SMG Alaska
Where to go, what to do, and why this is one of the last genuinely extraordinary places left to travel — from private heli skiing across the Chugach, Tordrillo and Neacola ranges to the fjords, tidewater glaciers and wild coastline of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and countless other zones.
Your yacht takes you beyond the road. Our helicopter takes you beyond the shoreline.
One group. One helicopter. Elite Alaska guides. And the flexibility to build the trip around you.
At SMG, private means more than having the helicopter to yourself. It means the freedom to create an Alaska experience around how you want to travel — and it's why SMG Alaska Heli Ski is consistently ranked as the best heli skiing in the world by its guests.
For some guests, that's six days of private heli skiing based in Girdwood. For others, it may mean something entirely different.
A yacht waiting in a secluded Alaska fjord. A helicopter arriving in the morning. A day spent skiing remote lines above the coast, followed by an evening back aboard.
For select private groups, SMG can work alongside yacht owners, charter companies, captains, travel advisors, and private concierge teams to create bespoke yacht-based heli-ski experiences in Alaska. Your yacht becomes basecamp, while our helicopter and guides provide access to the mountains rising beyond the shoreline.
The result isn't a traditional ski trip or a traditional yacht charter. It's a private Alaska expedition built specifically for your group.
Alaska offers something few destinations in the world can: extraordinary mountain terrain rising directly from an immense, wild coastline.
A yacht provides the freedom to move through that landscape by water. A helicopter opens access to what lies above it.
Together, they create an entirely different way to experience Alaska.
Wake aboard your yacht. Meet your SMG guides. Step into the helicopter and fly from the water into the mountains. Spend the day exploring Alaska's remote ski terrain, then return to the yacht as your private base.
Where conditions, logistics, permitting, and vessel capabilities allow, the experience can be designed around your itinerary rather than forcing your itinerary around a conventional heli-ski program.
There isn't a menu of upgrades or a predetermined luxury package.
Tell us how you want to experience Alaska, and we'll explore what's possible.
SMG can collaborate with your yacht captain, charter broker, travel advisor, family office, or concierge team to help coordinate the heli-skiing component of a larger private Alaska journey.
Whether your trip begins aboard a private yacht, arrives by private aircraft, or is based entirely around skiing, the philosophy remains the same:
Fewer people. Fewer compromises. More Alaska.
Alaska is not a bigger version of anywhere else. It is remote enough that a single day can feel like your own private wilderness, and varied enough that no two trips ever look alike — glaciers, fjords, coastline and high alpine terrain all within reach of each other.
For travelers who have already done the expected version of luxury travel, this is where it starts to feel genuinely new again.
Alaska rewards travelers who go further than the standard itinerary. Here is where to start.
Fly directly from Girdwood with SMG into Alaska's legendary Chugach Mountains, with a permit network that also reaches the Tordrillos, Neacolas and terrain stretching toward Prince William Sound and the Kenai Peninsula. With one private group, one helicopter, two pilots and experienced Alaska guides, every day is built around your group, the snow and the best terrain available that morning.
Explore Prince William Sound by private boat or yacht, departing from nearby Whittier, just across the mountains from Girdwood. Cruise among the tidewater glaciers, waterfalls and protected fjords of Blackstone Bay, College Fjord and Harriman Fjord, with opportunities to see sea otters, seals, whales and other marine wildlife along the way.
Alaska wildlife is never far away. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, approximately 20 minutes from Girdwood, to see bears, moose, musk ox, wolves, wood bison and other native species across its expansive natural habitats. Farther afield, Prince William Sound and the Turnagain Arm offer opportunities to spot whales, sea otters, seals, Dall sheep, bald eagles and other wildlife in the wild.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center →Return each evening to Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood, rather than a remote basecamp. Guests have access to the Alyeska Nordic Spa, set within the surrounding forest, along with dining at Seven Glaciers, perched at 2,300 feet atop Mt. Alyeska and reached by aerial tram. Girdwood also offers local favorites including Jack Sprat, Double Musky Inn and Spoonline Bistro, giving guests plenty to explore beyond the hotel.
