Mahoney Lake Off-Road UTV Tour

We had an amazing time on our UTV excursion through the Tongass National Forest in Ketchikan, Alaska. This was one of the highlights of our trip and truly felt like a perfect mix of adventure, scenery, and learning about the area. We were picked up near the Ketchikan port from Princess Cruises, not far from Creek Street. From the start, the tour operator was friendly, organized, and made sure we understood what to expect. Our van driver was also very welcoming and informative, and made the ride to the base camp/trailhead enjoyable while making sure everyone arrived safely and felt prepared. Once we arrived, we were greeted by Cole and Haley, who were outstanding guides. They were friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and clearly cared about both safety and making sure everyone had a great time. Safety was definitely their number one priority, but they also kept the experience fun and relaxed. They helped with photos, checked the equipment, and made sure the Yamaha Wolverine X4 UTVs were operating properly before and during the tour. The trail itself was about 2.5 miles and gave us beautiful views of the Tongass National Forest. We saw St. George’s Lake, Mahoney Lake, and a waterfall along the way. The views were absolutely breathtaking. On the day of our tour, it started cool in the morning but warmed up by the afternoon, so the trail was pretty dusty, but that honestly added to the off-road adventure feel. After the ride, we enjoyed reindeer hot dogs and chips, which were delicious and a great way to wrap up the excursion. Overall, we felt like we got our money’s worth. We left with great memories, more knowledge about the area, and our minds and eyes completely satisfied by the incredible natural beauty surrounding us. I would highly recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Ketchikan who wants a fun, safe, and memorable way to experience the Tongass National Forest.

Amazing experience all around! The views, the staff, the travel, etc! Highly recommend this excursion!

We had a bit of trepidation at first because of the weather forecast (100% rain). But this was seriously one of the best tours we've taken! Cole & Jasper were our tour guides one at the front of our pack and one at the back and they helped keep the pace (as the UTV only go up to 25mph, but that enough). The UTVs themselves were well maintained, cleaned, wiped-off from any previous tours. Full windshield and roof kept the majority of the rain away. I'm told that rain is actually preferred to the usual dust that on those roads. The sites and just the trek through the paths down to lake Mahoney was beautiful.

Great experience, a lot of fun! Cole and Nell were great guides. Very informative and fun.

Jasper and Cole were exceptional guides!

Chelsea and Jasper were incredible guides! They shared plenty of information about the area! The views were breathtaking. It was great to have the opportunity to fully immerse in what ketchikan has to offer. Everyone was so nice and able to answer any questions you may have.

Beautiful scenery. It hasn’t rained so the trail was very dusty, which was out of their control. Jasper was great and took amazing pictures for us. Overall a nice experience for our family

We had a wonderful time on this adventure. The entire staff was incredibly nice and knowledgeable. Our guides Bridget and Matt shared interesting facts about the area. I wish our cruise ship stop at Ketchikan was longer so we could have a longer adventure!

I booked this UTV adventure during my Alaska cruise in May 2026, and despite some confusion at the port (which was entirely on the cruise line), this ended up being one of the highlights of my trip. I was accidentally put on the wrong bus and ended up at the wrong excursion. Thankfully, a very kind gentleman at the crab and beer excursion helped me out and even arranged transportation to the correct location using his personal boat. Because of the delay, I was worried I would miss the tour, but Cole, Mitch, and the rest of the team were incredibly understanding and gracious enough to wait for me. Once I arrived, the check-in process was quick and easy, and we were soon on the trail. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We took roughly a 7-mile ride to a waterfall, then got out and walked to a stunning lake where we skipped rocks, relaxed, and enjoyed the views. Cole and Mitch were fantastic guides—friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to help take photos or answer questions. One of the coolest parts of the trip was learning about the local environment and even trying spruce tips straight from the trees, which are commonly used in some local beers. The UTVs top out at around 25 mph, but honestly, that’s perfectly reasonable given the terrain and allows you to fully enjoy the scenery. Between the incredible views, the fun ride, and the outstanding people running the tour, this was a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Alaska. Thank you, Cole, Mitch, and the entire team for turning what could have been a stressful day into such a memorable adventure!

Let me start by saying that Fin & Cole are the best and funniest tour guides. They not only give you the history behind everything but make the whole journey fun and enjoyable. Not to mention, they take the best pictures ever! From the UTV ride, the scenery with the breathtaking views to the amazing hot dog we had, it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended 👌