Tired of the beaten path? Take to the water

One dependable way to escape crowds of Alaska summertime visitors is simple. Just get wet.

When you see the 49th state from the water — whether aboard a tour boat, paddling a kayak, renting a powerboat, or moseying around a lake on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) — you won’t be trading elbows with anyone.

And what’s not to like? You can still see wildlife, glaciers, and mountains soaring above the water. Or soak up quiet of a cool July evening paddling on a Southcentral Alaska lake, watching a green-winged teal paddle with her chicks in tow.

Options are plentiful.

Stand-up paddleboard

Rent a board and take a lesson to see whether you’ve got the balance, strength and aptitude for stand-up paddle-boarding.

Among the Southcentral companies marketing boards Adventure Guru in Cooper Landing and Portage Valley; Liquid Adventures in Seward; Ocean Swell Ventures in Homer, which typically operates later in the summer; Alaska Rivers Company in Cooper Landing, which takes clients to Kenai Lake and Portage Lake; Alaska Paddleboard Guru in Anchorage and Eagle River; and True North Adventures in Homer..

Alaska Paddleboard Guru owner Karl Mittelstadt plans to set up shop at Anchorage’s Goose Lake this summer.

“It’s all about the weather,” he said. “If it’s sunny most of the summer, I make money. If it’s not, I’m in trouble.”

During the cloudy summer of 2018, he said he only had about 20 clients.

So what’s the appeal?

“The experience of essentially standing on a lake, my feet inches from the surface, gave me a new perspective,” wrote Alaska outdoors columnist Alli Harvey of her inaugural paddle with Alaska Wilderness SUP. “It felt playful, a feeling I don’t readily access as an adult since so much of what I do outside is structured (I’m going for an hourlong run; I’m going to ride my bike to the grocery store, etc.)."

Boat tours

Human-powered trips like rafting and sea kayaking are rewarding, but to see the most glaciers and marine mammals, consider a boat tour in Resurrection Bay or Prince William Sound. They’re accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

Major Marine Tours has cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park out of Seward ranging from 3½ to 8½ hours on vessels ranging from large catamarans to much smaller ships. Many of them include onboard narration by a National Park Service ranger, turning a pleasure cruise into a learning opportunity.

In Prince William Sound, Blackstone Bay or Harriman Fjord both have glaciers that descend from extensive icefields to the ocean. Marine mammals including otters, seals and whales, are usually visible.

Although a full-day Prince William Sound trip is pricier than a short trip, you usually see much more. Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise, which sails through Oct. 5, travels up College Fjord, taking in views of the perilously steep glaciers that cascade down from Mount Marcus Baker, the highest peak in the Chugach, before traveling through Harriman Fjord. For nervous flatlanders, the company offers what it calls a “no seasickness guarantee.”

Family-owned Lazy Otter Charters, now in its 25th season, offers a convenient five-hour trip in the Sound, past spectacular waterfalls of Blackstone Bay.

Kenai Fjords Tours has an array of trips trips in Resurrection Bay, including a dinner cruise, which delivers breathtaking scenery of towering peaks and hanging glaciers above Seward. A tour to Northwestern Fjord is popular — you’re likely to see puffins, sea lions and whales, as well as tidewater glaciers plunging from the Harding Icefield. At around $180, you probably aren’t paying more than you would to buy gas for your own boat.

In spring, a four-hour tour that includes lunch is designed to offer a glimpse of gray whales migrating from the Baja in Mexico to their summer feeding grounds.

Whitewater rafting

Have a hankering to paddle whitewater from a river’s glacial source? One way is to book a trip with NOVA on the Matanuska River. “Lion’s Head,” a section of Class III-IV whitewater that cascades between towering cliffs and the Matanuska Glacier’s terminal moraine, is particularly scenic and thrilling. If you prefer a mellower float, NOVA also runs trips through the easier rapids just downstream of Lion’s Head, a location that’s particularly stunning as the leaves change color in August.

If you’re headed toward the Kenai Peninsula and looking for a bigger adrenaline rush, consider a trip down the Class IV-V Six Mile Creek. Six Mile’s turquoise waters wind between overhanging cliff walls and hammer down intimidating rapids that drop 50 feet per mile and clients paddle under their guide’s supervision. It is one of the most intense guided raft trips you’ll find in the country, due to the powerful rapids on the creek. Only physically fit individuals who can swim well — occasionally people get flung out of the rafts — should sign up for this trip with with NOVA or the Chugach Outdoor Center.

Sea kayaking

Though the Gulf of Alaska has some of the world's worst maritime weather, there are often calm waters and spectacular sea kayaking near Anchorage.

Consider a day trip to Resurrection or Kachemak Bay or plan an overnighter to Prince William Sound to observe whales, otters, sea lions, glaciers and towering peaks.

To paddle in Resurrection Bay, drive to near the road’s end and rent kayaks from Miller’s Landing, which is conveniently located for an easy paddle out to Caines Head and back. You may see mountain goats down by the water as well as marine mammals and spectacular sea arches.

In Kachemak Bay, pay Mako’s Water Taxi for a 20- minute ride across Kachemak Bay, and paddle around Yukon, Grass and the Herring Islands. Mako’s runs trips all day, so you can head out in the morning, paddle for a few hours and come back in the evening.

Prince William Sound has one of the most underrated sea kayak trips in the region: an out-and-back paddle to Decision Point, 9 miles each way. Rent kayaks at Epic Charters and follow the shoreline out to Decision Point’s scenic campground, which features bear boxes and cleared tent sites. Glaciers and soaring peaks on the other side of the bay are visible on clear days.

Make sure to check the weather before embarking on any sea kayaking trip, and don’t head out unless the marine forecast calls for calm seas (2 feet or less). The marine forecast is easy to find: On weather.gov, simply click on the body of water you plan on visiting.

Powerboat rentals

If you’ve got a need for speed and a fat checkbook, you can rent a powerboat from such businesses as Whittier Marine Charters. One-day rates start at $650 and go up from there. Big Lake Boat Rentals in the Mat-Su north of Anchorage also has pontoons for an easygoing tour of the 145 square mile lake — and jet skis for those with a need for speed.

Unless you’re aboard a big cruise ship, expect to get wet when you take to Alaska’s waterways. That’s OK: There are no better views in the state.