Frequently Asked Questions

When will you be finished building the lodge and open for guests?

We will begin interior work on the lodge in 2010. It’ll take a few years for us to completely finish interior work, however, during this time, we may be able to accommodate the adventurous guest or group depending on your needs and our availability. Please contact us for more information about a possible visit. We hosted our first few adventurous groups during the fall of 2009 and received excellent feedback about their lodge stay and the level of service that we were able to provide given our rustic setting.

Who are the lodge hosts/owners and how do I get ahold of them?

Sam and Tamara Clark live year-round onsite, own and are in the process of building Yukon River Lodge. They will be your hosts and provide a wide array of services for you during your future visit, including: guiding and support services. Yukon River Lodge is designed with an ideal number of 4-6 guests at a time in mind with a max capacity of 12.



We can be reached by leaving a message on our voicemail: (206) 418-6226 or toll free (866) 756-8486, by sending us a message via our Inquiry page on this site or by US Postal Service at: Po Box 68049, Ruby AK 99768. You can also email us directly by scrolling to the bottom of this page and clicking on the “Email” link or schedule a time to speak with us over the internet via Skype, http://www.skype.com (YukonRiverLodge is our username).

Where are you located?

We are located in Interior Alaska approximately 230 air miles from Fairbanks and 15 miles upriver of the village of Ruby. The lodge is nestled at the base of Kokrines Hills where it overlooks the Yukon River and the Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge. We are a short boat ride from the Nowitna (Novi), Melozitna (Melozi) and Yuki Rivers and have access to local creeks, sloughs and trails for wilderness recreation and adventuring. We are approximately 7 miles downriver from Horner Hot Springs and 30 miles or so from Melozi Hot Springs (by winter trail). In the summer the Yukon 800 Mile Marathon boat race runs past the lodge (both directions) and in the winter the Norman Vaughan Serum Run mushing expedition and the Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race pass by as well. Every other year, on it’s northern route, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race runs through Ruby and we enjoy following the race activity and excitement from a very local and personal perspective. The Iditarod will run through Ruby again in March of 2010.

See our location on Google Maps here
Find Ruby on Google Maps here

What are the summer and winter recreational activities available at and near Yukon River Lodge?

Sink yourself into this part of the Middle Yukon River Valley ~the Heart of Alaska~ and you will find an amazing array of recreational opportunities for Interior Alaska - hiking, strolling the beach for that special rock or wild flower, birding, fishing (both rod/reel and fly) on nearby creeks, rivers and remote ponds, experiencing the expansive and amazing Yukon River and it’s tributaries from motor boat or canoe, swimming on hot days in clear water flows, recreational gold panning, learning about traditional Athabascan ways - subsistence fishing and crafts - as well as modern ways that real Alaskans live year round in the bush. Take the time to step through Fairbanks, “The gateway into the Interior”, to experience Alaska for what she really is - away from crowds, traffic noise and roads - the Alaska that few visitors and few Alaska residents ever experience. Surround yourself with the peace and relaxation of being in the wilderness, not just reading about it or looking at it from a bus or train. The summer season at the lodge begins after break-up is over, usually during the first week of June.

Winter activities at the lodge usually start just after Thanksgiving when river travel to and from Ruby begins after freeze-up and ski planes can land once again in front of or near the lodge. Snowshoeing, snow machining, cross country skiing, ice carving, walking, sitting around the campfire, watching the Northern Lights and dog mushing can all be experienced and enjoyed here at the lodge. Some activities will require long term advanced reservations and deposits to enable us to plan appropriately. Ice fishing and experiencing the Iditarod Dog Sled Race every other year when it passes through Ruby are also possible winter time activities. Future lodge plans include the addition of a wood fired outdoor hot tub to be enjoyed along with a relaxing steam in the sauna. Winter season activities end around the first week of April most years, prior to the start of break-up.

What kind of fishing is available near Yukon River Lodge?

We are in a unique situation for Interior Alaska with access to excellent Northern Pike fishing in the Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge as well as seasonal fishing for Sheefish and Arctic Grayling locally. King Salmon, Chum and Coho (Silver) Salmon also can be found in great numbers throughout the summer and fall months on this part of the Middle Yukon River Valley, however they are generally most successfully caught in this area with nets and fish wheels used for subsistence. There’s a chance, at the right time of year, that some salmon traveling to spawn up clear rivers flowing into the Yukon, such as the Melozi River, could be caught on rod and reel or fly rod. Traveling by boat on the Yukon River here you will have the unique opportunity to see fish wheels and traditional smoke houses in action - a part of Alaska’s river culture that is very much alive and well here on the Yukon River and can still be experienced here.

