Independence Mine E Bike Adventure

Hatcher Pass, High in the Talkeetna mountains, is home to a rich history of Alaska’s gold rush, stunning scenic beauty, and is where locals like to go to get into the backcountry of Alaska. This guided E-Bike tour will take you into the heart of this unforgettable region for an exciting ride past towering mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife, as well as visiting the historic Independence Mine.

Your tour begins on the Willow side of the pass at Snowhook Lodge, where you will be outfitted. We’ll travel through glacier-carved valleys and climb up over the pass to summit lake and views of the Talkeetna range all around us. From there, we’ll descend to the mine for a tour around the historic ruins and lunch. Afterwards, we’ll climb back over the pass for a thrilling ride down the mountain and back to the lodge.

Guests should be in good health and expect to interval strenuous activity.

The tour begins at Snowhook Lodge in Hatcher Pass, where you’ll meet your guide and get outfitted with all the required gear. After a short safety briefing, you’ll set out on a guided ride into the Talkeetna Mountains, following dirt roads and singletrack trails toward a historic gold mining site tucked deep in the backcountry. The route is suitable for beginner to intermediate riders and is designed for a steady pace with breaks along the way.

As you ride, your guide will point out relics from the region’s gold rush era – old cabins, machinery, and structures left behind from Alaska’s early gold rush days. You’ll hear about the area’s history and geology while taking in wide-open views of Hatcher Pass, glacial valleys, and jagged ridgelines.

The trail surface is mostly packed dirt with some gravel and rocky sections, making it a rewarding but manageable ride. With provided gear and a knowledgeable guide leading the way, this is a great option for travelers looking for a different kind of adventure in Alaska’s backcountry.

Thank you for choosing Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska (SAGA) for your Alaska adventure!

We also offer:

- Lodging on Hatcher Pass

- Exciting UTV/ATVTours

- Northern Lights Combination Tours

- Multi-Season Dog Sledding Adventures

- Multi-Day Adventures

- All Day Combo Tours

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or we can be of any assistance with booking an additional tour.

Below is some of the what, when, and where information for your tour.

If you added round-trip transportation to and from Anchorage, we will contact you with the meeting location. If you have any questions, please call (907) 414.4547

Just a reminder that both our Willow Kennel property and our Hatcher Pass property are smoke- free properties as are our surrounding trails.

WHERE TO GO: GOOGLE AND OTHER MAP APPS OCCASIONALLY PROVIDE THE WRONG DIRECTIONS. WE WANT TO RESPECT OUR NEIGHBORS SO PLEASE FOLLOW THESE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS BELOW IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE CORRECT LOCATION.

WHERE TO GO: GOOGLE AND OTHER MAP APPS OCCASIONALLY PROVIDE THE WRONG DIRECTIONS. WE WANT TO RESPECT OUR NEIGHBORS SO PLEASE FOLLOW THESE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS BELOW IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE CORRECT LOCATION.

• Snowhook Lodge is located at 7201 Willow Fishhook Road on Hatcher Pass. To get to us from Anchorage, you will travel through Wasilla to Willow. You will turn right onto Willow Fishhook Road just past the airport in Willow. We are 16 miles up this road. There is a wooden archway with a sign next to it that says "Snowhook" . Some Google and I map searches will try to take you through the Palmer side of the pass first. Do not go this way. You will want to go to Willow.
• The lodge is located in an area where you can take rental cars and we do have parking for rvs!

WHEN TO ARRIVE: We want to honor the time our guests spend on the trail. Arriving too early or late for your tour time potentially short changes the experience of our other guests. We strive to provide a personalized custom tour experience; we like to keep our tour sizes small, yet we may have multiple groups participating in a tour. With this in mind, please follow the below guidelines:

• Please plan for summer driving conditions i.e. traffic or construction and allow for plenty of travel time to arrive on time for your tour.
• Please plan to arrive 20-30 minutes before the scheduled start time of your tour. Travel times in Alaska can sometimes be difficult to gauge. Our guides may be arriving at just about the same time, so please don't be concerned if you arrive and you don't immediately see our Snowhook Staff. Upon arrival, our guides will make sure our vehicles are ready for your tour and then get you all checked in and ready to go at our tour start time.
• Tours will not be held for guests who arrive late.
• Refunds will not be provided for late arrivals or for no shows.

WHAT TO BRING: Don’t forget your camera, hat, neck gaiter/scarf, sunglasses, gloves and your smile! Dress in layers including insulating outer layers and boots. Worried you don’t have the right gear for the conditions? No problem. SAGA has plenty of gear to keep you comfortable on your tour including rain jackets and rain pants.

WHAT ELSE?: Our staff is scheduled based on the number of guests booked for specific tour time. If you have additional guests in your party who would like to join the tour after you made your reservations, please call us before your tour time rather than try to add them when you arrive for your tour. We will do our best to accommodate the additional guest, but there is no guarantee that space is available to add them.

See you on the trail,

AJ & Rebecca Savidis

Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska