Travel and Logistics
Flight Information
Please read this page carefully because our charter flight provider changed in 2023.Commercial flight: Most major airlines fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Check with your travel agent, online travel site, or airlines for schedules and pricing. It is your responsibility to book your flight into Anchorage.
Charter flight new location: Your charter flight to the Copper River Lodge now flies out from Merrill Field with Lake and Peninsula Airlines (LPA). Please go to this address to check-in for your charter flight:
Lake and Peninsula Airlines
1740 E 5th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 764-2667
1740 E 5th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 764-2667
LPA is located across from Peggy's Diner. If you are traveling from out of state, you will land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and need to get a cab or Uber from there to Merrill Airfield where LPA is located. The ride typically takes about 30 minutes so please budget this into your schedule.
Charter flight cost: The roundtrip flight cost is $630 per person which includes 50 pounds of free and guaranteed freight per person. Bags over 50 pounds will be charged $1.18 per extra pound. Payment is due when you check-in at the LPA terminal. LPA accepts credit cards, cash, and business checks.
How to confirm your charter flight: Call (907) 764-2667 or email lakeandpenair@gmail.com
Deadline to confirm your charter flight: Please confirm your charter flight before May 31, 2023 otherwise LPA will release your reserved seats. Although these spots are temporarily reserved, it is the client’s responsibility to confirm your flight with LPA.
Charter flight schedule: You will depart with LPA from Anchorage at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Please book your commercial flight to Anchorage arriving no later than 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. We recommend flying into Anchorage the night before, but there are many flights that arrive in the morning before this departure. Your return charter flight departs Iliamna at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The approximate arrival time in Anchorage is 7:15-7:30 p.m. LPA will call all passengers the day before to confirm travel and check-in times as well. Please give yourself at least a two hour cushion to get to/from the LPA terminal and your commercial departing/arriving flight. Check-in for your charter flight is a minimum of one hour before scheduled departure time. If you are traveling out of Alaska on the evening of your return charter flight, please note that departures from Iliamna can change 15-30 minutes earlier to later due to weather. It is not recommended to book a flight to the lower 48 until after 9 p.m. that evening (10 p.m. for international flights).
LPA contact for last minute charter flight changes: If your trip is cancelled or flights are delayed, please call LPA at (907) 345-2228 immediately.
| Travel Letter from Lake and Peninsula Airlines Check-in for your flight is at minimum an hour before scheduled departure time. In case you are traveling out of Alaska on the evening of your return flight, please bear in mind that departures from Iliamna can fluctuate 15-30 min earlier or later due to weather and it is not recommended to book a flight to the lower 48 until after 9pm that evening. A roundtrip between Anchorage and Iliamna will cost $630 per person, which includes 50 pounds of free and guaranteed freight per person. You are welcome to bring more than 50 pounds, but any additional freight will be billed at $1.18 per pound and fly “space-available” – this means your extra poundage is not guaranteed to fly with you but might be placed on the next flight as space becomes available. We do our best to accommodate guests with float plane connections and only fly extra weight on our next flight if your flight is completely at capacity and would otherwise be unable to take off. We suggest compact luggage, with soft shells, which fit easier into the cargo areas of our planes. One exception - we do recommend hard shell cases for any groups bringing a considerable amount of photography gear. LPA is not responsible for any damaged freight due to inadequate packaging and/or protection during transit. If you are traveling with any firearms, we also request soft cases for storage. You are welcome to leave a hard case in our freight shed until you return to Anchorage if needed. If you are bringing your own coolers for fish, please keep the dimensions such that the cooler has a capacity of 48 quarts or less, or you will not be guaranteed that it travels on the same flight as yourself. If, by chance, you are traveling with hazardous materials (bear spray, propane or fuel) you are required to indicate the quantity and type of such before your flight, that way we can fill out necessary paperwork. Some hazmat may be cargo-only and will not be able to fly with you on the plane. If you are planning on using our services to send luggage or freight ahead of yourself to your lodge, our office in Iliamna must be notified - this is due to limited storage space both in the Iliamna office and the subsequent lodges we serve. Please call us at 907-571-2228 to ensure we will be able to receive your freight ahead of you. Our Anchorage office is located at 1740 E 5th Ave, right across from Peggy's Diner. If you are traveling in from out of state, you will land at Ted Stevens International and need to get a cab or Uber from there to Merrill Airfield where our office is located. The ride typically takes about 30 minutes, so please budget this into your schedule. Please give us a call ahead of time if you plan to use our parking, as the parking in our lot is very limited and depending on the space available may require payment. We don't accommodate larger than compact vehicles. Flights take between 1 to 2 hours one way depending on routing and tailwinds/headwinds. Times are subject to change; LPA will call the day before to reconfirm check in time. If weather causes us to have to cancel your flight, we will reschedule you on the next available flight with no change fee. Also, if your travel plans change after you book with us, you can call or email us and we will reschedule your flight with no fees, as long as you give us 36-hr notice. All credit card refunds are subject to a 10% fee. |
