Entire cabin

Private Wooded Acres at Fort Alaska - Sleeps 10 comfortably expandable to18

Private Wooded Acres at Fort Alaska - Sleeps 10 comfortably expandable to18

Photo gallery for Private Wooded Acres at Fort Alaska - Sleeps 10 comfortably expandable to18

Welcome to Fort Alaska. This is the creek-side view of our home away from home.
Exterior
Here you can view the creek straight from the living room.
Front view of Fort Alaska.
Meadows Creek next to property with observation deck. Late Fall and first snow!

Overview of Private Wooded Acres at Fort Alaska - Sleeps 10 comfortably expandable to18

Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10139 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Hot tubHot tubHot tub
  • Free WiFiFree WiFiFree WiFi
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill

Check out the area

Map
Big Lake, AK
  • Popular LocationBig Lake South State Recreation Site4 min drive
  • Popular LocationBig Lake North State Recreation Area5 min drive
  • Popular LocationSettlers Bay Golf Course22 min drive
  • AirportAnchorage, AK (MRI-Merrill Field)57 min drive

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Bunk Room

Downstairs Queen

Upstairs King

2 bathrooms

Lower bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo

Upper Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Dining Area

About this property

Private Wooded Acres at Fort Alaska - Sleeps 10 comfortably expandable to18

The property was originally built as the "Big Lake Fish Hatchery".
Today some of the historic hatchery still remains but the property has been upgraded to include comfortable natural gas central heating to keep you warm year round and designed to be business traveler friendly with independent Wifi.

The Fort has its own Beaver/Moose Hiking trail.
This trail leads to the "Beavers' playground" and splits off to "Moose Club", a perfect gathering point of moose on Alaska State Lands. Come for a quiet stroll and listen to nature for once.

With close access to the Big Lake recreation area, the property offers a quiet wooded escape with a wrap around deck overlooking Meadows Creek, one of Alaska's anadromous salmon bearing streams.

Being on Meadows creek, "Fort Alaska" is a natural home to moose, river otter, trout, and salmon. Fish and kayak Meadows Creek within 100 feet of the unit. Situated on a private 10 acre parcel bordered by state owned 400 acre undeveloped forest.
Now known as "Fort Alaska", the property offers the wild feel of Alaska yet is in close proximity to Big Lake and Wasilla. The paved road offers year-round access to Alaskan adventure but being a private 10 acre compound you have your own space to enjoy. Our quote includes a fee for kayaks, bikes and a small freezer for the storage of your fish.

With modern comforts and upgrades completed this single unit can be expanded and opened up to be a large double unit. To reserve this as a double unit to sleep up to 18 people please send an inquiry. Fort Alaska provides a nice location to relax and call your outpost to adventure. In Summer of 2023 the second unit can be rented to allow larger parties to stay together, however, it is NEVER rented to separate parties at the same time. We are currently working on our fitness center and Fort Alaska gym will be available to add into your stay. We will be posting pictures as soon as it is completed.

Property manager

Jeff & Carrie Maichel
Premier Host
Premier Host

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Water view

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 26
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
That means no smoking ANYWHERE on property
Please use cutting boards provided - do not use kn
No Smoking on property!

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock

We should mention

A car is recommended for transportation to and from this property

About the area

Big Lake

Located in Big Lake, this cabin is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Settlers Bay Golf Course and Iditarod Trail Headquarters are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Big Lake South State Recreation Site and Lucile Lake. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Big Lake, AK

What's nearby

  • Big Lake South State Recreation Site - 4 min drive
  • Big Lake North State Recreation Area - 5 min drive
  • Settlers Bay Golf Course - 22 min drive
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - 60 min drive
  • Port of Anchorage - 66 min drive

Getting around

  • Wasilla Alaska Railroad Depot - 19 min drive
  • Anchorage, AK (MRI-Merrill Field) - 62 min drive