You can purchase a fishing license online from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game if you’re coming to Alaska to fish. It’s an easy way to prepare for your trip in advance. More information is available here: http://www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license/permit.html

How do I get to Yukon River Lodge?

A number of commercial flights leave on a daily basis from Fairbanks to Ruby from the East Ramp of the Fairbanks International Airport and from the main airport terminal (recently renovated). Roundtrip commercial airfare as of Fall 2008 ran approximately $220 per person roundtrip. From Ruby it takes approximately 30 minutes by boat (late May - end of Sept) or snowmachine (end of Nov -early April) to ride to the lodge.

Private charters for planes on floats or skis can also land directly in front of or close to the lodge. Private charters range in price depending on plane size and current cost of fuel. Charters can be arranged from air services and pilots other than those listed below and we can recommend companies, if needed, located in either Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Air Service Information to/from Fairbanks

Located at the Fairbanks International Airport East Ramp:
Warbelow’s Air Ventures, Inc, www.warbelows.com, regular daily commercial flights to/from Ruby and private charter flights available
(800) 478-0812 or (907) 474-0518
see their location on Google Maps

Wright Air Service, www.wrightair.net, private charter and mail flights to/from Ruby available
(907) 474-0502 or in AK (800) 478-0502
see their location on Google Maps

Located at the Fairbanks International Airport Main Terminal:
Frontier Alaska, www.frontierak.com, regular daily commercial flights to/from Ruby
(800) 478-6779 or (907) 450-7200
see their location on Google Maps

Do you have recommendations to help make my trip to Alaska affordable and cost effective?

During challenging economic times we are all looking for ways to budget our vacations. We have a few tried and true strategies to help make travel to Alaska more affordable and are continually on the lookout for more.

We recommend the Alaska Airlines Visa card to build up air miles on Alaska Airlines and be able to enjoy a variety of benefits including a $50 round trip companion ticket each year (full fare ticket needs to be purchased by the card holder but the purchaser does not need to be one of the travelers) and frequent flier tickets on Alaska Airlines (frequent flier tickets can be arranged for someone other than the person with the main frequent flier account). Additional information about Alaska Airlines Credit Cards can be obtained at the Bank of America website

To learn more about earning additional air miles for everything from buying your mom Valentine’s flowers to grocery shopping and hotel stays visit the Alaska Airlines website

Additional travel discounts are available from a variety of sources, including the following:

Memberships like the Federation of American Consumers and Travelers (FACT), AAA and various Associations, like Alumni Associations all offer savings with hotels and car rentals companies.

Discount Alaska Wilderness & Ecotourism Trips listed with the Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association (we are members of AWRTA as well).
*Remember that visiting an Alaska Wilderness Lodge is often an all inclusive experience so the price of your trip can actually be less overall when compared with staying in hotels and paying for meals, transportation and activities separately. Wilderness lodges with sustainable goals also help to support unique rural Alaska communities which are struggling to survive in this day and age. Your support of lodges helps to make the “real Alaska” communities sustainable.

For the road trip portion of your stay in Alaska consider camping at one of our state or national parks, staying with a Bed & Breakfast Association Member or in a hostel.

And, finally, if you’re driving in Alaska don’t forget to get a Safeway and Fred Meyer Rewards Card (it’s free and available at their Customer Service counters) to use at their gas stations and get a significant discount on the cost of fuel. If you have a Sam’s Club Membership, the Sam’s Club gas station usually has a competitive price as well.

Do you recommend Travel Insurance when traveling to wilderness lodges in Alaska?

Yes, we recommend purchasing travel insurance as part of your secure Alaska wilderness travel experience. Travel can mean encountering the unexpected; ranging from the inconvenient to a truly serious emergency. Travel protection plans offer comprehensive benefits to meet the challenges of travel and help you enjoy a worry-free trip.

To learn more about Travel Insurance Options and get a free quote for your Alaska vacation go to: http://www.insuremytrip.com/quote/index.html