Bethel, Alaska might not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a family vacation. However, this remote outpost in southwest Alaska has plenty of activities and natural beauty waiting to be explored. From sled dog rides and cultural centers to national wildlife refuges and more, Bethel offers many interesting things for families to see and do together.
With a mix of outdoor adventures and indoor attractions, you’ll find activities suitable for family members of all ages and interests in Bethel. Read on for 12 of the top things to do with family during your visit to this unique Alaskan destination.
Sled Dog Rides
No trip to rural Alaska is complete without getting to know some friendly sled dogs. Many local tour operators and kennels in Bethel offer dog sled rides allowing you to experience this traditional mode of wintertime transportation firsthand. Glide through snow-covered forests as a team of energetic huskies pulls you along the trail.
Some companies even let kids take turns driving the sled (with adult supervision of course). These exhilarating rides provide the chance to learn about the strong bond between the dogs and their mushers while taking in fantastic views of the winter landscape.
If visiting between May and September, wheeled cart rides powered by sled dogs are another exciting option. Bond with the furry athletes at the end of the tour and find out what life is truly like for sled dogs in Alaska.
Visit the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center
Families can learn about Yupik culture and history at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel. This museum and cultural center celebrates the traditional lifeways of the indigenous people from the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region. Wander through engaging exhibits detailing Yupik daily living, art, traditions, and more. An onsite craft shop sells beautiful handmade items while classes teach traditional skills like beading and basket weaving.
Ask about the scavenger hunt worksheet for kids to make exploring the museum more engaging. Don’t miss the opportunity to view Cultural Center staff practising traditional Eskimo dances or listen to local elders recount stories from the past.
From ancient artifacts like ulus and parkas to detailed murals and dioramas, this award-winning-cultural hotspot brings Alaska Native heritage to life through interactive and multimedia displays. Kids and adults alike will leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Yupik way of life, both past and present day.
Go Fishing
Alaska is famously home to some of the best fishing spots in the world. Why not cast a line with the whole family while visiting Bethel? The abundance of lakes, sloughs, and rivers in the region offer the chance to reel in prized species like salmon, trout, grayling, pike, and more.
Pack a picnic lunch, lawn chairs, fishing poles, tackle boxes, and nets to make an afternoon of it. Or book a fishing charter where an experienced guide will transport you to prime local fishing holes and teach beginners the basics of casting, lure selection, safe catch and release, etc.
These trips often provide all necessary gear and tackle along with the opportunity to grill up your fresh catch riverside for a tasty shore lunch. Not a fan of handling worms and taking fish off hooks? No problem! Fishing piers at places like Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway Pitrequire minimal equipment for hanging out with a pole. No license is needed for youth 15 or under either. Whether your crew consists of avid anglers or first time fisher-folk, fishing is a beloved Alaska pastime the whole family can enjoy together in Bethel.
Go Flightseeing
Soar over the vast wilderness and get a bird’s eye view of the stunning landscape around Bethel on an unforgettable flightseeing tour. Several local air services offer flightseeing excursions ranging from 30 minutes to several hours. Hop in a small aircraft and fly over the Kuskokwim River, winding waterways, forested valleys, tundra, and tiny remote villages only accessible by plane or boat.
Knowledgeable pilots narrate the trip pointing out wildlife sightings, landmarks, and areas of cultural significance along the flight path. See moose meandering along marshy rivers, caribou grazing, bears roaming, and more. If you’re lucky, glimpse Mount McKinley or Makak volcano towering over lower peaks in the Alaska Range near Denali National Park.
Some companies even land on the tundra or a remote gravel bar to give you the chance to step foot where few have ventured before. Flightseeing over southwest Alaska gives a new appreciation for its grandeur and seclusion only really visible by air. With the whole aircraft to yourselves, these tours allow families to share the moving experience together. Capture incredible aerial photos to enjoy long after your Bethel vacation.
Go Berry Picking
Get a taste of wild Alaska and bond with family while gathering berries near Bethel. Late summer is prime time for berry picking across the tundra, bogs, and transitional forest areas of the region. Pack water bottles, bug spray, buckets, bags, sun protection, and bear spray before heading out to pick nature’s sweet treats. Fan out and keep your eyes peeled for vibrant red currants, plump blueberries, tart cranberries, fuzzy rose hips, juicy salmonberries, and more.
Take care not to trample delicate vegetation and be respectful of any berry patches claimed by local residents. Once your containers are filled with plump berries, head back home to wash and enjoy them fresh. Or cook them up into tasty jams, jellies, cakes, juices, and other treats. Picked berries also freeze well for savoring that fresh summer flavor all winter long.
Beyond bringing home a nutritious harvest, berry picking fosters quality family bonding time. Kids will have fun scouting for berries and showing off their finds while adults can pass on berry picking tips and traditions learned from their elders over the years.