Restaurants

  • Floaters - 3 min drive
  • Lumberyard Deli - 6 min drive
  • Big Lake Family Restaurant - 3 min drive
  • Aardvark Catering and Pizza Thyme - 3 min drive
  • Houston Lodge & Liquor - 12 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 22 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 22 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 22 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 22 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 22 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kerry M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely stay
The house is simply beautiful on the inside. The floors and furniture were a lovely dark wood and the artwork was really pretty. The house is well stocked and very comfortable. There was even a firepit that was all set up with plenty of wood, though it did rain the entire time we were there so we couldn't take advantage of it. The creek is very close and it had many salmon when we stayed in mid-August. The location was great, about an hour from Anchorage, three hours from Denali and 30-40 minutes from a couple of other places we visited. There were also several little towns nearby where we found plenty of restaurants. The owner was responsive and even stopped by to make sure that our stay was going smoothly and that we didn't need anything. She also cared enough to make sure we had contingency plans when she realized that my sister was returning to Florida while a hurricane was hitting the state. One downside was that the road was nearby when outside by the creek and so traffic noise was frequent and louder than we'd have liked. That was a minor issue compared to the positive aspects of the property.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellent
Top-notch facilities and care. We were able to kayak in Meadows Creek and take full advantage of the centralized location to all that is Alaska.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brittni K., Worcester, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
2nd Time Staying here
This was the second time that we stayed at this property! It is just as beautiful as last time, right on the river! Defiantly rent their kayaks and do on the river!!! Will book again next time we visit!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Stephen S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
My oh my!!
Fort Alaksa was an amazing place to stay and far exceeded our expectations. Space and accommodations. The Fort slept our family of four adults and two children very comfortably. We even had room for more! From pizza pans, games, and bug spray, the Fort really does have it all Location. For us, the location could not have been better. We were there to visit family in Palmer, but also ventured out to Anchorage and other surrounding areas. The property Fort Alaksa is located on is beautiful and secluded. And did I mention the Fort has it all! Bikes, balls, kayaks, fire pit, lots of outdoor seating! Easy access to the creek made kayak launching simple and so fun. We saw what we thought were beavers, but after some googling, we learned they were muskrats. The hosts are really good people. It's obvious they want your stay to be comfortable, enjoyable and memorable. They were available and easy to communicate with when needed. They really did go above and beyond!! We would definitely stay here again and highly recommend as THE place you must stay!!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carter W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing Area
We had so much fun hanging around the property and exploring. The place was plenty clean and spacious for our group!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

About the host

Hosted by Jeff & Carrie Maichel

Host profile image
Jeff Maichel has owned the Fort for 15 years. Semi retired from the pipeline industry Jeff still has a pipeline company that operates and a tool building company in Oklahoma City.
He has spent much time in Alaska and with properties in Ketchikan and Big Lake.
In Jeff's younger years he King Crab fished out of Kodiak and spent time in the gold fields near Denali. The years have settled him down a bit with his wife and partner of 38 years Carrie who manages the details of the Fort. Come visit our beautiful retreat.

Why they chose this property

You can escape from the world at our Fort, but since the owners of this property are business people reliable communication and being able to run a business from the property is a priority. Advanced internet has been installed and is available throughout the whole property.
The property consists of 10 private acres with lots of room to relax and explore.
During the Summer watch the wildlife and salmon and during the winter many winter sports and activities are near by.
The property was once home to the Big Lake Fish Hatchery with some of the history remaining.
The property was designed after the owner has spent 25 years on the road at various locations around America. The design offers clean and tasteful accommodations in classy comfort with a semi remote location where you can relax or work if you have to!

What makes this property unique

The Property is on a natural salmon bearing stream and with a private entrance to this natural compound we call "Fort Alaska". It is close to activities yet offers private 10 acres of isolated security.
The property has natural gas central heating for easy temperature control.
Easy access to Big Lake but without the loudness of the lake during the summer months. Downtown Wasilla is 25 minutes away but the Fort is remote enough to still feel like Alaska.

Premier Host

Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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