There is plenty to explore beyond the helicopter. Experience Alaska by dog sled, snowmobile or Nordic ski, with adventures available in and around Girdwood and the surrounding Chugach Mountains. Dog sledding offers a particularly memorable way to experience the landscape, traveling behind a team of Alaskan huskies through snowy forests and mountain terrain.
Nordic skiing →For guests who want to keep flying even when they aren't skiing, private scenic helicopter experiences can also open the door to glaciers, remote wilderness and the dramatic coastline surrounding Turnagain Arm and Prince William Sound. Our team can help arrange experiences around your ski schedule, weather and interests — whether that means an afternoon adventure or making the most of a non-flyable ski day.
Alpine Air Alaska →Heli skiing means being flown by helicopter directly to terrain that is otherwise unreachable, then guided down runs far from any lift, resort boundary or crowd. Instead of skiing the same groomed trails as everyone else, you and your guides choose where to go based on the conditions that day — opening up terrain shaped entirely around your ability and interests.
It is the difference between skiing a mountain and having a mountain range to yourself. No lift lines, no shared runs and no fixed trail map: just two guides, a helicopter, and whatever terrain fits your group that morning.
This is private heli skiing at its most exclusive. SMG holds the largest permit network in North America — voluminous USFS Alaska heli permits, numerous BLM permits, diverse National Park permits and massive State allocations — giving access to the Chugach, Valdez, the Tordrillos, Seward, Girdwood and countless other zones, all skiable in a single week. With practically zero weather down days and Alyeska Ski Resort right out the door, SMG skis every day of the season, a rarity among heli skiing operations anywhere in the world.
Two world class guides accompany every group — never tail guides or apprentices, only highly trained lead guides with a minimum of 15 years of experience — creating an additional layer for assessing snow and helicopter safety. The aircraft is a specially modified H125 helicopter with nearly 1,000 horsepower, exclusively outfitted for SMG and optioned with dual hydraulic systems for redundant safety. Two pilots are onboard each day, and the primary pilot is the most knowledgeable and tenured heli pilot in Girdwood.
The result is the longest season in Alaska — October through May — with the best skiing of the entire year frequently in November. Daily direct flights to Anchorage from Seattle, LAX, Phoenix, Denver and Minneapolis make it remarkably easy to reach Girdwood, and a single trip can turn into several per season.
Beyond the skiing itself, what makes a trip genuinely exceptional is how much of it is built entirely around you.
Exclusive access
A fully private trip means no sharing runs and no waiting on other guests. The helicopter, both guides and the terrain for the day belong entirely to your group.
Personalization
Pacing, terrain and total vertical are chosen around your group's ability and preferences each morning, not a fixed package built for the average guest.
The experience around it
Accommodations, dining and the details between runs are what separate a ski trip from a genuine luxury vacation. SMG is based at the premier luxury hotel in Alaska, not a basecamp.
Alaska's major heli-ski regions all offer extraordinary terrain. The difference often comes down to how you want to experience it — from a remote lodge, a small Alaska town, or a full-service resort with a private helicopter dedicated to your group.