Go Boating & Fishing
Explore the maze of rivers and sloughs around Bethel on a family boating and fishing adventure. The city’s prime location along the Kuskokwim River Delta gives easy access to an abundance of waterways and fishing holes. Book a guided riverboat tour or rent a small motorboat, canoe, or kayak to captain yourself. Cruise along tranquil waterways surrounded by dramatic landscapes searching for prime fishing spots along the way. Stop to try your luck catching salmon, pike, sheefish, burbot, grayling, trout, and more.
Bring tackle boxes, nets, rods, reels, bait, snacks, and safety gear for a full day out on the water. While boating between fishing spots, keep watch for moose feeding along marshy banks, foxes hunting rodents, migratory waterfowl, soaring eagles, and the occasional brown bear.
Local guide services share stories about the river’s cultural significance for surrounding villages while pointing out wildlife. Packing a delicious picnic or fishing shorelunch to enjoy on a remote sandbar or island adds to the whole scenic experience. From tranquil paddling to reeling in monster fish, a family boating and fishing trip makes for a classic rural Alaska adventure.
Go River Rafting
For an exciting family adventure, book a whitewater rafting trip on one of the wild rivers around Bethel. Experienced guides lead half-day to multi-day rafting excursions on waterways like the Kisaralik and Kasigluk Rivers near town. After transport via aircraft to put-in spots far from civilization, board sturdy rafts to navigate Class II to IV rapids surrounded by breathtaking scenery deep in southwest Alaska’s frontier. Bond with family while paddling together through roaring rapids, drifting along peaceful marshlands, and camping overnight on secluded river beaches.
Trip operators provide all necessary gear plus survival and river rescue training to ensure a safe, fun day or multi-day journey. Along the way, guides prepare shorelunch picnic spreads with wild salmon caught from crystal clear streams. They also teach rafters about the natural and human history of rugged terrain only accessible by river travel.
At day’s end, families reconnect over campfires under the midnight sun recounting their favorite memories and excitement from the river’s rapids. With stunning landscapes as your backdrop, whitewater rafting injects thrills alongside quality time spent together paddling in Alaska’s wild backcountry.
Visit the Kilbuck Nature Trails
Enjoy hiking through peaceful boreal forest and observing wildlife along the Kilbuck Nature Trails. This 130-acre park just outside Bethel offers nearly two miles of interlinking loops passing through mixed forest, boggy wetlands, and meadow clearings. Wander along boardwalk trails that protect delicate tundra mosses and lichens underfoot as you soak up lovely woodland scenery all around.
Interpretive panels detail the flora, fauna, and natural processes that shape this transitional habitat between tundra and taiga forest ecozones. Keep watch for beavers building canals and dams, red squirrels chattering as they collect pinecone caches, porcupines waddling between feeding trees, and even moose foraging pond plants.
Quite stream crossings along the trail provide the perfect picnic spot after working up an appetite from hiking. Well-maintained trails allow adventurous families to venture slightly off the beaten path while ensuring everyone stays safe and found if separated briefly. With access to nature and fresh air, the Kilbuck Nature Trails make for idyllic afternoons spent walking, chatting, and looking for animals together in the forest.
Attend the Camai Dance Festival
Time your visit to Bethel to coincide with the lively Camai Dance Festival held each March. This vibrant two-day event celebrates the indigenous dance, art, culture, and traditions belonging to Yupik and other native groups across southwest Alaska.
Watch hundreds of Alaska Native dancers of all ages perform in the expansive Suurvik gym transforming into a dance hall for the weekend. See traditional dances like the Bird, Wolf, Grandfather, Auntie, and more performed in colorful regalia incorporating masks, fans of feathers or grasses, beaded accessories, fur parkas, and drums. Shop handcrafted wares from local artisans in the merchant area between dance performances. When dancers need a break, attendees can try tasty treats from a variety of food booths representing regional cuisine.
This lively gathering doubles as a reunion for friends and family from villages across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and beyond. Visitors gain a glimpse into rituals passed down for generations as they admire the grace, athleticism, and storytelling shared through Native dances. Beyond the performances, new bonds form during intermission socials over shared meals in the school cafeteria or talking around one of many woodstoves heating the venue.
Go Snowmobiling
If visiting Bethel during winter, snowmobile tours showcase stunning backcountry blanketed in snow while providing outdoor winter fun for the whole family. Guided excursions transport riders via snow coach to trailheads far from town. After gearing up with helmets, snowsuits, boots, and gloves, everyone hops aboard powerful snow machines. Then you’re off zipping along miles of frozen rivers and woodland trails on a thrilling snowy adventure through the wintry landscape surrounding Bethel.
Most tour groups keep speeds moderate to ensure younger kids can ride safely with parents. Kids old enough to steer their own machine follow guides at a pace suitable for their skill level. Along the way, spot winter wildlife like moose and wolves while learning how to ride safely across frozen terrain.
