that live in the nearby area. They can also earn points by answering questions as our Activities Director teaches them interesting facts about the surrounding area. Once your children earn enough points, they can come into our gift shop and claim a prize!

Paddleboards and Kayaks

For the more experienced youth, we have paddle boards and kayaks available at our dock! If you and your kids want to go, simply check out a radio and life jacket to safely explore the nearby waters of the serene Pybus Bay.

Family-Friendly Hikes

One of the best parts of being a kid is getting your hands dirty, and we have plenty of opportunities on our exciting Alaskan rainforest adventure hikes! While hiking, your whole family will experience Alaska’s breathtaking flora and fauna, following mossy trails that wind through the towering Sitka Spruce trees that our massive Bald Eagle population call home. If you’d like to take your family on a hike, be sure to ask one of our friendly staff members to come along. Our lodge is located right in the middle of wild bear country, and our staff is here to keep you safe!

Gold Panning Presentation

Gold Panning is our newest family-friendly activity. Here, you and your family will get hands-on experience panning for genuine gold in our local Alaskan paydirt. By the end of the activity, you’ll all have your very own file of authentic gold nugget to take home! The presentation is held right on our deck, making it the perfect chance for the whole family to go prospecting without muddying your boots.

Fishing From the Dock

We also offer kid-friendly fishing right off our dock. Our local waters are visited by countless flathead flounders and spawning salmon that make fishing off our dock a delight for kids and experienced anglers alike!

After-Hour Campfire and Smores

After hours, some families love to soak in the hot tubs while others like to gather ‘round a pre-built campfire while toasting marshmallows from a premade smores kit. Either way, you’ll enjoy relaxing with your family, basking in the beautiful, painted Alaskan sunsets, and staying up late in hopes of seeing the magical Northern Lights.

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02 - Learning About the Alaska Wilderness

Make sure to sign your family up for our natural history presentation. Our Activity Director is an expert in all things wildlife and will teach you and your family everything you could want to know about Southeast Alaska!

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During the presentation, your family will learn about the exciting history of Admiralty Island. From the way of life of the indigenous Tlingit people to whaling and canning, the island has gone through many unique and interesting chapters in its life. You’ll also get to learn a little more about the local brown bears, bald eagles, humpback whales, and other plants and animals. Before every presentation, our Activity Director picks delicious, local berries and bright, citrus-flavored fruit tips. You’ll get to watch your kids' eyes light up as they discover how exciting (and tasty) nature can be.

03 - Intimate Encounters With Wildlife

A family trip to Alaska wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the abundant wildlife found in our waters. Kids love walking out of their cabins to be greeted by numerous—and sometimes vocal—bald eagles as well as crossing paths with adorable and shy black-tailed Sitka deer.

A quick boat ride north can take you to our favorite tide pools! The pools are home to some of the ocean’s most interesting species of invertebrates and crustaceans. It won’t be long on your daily boat ride adventure before you’re followed by a pod of hunting orcas or see a group of white-sided porpoises zipping by. Several sea lion colonies make their home nearby and can be seen swimming, playing, and lounging all from your boat! Along the way, we typically see curious seals and camera-shy sea otters. They might even swim up to your boat to get a better look at you!

A family-favorite activity is whale watching, and the waters near Pybus Point Lodge have one of the largest humpback whale populations in the world! Kids love to watch them jump and play in the gorgeously calm Alaskan Inner Passage waters. If you are lucky, you can see these magical creatures teaming up together to bubble net feed, an ultra-rare and life-changing experience!

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Last but not least is bear watching! Our lodge is located on Admiralty Island, which is called “Xootsnoowú” by native Tlingit people, which means “Fortress of the Bears.” There are more bears on our island than in all the other 49 states combined and 2.5 times more than the number of people here! Surprisingly, however, the local bears are quite shy and don’t like being seen by people. We can’t promise that you’ll see any brown bears on the tour, but we can promise that you’ll enjoy a beautiful evening cruise through some of Southeastern Alaska’s most beautiful waters. And if you do come across a bear, you won’t need to worry about your little ones. Our bear watching tour is done in the safety of a boat and guided by a coast guard-certified captain. They do everything they can to make sure that you are as close, and as safe, as you can be near these magnificent creatures!

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04 - Fishing

At Pybus, we enjoy defying the stereotypes that people may believe about Alaskan lodges. That’s why you won’t find any salty sailors with short tempers at our lodge.

Our captains all pride themselves on the upbeat and family-friendly atmospheres they cultivate on their boats. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert fisherman or a first-timer, our top priority will always be making sure that you have fun, relax, and catch some fish!

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We also know that for parents, a big part of being relaxed means knowing that your kids are safe and comfortable. That’s why we make sure that each and every one of our boats are prepared for any type of emergency. This means all boats are fully equipped with everything from fire extinguishers to child-sized life jackets. Our boats even include a toasty cabin heater in case the young ones get cold as well as a bathroom for those “potty emergencies!”

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You and your kids will also be outfitted with high-quality raingear from head to toe. This can come in handy on those rainy days that Southeastern Alaska is famous for. We even have you covered when it comes to snack time! Our dockhands will stock your boat each morning with a variety of kid-friendly drinks and snacks.

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05 - Budget-Friendly

We get it, planning a family vacation to Alaska can be stressful and expensive, especially if you are trying to plan as many excursions and activities as possible. The hassle of flights, luggage, boat charters, fishing gear rentals, and food prep along with the potential for unpredictable weather can be overwhelming.

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That’s why we are proud to be a lodge that offers an all-inclusive package, meaning that everything is included! From our greeting as you board a chartered float plane in Juneau to the final farewell as we help you unload your boxes of fileted fish, we have it all covered. Everything we have listed is part of our all-inclusive value, and you’ll be able to leave your stress and worry behind the moment you arrive.

Many of our guests want to know if their little ones can come visit the lodge at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, we have very little flexibility when it comes to pricing.

The U.S. Coast Guard carefully regulates the waters of Alaska, allowing only a specific number of passengers on a vessel, and they don’t differentiate between kids and adults. This means that kids legally occupy a seat on a boat even if they’re not fishing. Because of this, we charge all our guests the same price regardless of their age.

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But don’t worry, we do have a few exceptions! Depending on the time of year you’d like to visit us, the ages of your group members, and the size of your group, we may have some wiggle room.

Most of our boats are only able to hold 6 passengers, but we do have several boats that are able to accommodate 8-12, making them ideal for larger family groups. Because of the higher passenger capacity on these vessels, we’re more likely to be able to help you save for any adventurers under 5 years old, especially if you’d like to visit us in either early June or September.

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Just make sure to contact us and book early so we can take care of you the Pybus way!

Closing:

As you can see, we do everything that we can to make Pybus Point Lodge the perfect Alaskan getaway for parents and kids alike. We pride ourselves on our family-friendly atmosphere, exciting activities, and stellar crew. If you have any further questions for us about bringing your kids to the lodge, simply give us a call. We’re always happy to help you!

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