With about 740,000 year-round residents, Alaska is the third-least populous state in the United States — and the most sparsely populated when its sprawling size is factored in. Those who are inclined to stay, despite challenges such as extreme cold and low light in winter, are often enticed by the state’s rugged natural beauty. Kierre Childers, owner of Revel Treks and Tours, counts herself in that group.
Adventurous and ever-inspired by the natural world, Childers moved to Alaska in 2015 to work on a trail crew in a state recreation area. A few years later, she was guiding groups in Denali National Park under a local operator. With every passing trek, she felt more empowered to strike out on her own.
“I wanted a business that really focused on community, and how tourism can make a positive impact locally,” she said. “And I had this passion for the outdoors. I wanted to bring those interests together.”
In 2021, Childers launched Revel Treks and Tours in her hometown of Palmer, about 45 minutes northeast of Anchorage. The Revel business plan has two overarching goals: to curate custom itineraries for intrepid out-of-towners, and to offer free and low-cost experiences for locals. Childers saw how often fellow residents hoped to explore the land around them, but were kept from doing so due to the lack of an adventure buddy.
Last September, I joined Childers and Revel guide Ryan Moravitz for a “Pedals, Paddles and Peaks” fam trip with travel advisors. Here’s how the tour operator highlighted greater Anchorage, supporting fellow businesses in the process.
A guided kayaking excursion on Eklutna Lake delivered incredible fall foliage views.
Credit: 2026 Chelsee LoweEklutna Lake
Childers and Moravitz shuttled our group to and fro in a snack-stocked sprinter van, and our first stop was Eklutna Lake, a glacier-fed body of water in the Chugach Mountains. Despite the spot’s reputation for scenic kayaking and hiking, we saw only a handful of other visitors. Stunning mountain views and the golden foliage of birch, aspen and cottonwood trees were ours to enjoy alone.
The writer’s group trekked to a viewpoint above Eklutna Lake.
Credit: 2026 Revel Treks and ToursShoreside at Eklutna, local outfitter Lifetime Adventures has a cabin filled with all the requisite exploring gear (note that this location closes seasonally). Lifetime guides joined Childers and Moravitz for a whole-group paddling session; then, the extra guides allowed our group to divide into hiking and biking tours. Childers took my group about 1.5 miles up Twin Peaks Trail, where we were rewarded with captivating views of the lake and Bold Peak. All the way up and all the way down, Childers educated interested hikers in local flora. When I pointed out maple-like leaves larger than my face, for example, she shared that they are part of an iconic Alaskan plant known as devil’s club, or Alaskan ginseng. In addition to its medical properties for humans, its bright-red berries are a treat for bears.
Playing in Palmer
The next afternoon — after a trek up Bodenburg Butte, which included glacier and valley views and hill-top hot cocoa or coffee packed up the mountain by Childers — our group toured the town of Palmer, snacking, shopping and chatting with locals. Gallivanting with Childers feels a lot like visiting a cousin in a new-to-you city, meeting friends and checking out her preferred local haunts as you go.
Kierre Childers, owner of Revel Treks and Tours
Credit: 2026 Lena Lee PhotographyWe had coffee at Lekker Coffee and Baking Co., where owner David Boortz shared his growing baking aspirations; warmed up with spicy black bean soup and sampled crisp beers and cider at Bleeding Heart Brewery (and took a guided tour of the brewing facilities); and learned about regional history at the Palmer Museum and Visitor Center. A short walk delivered us to our dinner plans at locally owned restaurant Turkey Red, which has served farm-to-table dishes in town since 2008.
Overall, it was a treat to see Palmer through Childers’ eyes, and to support some of the people who make modern-day Alaska the special place that it is.
Going to Knik Glacier
On our final day with Revel, we headed to Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours’ headquarters (also in Palmer) and geared up in water-resistant apparel and helmets for an eight-hour roundtrip ATV escapade to Knik Glacier. Not for the faint of heart, the journey did indeed take hours, but if driving fast in a gorgeous place — the Knik River Valley — sounds appealing, maneuvering these rough and tough machines on rocky riverbeds and through giant mud puddles is an epic experience. (If not, helicopter and bush plane tours are common — and quicker — ways to reach the glacier.)
Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours offers full-day journeys to Knik Glacier.
Credit: 2026 Chelsee LoweThere were three women in my ATV, and we tagged in and out of the driver’s seat at each pit stop. Bald eagles, moose and salmon were spotted along the way, but the glacier itself was the showstopper, mammoth and magnificent in its white and blue hues. We hung out along its edge, meditating in stillness or walking solo and listening to the ice crackle. Some of us took a polar plunge. The Alaska Backcountry team threw foil-wrapped lunches of potatoes, cheese and reindeer sausage onto a bonfire, too. When the vegetarian in our party failed to get the right lunch, Childers plied her with oranges and snack bars from her own backpack, then made sure a warm cheese pizza was waiting for her at our ATV return spot.
BlueWater Basecamp has a collection of modern and comfortable cabins near Eklutna Lake.
Credit: 2026 BlueWater BasecampCabins to Love at BlueWater Basecamp
BlueWater Basecamp, set just minutes from Eklutna Lake, was our home base. The property offers stylish standalone cabins in varying sizes, nightly bonfires and a brand-new cedar sauna. After long and active days, sipping a glass of wine by the fire with my fellow travelers was a just-right way to wrap things up.
Unsurprisingly, BlueWater represents yet another local story. Owned and operated by Alaska native Teal Sky Heller and longtime Alaska resident Russ Carpenter, the boutique retreat aims to be both a place of relaxation and a launchpad for adventures in the Last Frontier. It hit both marks for me; I melted into bed each night, stared out the window at the silhouette of the forest and dreamed of what fun Childers and Moravitz had set up for the next day.