Stop at a remote wilderness cabin or riverside camp to warm up by the fire, roast hot dogs for lunch, and listen to tall tales from seasoned guides. Riding through Alaska’s scenic wilderness while bonding with family makes for lifelong memories to cherish. Let experienced guides handle trip logistics and share their wealth of backcountry knowledge so you can simply enjoy miles of snow-covered trail riding excitement together.
Go Dog Mushing
What better way to explore Alaska than dog sledding with a team of friendly canines? From late fall through early spring, several touring companies and sled dog kennels around Bethel offer dog mushing adventures. Stop by a kennel headquarters to meet fluffy huskies and eager sled dogs before harnessing them up to a custom sled. Listen as expert mushers detail commands, steering, break use, and tips for a smooth ride. Snuggle under cozy blankets inside the basket sled while the dogs pull you along snowy trails through the wilderness for an unforgettable experience.
Most tours allow participants to trade off riding in the sled with driving their dog team under the musher’s guidance. Pups too small to pull heavy loads just yet make great co-pilots in the sled basket for little ones. Between playful dogs yipping and majestic winter scenery sliding by, bonds strengthen between family, friends, and their new furry cohorts.
At tour’s end, families can ask handlers about the puppies due in spring, training and care routines, and mushing culture in rural Alaska communities. Beyond tremendous fun together, dog mushing showcases the resilience and work ethic of Alaska’s state animal through memorable hands-on interaction.
Explore the Tundra Wilderness Touring Route
One easy and fun activity for families is following sections of the Tundra Wilderness Touring Route outside Bethel by car or bike. This National Scenic Byway loops for 75 miles highlighting breathtaking landscapes and unique historical sites surrounding Bethel. Driving along you might spot moose grazing marshy tundra or muskox herds roaming rolling foothills with the rugged Kilbuck Mountains as a backdrop. Stop at lookout points like Don Ridge Wayside for prime wildlife viewing and Veco Vista for spectacular panoramas stretching to distant mountain ranges on clear days.
Further along, explore deserted buildings and machinery displaying how the Bethel region supported Alaska’s defense efforts during WWII at the Bethel Military Installations. Let kids expend some energy at the parks, picnic areas, and trails dotting the route in communities like Napakiak, Napaskiak, and Oscarville.
Download the Tundra Wilderness Touring Route app with interpretive information, an interactive map, and tips to guide your family adventure. Pack snacks, binoculars, and cameras to document your favorite memories and creatures spotted along this picturesque driving route looping around Bethel’s picturesque surroundings.
Go on a Wildlife & Nature Cruise
A wildlife and nature cruise on the Kuskokwim River gets families onto the water to appreciate Southwest Alaska’s beauty and diversity up close. From Bethel’s small boat harbor, hop aboard vessels of all sizes for scenic tours showcasing the regions’ animals, cultural sights, and natural features. Friendly captains narrate each trip pointing out nesting shorebirds, leaping salmon, lounging seals, eagles scanning for prey, and more.
Slow rides up smaller tributaries increase chances of sighting moose feeding on aquatic plants, bears snatching fish from streams, and other wildlife coming to the water’s edge.
Along the riverbanks, glimpse Native fish camps during summer and early fall harvesting seasons. Watch dancers in traditional regalia practice cultural routines at the riverside village of Oscarville. Marvel at the maze of winding waterways making up the vast Kuskokwim tributary network.
Whether opting for short sightseeing trips or longer excursions with refreshments included, these river cruises entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera to document exotic birds, mighty Mount Makak Volcano, and other exceptional Southwest Alaska sights. Your family will return home with treasured memories and clearer understanding of the culture, history, and ecology from this unique region in Alaska.
Conclusion
Though it may seem remote and isolated, the southwest Alaska town of Bethel offers plenty for families to experience together. Outdoor lovers can choose from fishing, boating, dog sledding, snowmobiling, berry picking, hiking, and river rafting adventures to embrace Alaska’s natural beauty firsthand.
Cultural sights like the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, Camai Dance Festival performances, and Tundra Wilderness Touring Route impart important history about indigenous groups who have called this region home for over 10,000 years. Between the abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities and breathtaking scenery wherever you roam near Bethel, cameras will stay busy capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Comfortable wilderness lodges ensure families have relaxing places to recharge overnight after busy days exploring the region by land, air, and water.
No matter which activities you choose, Bethel is sure to bring loved ones together to strengthen connections while making happy memories unique to Southwest Alaska.
Visitors find themselves restored by the simplicity, community spirit, resilience, and cultural richness that define life out here in one of Alaska’s most captivating small towns. For your next memorable and meaningful family getaway, consider this list of 12 exceptional things to do for all ages while visiting Bethel, Alaska.