Guided Explorations Alaska

Explore the Birds and Wildlife of Central Alaska!

Birds, wildlife, fantastic landscapes, special species, wild places, and adventures await our explorations!

“Unknown wild Alaska adventures await you with me as your guide.”

Summer (June-August) Wildlife/Ecology guiding, especially for Birds, from Talkeetna, AK, covering the Susitna Valley & beyond-North and South!

Nature InSight provides guiding within the Talkeetna area (day-tours start and end here) and within the Susitna River Valley, including Trapper Creek, Petersville Road, Montana Creek, Willow, and Nancy Lakes, Hatcher Pass areas of Central & Southcentral Alaska (all within < 2.0 hours driving time from Talkeetna), and potentially further afield to special places throughout the region.

We offer ½ day (back by ~1:00-1:30 pm) and full-day guiding experiences (back by ~5:30 pm). Evening tours or hours can also be accommodated. Scroll below to see options.

Our focus is guiding for birds and other wildlife, understanding their habitats & ecology, as well as the components and interactions of the whole ecosystem. Of course, we will help you find the birds and wildlife you most desire to see (and photograph, maybe). The avian habitats/ecosystems of our focus are lakes, wetlands, riverine/riparian, birch-spruce forests, shrub tundra, and alpine tundra. All levels of experience welcome! We help you learn: Teaching identification, behavior, and ecology of birds and wildlife, and about their ecosystems and conservation.

We can also have our adventure just seeking out special species/places, for example: For Birds: Explore a nesting area of a special bird species for photos: Ospreys! Bald Eagles! Visit a Sandhill Crane nesting spot! Search for owls, woodpeckers, swallow colonies, or migrating shorebirds! For other Wildlife: We can trek down to a remote beaver complex; explore for bear sign along river bars; or spot moose in wetlands! For all of the above wildlife species, you will learn about their ecology, behaviors, and place in the ecosystem.

*We may also be able to plan a multi-day tour of the alpine foothills and tundra ponds/lakes of the mighty Alaska Range (Cantwell to Paxton along the Denali Hwy.) to explore for the spectacular birds/wildlife of this special area! (*depending on your schedule and our other tours)

Let us know your interests regarding any of the above options- we can make plans.

Scott also periodically contracts with National Geographic Expeditions, providing expert role wildlife/ecology guiding for tours across the U.S. West to Alaska (i.e., Denali National Park) and the Arctic. See: nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/ (and is unavailable locally during those times).

Half-Day Field Experiences

Half-day: For locations 1 hr. driving time or less (~5 hrs., back by ~1:00-1:30 pm):  Covid-19 health precautions practiced appropriately.

1-2 persons:  $160

3 persons:  $180

4 persons:   $200

Payment by check, cash, Venmo, or Zelle. PayPal/Credit Card payments add 3.2% ($165.12, $185.75, or $206.40): Link here

*Mileage Fee: ($0.30/mile, applied for touring beyond Talkeetna-centric locations. No fees for “meet-up guiding”.)

Entrance fees (including for the guide), when required, added to the above rates.

Locations Featured:

  • Talkeetna Lakes: Very birdy! Recommended for all physical abilities and experience, as well as comfort of travel and field time, providing a great first experience with Nature InSight.  Outstanding native riparian and lake habitat.
  • Talkeetna Town Loop:  Riverine, wetlands, and riparian. Recommended for all physical abilities and experience, as well as comfort of travel and field time, providing a great first experience with Nature InSight. 
  • Talkeetna Loop Trails:  Talkeetna’s close-in native riparian, lakes, riverine habitats. Surprisingly diverse!
  • Trapper Creek/Dale Saunders Crane Sanctuary: Meadow habitat (barley fields) and spruce forest. Swallows, cranes, and forest birds.
  • Montana Creek: Riverine and riparian habitats. Very birdy!

Full Day Field Experiences

Full-day: (8-10 hrs., back by approx. 5:30 pm.  Longer/backcountry trips timing is less predictable.): Covid-19 health precautions practiced appropriately.

1 person:  $300

2 persons:  $325

3 persons:  $375

4 persons: $400 (By special arrangement. Clients provide 2nd vehicle or we meet at nature site)

Payment by check, cash, Venmo, or Zelle. PayPal/Credit Card payments add 3.2% ($309.60, 335.40, 387.00, or $412.80): Link here

*Mileage Fee: ($0.30/mile, applied for touring beyond Talkeetna-centric locations. No fees for “meet-up guiding”.)

Entrance fees (including for the guide), when required, added to the above rates.

Locations Featured:

For full day field experiences, i.e., for those folks looking to get deeper into nature with more adventures and less comforts, 8-10 hrs. duration, the below are featured sites we can typically travel to and back in a full-day tour (and back by ~5:30 p.m.).

Add $25/hr. for wildlife adventures after 6 pm. Full evening/night tours are also available at half-day and full-day rates depending on field time desired.

  • Trapper Creek to Broad Pass
  • Hurricane Gulch/Chulitna River
  • Susitna River
  • Petersville Road
  • Willow area
  • Nancy Lakes
  • Hatcher Pass

My calendar:

Available dates are marked “OPEN” within the June-August period .

Upon finding an “OPEN” date that you wish to reserve, please then contact me by email immediately regarding your desired date and tour type.

I will then likely set a time for us to speak on the phone to discuss your birding/wildlife tour desires and allow us to finalize your reservation by me adding your name to the date on the on-line calendar.

When dates have names present, they are reserved. Other dates are closed for various reasons.

(This calendar may change depending on spacing needs of bookings and new opportunities)

Photo Credits: S. Wilbor.

Here’s how Nature InSight guiding works for you:

My guiding services:

1)  I guide for 1-3 people at a time typically (occasionally more), and you view my Google calendar on the website, then email me with a phone number to contact you and reserve your date.  Please try to give 1 week prior notice to your desired tour date (special circumstances? – please inquire). 

2.  You can use a credit card with PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, check, or cash, to pay me at the end of the tour. 

3)  I meet you at your hotel, bed and breakfast, lodge, resort, whatever(!) in the Talkeetna area at a time that you desire (typically early).

4)  We drive in my vehicle (Subaru Forester 2022), 20-30 min. to 1. 5 hours to our (first) wild area for exciting nature exploration!   

5)  Our destinations are of your choice that we discuss beforehand, given your desired birds/wildlife, the season, weather, and access conditions.

*Full days: Lunch (café or picnic).  We can go to a nearby café to our sites visited (i.e., in route, or we can bringing sack lunches for a mid-day break during our full-day trip.  I’ll inquire to your style of field day/tour. Snacks (bars, cookies, & fruit) and extra water are provided for all trips (in the vehicle). Cooler space is provided for you too.

Special Backcountry Trips:

Special road trips (two overnights) are available for intrepid Alaska explorers (with advanced planning), to the Alaska Range (Denali Highway).  Please inquire and allow a weeks plus notice.

Rate based on distance and itinerary, please inquire.