Hotel Information
We suggest you arrive in Anchorage the Saturday before your week. There are many hotels in Anchorage and some of them provide courtesy transportation to and from the Anchorage International Airport. The most popular among our guests include: | Best Western Barratt Inn 4616 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99517 907.243. 3131 Hotel Captain Cook Forth and K Anchorage, AK 99517 907.276.6000 Sheraton Anchorage Hotel 401 East Sixth Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 907.276.8700 |
Lakeshore Inn & Suites 3009 Lakeshore Drive Anchorage, AK 99517 907.248.3485 Anchorage Marriott 820 W 7th Ave Anchorage, AK 99517 907.279.8000 Lake Front Hotel 4800 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99517 907.243.2300 |
Courtyard Marriott 4901 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99517 907.245.0322 Executive Suite Hotel 4360 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99517 The Puffin Inn - Anchorage Hotel 4400 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99 907.243.4044 |
Restaurants
Get out and explore the numerous eateries, bistro, bars, and breweries in Anchorage. Here are a few of our favorites.
| Crow’s Nest Captain Cook Hotel 939 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 907.343.2217 |
Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse 610 West 6th Avenue Anchorage AK 99501 907.276.2337 |
Simon & Seafort’s 420 L Street Anchorage, AK 99501 907.274.3502 |
| F Street Station 325 F Street Anchorage, AK 99501 907.272.5196 |
Orso 737 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 907.222.3232 |
49th State Brewing 717 West 3rd Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 907.277.7727 |
| Glacier Brewhouse 737 West 5th Avenue, suite 110 Anchorage, AK 99501 907.274.4677 |
Crush Wine Bistro & Cellar 328 G Street Anchorage, AK 99501 907.276.3546 |
Southside Bistro 1320 Huffman Park Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99515 907.348.0088 |
More About the Copper River Lodge
Our lodge is located directly on the Copper River. This means you’ll never miss a minute of fishing due to weather that can ground many of the fly out operations in the area. Being so remote, our 110 electricity is provided by diesel generator. Copper River Lodge prides itself on the quality and freshness of its cuisine. Freshly baked bread, rolls, or pastries are served with each meal. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always available. Dinner menus vary and include entrees such as pork tenderloin, New York steak, roast duck, and fresh caught salmon. We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions or requests, but please let us know in advance.Alcohol Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are not sold at the lodge. We are not allowed to sell alcohol, and alcohol is not included in the package. If you would like to place an order to have at the lodge when you arrive we can help you arrange it. If you do not order alcohol, there will be no alcohol available for your group. You must email pat@sweetwatertravel.com your order. We use a very reputable liquor store in Anchorage, AK that has a huge inventory. We ask that you email pat@sweetwatertravel.com your favorite brands or give a price range for wine, beer and liquor. Please include your name, group name, quantity, type, brand and price range. For beer, we do prefer to have cans instead of bottles for recycling and waste management. Sometimes if an item is out of stock, the liquor store will find a similar substitute. For example:
Your name
Your group name
1.5 L Cabernet or 3L Bota Box Cabernet
price range $20 -$30.
Your group name
1.5 L Cabernet or 3L Bota Box Cabernet
price range $20 -$30.
Communications
At the lodge there is wireless internet, and a telephone. You are welcome to use our telephone for limited amounts of time. It is our only phone line so we cannot have it used for long periods. There is no cell phone service, nor television at the lodge.Emergency Contact and Facilities
There is a clinic for minor illnesses and injuries in Iliamna (30 minutes away by float plane, but this is not guaranteed nor is the availability of the plane). The closest major hospital is Anchorage (one and one half hour away from Iliamna by commercial plane). Please assess your medical problems before booking. If you have medications that you take daily, please keep them with you at all times as your luggage and you can get separated. We highly recommend travel insurance whenever you travel to Alaska. If you purchase travel insurance within 21 days of your initial deposit it covers pre-existing medical conditions. There is always the possibility of an arrival or departure delay and/or cancellation due to weather. Please give us a call if you have any questions about travel insurance. Please visit Global Rescue or TravelEx for travel/medical evacuation insurance.Emergency contact during your week
Sweetwater Travel Office: 406.222.0624
Copper River Lodge : 907.571.1464
Email: info@copperriverlodge.com