| SMG / Girdwood | Valdez | Haines | Tordrillos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heli-Ski Experience | Just one private group per week with a dedicated helicopter | Many heli-ski operations with multiple helicopters competing for terrain within their operations | Traditional heli-ski operations with private options available, competing for terrain within their operations | Primarily lodge-based heli-ski programs |
| Terrain | Terrain of every type in every corner of Alaska including the Chugach, Tordrillos, Neacolas, Valdez, Cordova, Skagway / Haines / Juneau / Petersburg | Terrain known for steep, dramatic lines but limited to the Valdez region | Terrain known for spines, but limited to the Haines region | Expansive, remote glaciated terrain but limited to the Tordrillos/Neacolas region |
| Getting There | Fly direct to Anchorage, relaxing in your room in less than 1 hr | Additional travel from Anchorage required via air or very lengthy drive | Additional flight from Juneau required | Requires ski plane from Anchorage |
| Home Base | Hotel Alyeska, a full-service luxury mountain resort | Lodging in the town of Valdez | Lodging in the community of Haines | Remote wilderness lodge |
| Dining | Multiple restaurants at Hotel Alyeska plus independent dining throughout Girdwood | Limited restaurants available in Valdez | Limited local dining options in Haines | Primarily lodge dining |
| Spa & Wellness | Alyeska Nordic Spa, fitness facilities and full resort amenities | Varies by accommodation | Limited | Varies by lodge |
| When You're Not Flying | Resort skiing, Nordic Spa, dining, wildlife experiences, Turnagain Arm sightseeing and other activities easily accessible from Girdwood | Explore Valdez and surrounding area | Explore Haines and surrounding area | Wilderness and lodge-based activities |
| Flexibility | Extreme flexibility to access nearly every epic zone across Alaska | Limited to Valdez snow and weather, depends on operator and program selected | Limited to snow and weather in Haines, depends on operator and program selected | Limited to snow and weather in the Tordrillos and Neacolas, depends on lodge and program selected |
| Overall Experience | Private heli-skiing combined with a luxury Alaska resort vacation | Classic Alaska heli-ski destination with classic Alaska lodging | Classic Alaska heli-ski destination with classic Alaska lodging | Immersive wilderness heli-ski lodge experience |
| Ideal For | Guests who want exceptional skiing without sacrifice | Skiers drawn to the history and terrain of the eastern Chugach | Skiers drawn to the history and terrain of Haines | Travelers looking for an immersive, remote Alaska wilderness experience |
Choosing an Alaska heli-ski destination doesn't have to be about deciding which mountain range is "best." Valdez, Haines, the Tordrillos and the Chugach surrounding Girdwood all offer skiing worthy of a trip to Alaska.
The distinction is how you want to spend the rest of your time.
SMG combines a private helicopter and private guide team with Hotel Alyeska as your home base, giving your group the freedom to pursue exceptional terrain when conditions allow while returning each day to resort-level lodging, dining, spa and amenities.
And when Alaska weather creates a down day, you're still on vacation.
For guests accustomed to private travel, luxury resorts and experiences designed around their schedule, that difference can be just as important as the skiing.
The Chugach Mountains rise directly from the coastline, creating a range of terrain few destinations can offer within a single trip. Steep couloirs, wide open bowls and glaciated peaks all sit within reach of one helicopter flight.
That is part of why the region draws skiers who have run out of new terrain everywhere else — and why a single SMG week can move between the maritime snow of the Chugach, the glaciated walls above Seward, the legendary spines of Valdez and the remote, seldom-seen peaks of the Tordrillos as conditions change. SMG holds countless permits and has access to numerous zones that most ski guides have never even heard of or skied in — so when the weather or snow shifts, your week simply moves with it.
SMG flies October through May — the longest season in Alaska. Early season snow is cold, untracked and unaffected by sun or wind, and November is frequently the best skiing of the entire year.
No single experience level is required, but you should be a confident, fit off-piste skier or rider. Guides assess your ability and match terrain accordingly, whether it is your first heli trip or your fiftieth.
Breakfast, a guide briefing, then a helicopter flight to terrain chosen specifically for your group — with pacing shaped around your preference rather than a fixed schedule.
With access to endless ranges and low-visibility heli tree skiing close to base, we normally out-fly the weather. A cloudy morning almost never means a lost day.
2
Professional guides with every group
4
Max guests per trip
2008
Guiding in Alaska since
One group at a time, built around your group — the helicopter, both guides and the day's terrain are yours alone.
Accommodations and amenities built for the experience, not a basecamp — Alaska's only AAA Four Diamond hotel, a Nordic spa and Alyeska Resort out the door.
Flexible days and access to zones across nearly the entire state, so a cloudy morning almost never means a lost day.
Tell us your dates, group size and ability level and we will build the trip around the best snow in Alaska.