Backcountry Eats & Foraging Treats

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Anchorage, USA

5 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

If you've already seen the sights, try this one-of-a-kind tour from Anchorage or Talkeetna, which is unlike any other. In the company of a skilled forager, you'll spend time hiking, foraging for wild greens, fungi and berries and cooking your freshly-foraged ingredients backcountry style. Enjoy an ancient activity while learning new skills.

Foraging and cooking experience from Anchorage or Talkeetna
Learn how to find wild food and then cook backcountry style
Small-group tour (maximum four): A more personal experience
Great activity for families traveling with children

What's Included

All gear and equipment provided
Lunch

We'll forage and cook what we find!
Coffee and/or Tea

We'll have hot drinks ready if you'd like.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center
555 W 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
Anchorage Transportation Information: We meet in front of the Egan Center on 5th Ave. There are parking garages in the area. If providing your own transportation, we will meet at a pre-determined trailhead coordinated to your prior to your tour.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

Chugach State Park

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

Not wheelchair accessible
No experience required, but you should be able to walk at least 3 miles on flat pavement, or 2.5 miles of uneven rolling terrain over the course of 2 hours. Some parts of the trail are steep and hilly, placing additional stress on areas of the body not impacted by level terrain. Not recommended for those with cardiac or respiratory issues/illness. May be difficult for those with severe joint issues.
Participation waiver signature required prior to departure.
If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 4 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Jessica_M

This was our absolute favorite type of our trip! Matt and Leah were fabulous guides! We learned so much and the lunch was beyond delicious! We were traveling with 4 teenagers who enjoyed it just as much as we did. DO NOT MISS this tour!

Reviews

4.9

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Wild Pickin' equals lots of grinnin'

Mary_M, Jul 2024

The moose in the wild and the great knowledge we documented about the items we foraged was one for the books. We loved our guide and had lots of fun.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Hello Mary, Thanks for leaving us a review of your adventure featuring foraging and a great guide! Truly appreciate you taking the time out of your day to tell others about your experience. Take Care!

Fantastic Foraging Adventure

Andrea_G, Jun 2024

If you are looking for a truly unique, personalized adventure literally “off the beaten path” then this excursion is for you! Our guide/owner Matt was amazing. His knowledge of the Alaskan flora and fauna was outstanding! We had a blast foraging for everything edible in the vast Alaskan forest including plant leaves, flowers and mushrooms. After hiking and foraging, Matt found a super cool location to break out the cooking gear and make lunch. He is an expert chef and involved our group in all aspects of the meal prep process. I felt like I was out on an adventure with an old friend. Don’t miss this incredible experience while in Anchorage!!

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Hey Andrea! Thanks so much for leaving us your kind words about or foraging excursion. Our trip together is one that will remain a memory for many years to come. We really had it all that day, oyster mushrooms, salad greens, social bliss, and a crazy awesome lunch! It did feel like I was hanging out with friends :) Thanks again for taking the time to leave us a review!

Gourmet foraging experience!

Vicki_H, Aug 2023

This was a fantastic experience! Relatively easy hiking with "forest bathing" and relaxing foraging with Matt as our awesome guide/educator/mushroom expert/gourmet chef. I was really looking forward to learning more about foraging and had not expected the lunch meal to be the gourmet experience it was! Matt cooked up an amazing mushroom risotto with the mushrooms we had foraged, a wild currant and strawberries compote over angel food cake with whipped cream, a delicious tea from spruce, juniper, clover, fireweed blossoms, snd added smoked salmon & cream cheese and blueberry jam appetizers and sauteed reindeer sausage. It was one of the most creative and delicious meals we have had in Anchorage. Matt let us assist in the foraging, meal prep, etc. as much as we wanted. I learned so much and hope to explore foraging back home on the East Coast. Our relatives, who live in Anchorage now want to do this excursion after hearing about our experience. Matt is a hidden gem in the Anchorage area!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Heart! Where is my emoji?? :) I'm so humbled by your kind review, Vicki! I had a really special day with you and Joe. It was an amazing experience for me as well, and one I won't forget. Take care, and let me know if you're ever in the area!!! Let's keep in touch :)

Awesome Adventure

Laura_P, Jun 2023

Leah was a super guide. She was knowledgeable and kind. She answered our questions and allowed us to be ab active part of the whole experience.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thanks again Laura for leaving us a nice review :)

Fabulous Foraging

Laura_P, Jun 2023

Our guide was amazing! She was very knowledgeable and friendly. She answered all kinds of questions from us and included us in all aspects of the foraging and cooking experience.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Hello Luara. So awesome to hear about your experience with Leah. As you put it, she's amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave us a kind review!

Exceeded expectations

SUSAN_S, Aug 2022

Excellent tour. Very knowledgeable guide. She took us to two sites and was able to field questions about plants, animals, and the area in general. Exceeded expectations!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thank you for the review! Leah's plant knowledge is incredible. Thank you for joining us!

Must do Alaskan experience

Simon_S, Aug 2022

Leah our guide was very knowledgeable and a great camp chef as well Really fun activity, we learned a lot and ate well.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

That's fantastic! Leah's plant and mushroom knowledge is amazing, and we 're glad you had a great time! Thank you for joining us!

Way Beyond Our Expectations!

Jessica_M, Jul 2021

Response from Host, Jul 2021

Hi Jessica! Thank you so much. We had a blast with you and your family. It was amazing to see all of you interested in what we found and cook, and the conversations were great. Thanks for your review, and let us know if there is anything else we can do for you in the future.

Fungi Fun

Megan_T, Jun 2021

This was a perfect addition to our trip in Alaska. The guides were excellent and truly love to share their knowledge of the plants and flowers. Being able to taste some of our foraged finds was delicious and so much fun. We appreciate all the extra details that made the experience so unique, including the campfire blueberry thumbprint cookies.