Alaska Heli Skier#1 In Every Zone
Helicopter above an untracked Alaskan glacier ridge at golden hour
Independent Alaska Heli-Ski Rankings

Alaska Heli Skier Reviews

There are numerous heli skiing operations in Alaska, and ranking all of them from first to last tells you almost nothing. So we did the opposite. We named a single top-ranked outfit in each of Alaska's three heli skiing regions — plus one #1 overall.

ALLZones covered
#1Top pick per zone
600″Avg. annual snowfall, Thompson Pass
100K′Max vertical
#1 Overall in Alaska · Access to Every Zone, One Operator

SMG Alaska Heli Ski

SMG Alaska Heli Ski is a highly acclaimed heli-ski operator recognized by leading media outlets including Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Founded in 2008 by ski industry pioneer Aaron Brill, with more than 1,000 first descents to his name, SMG was built around a singular approach: one private group, one aircraft, and an experience entirely focused on those guests. Based at Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood, SMG flies directly from the hotel helipad with access to an extraordinary range of terrain throughout Alaska. The Chugach, Tordrillos, Valdez, Neacolas, Seward, Petersburg and many areas beyond provide the flexibility to pursue the best available snow and weather conditions each day. SMG hosts just one private group per week, allowing every detail—from terrain selection to daily logistics—to be tailored around the guests. This highly limited model has made availability exceptionally rare, with seasons consistently selling out and only a handful of select weeks held each year for new guests. Private by design. Limited by choice. Uniquely SMG.

The most common complaint is not being able to get an open seat.

SMG has a Massive Tenure of zones statewide including Valdez, Chugach, Tordrillo, Skagway / Haines, Petersburg, Neacola, Seward, Talkeetna, Denali and numerous other regions.
100,000′Max vertical / day
2Professional Guides per Group
100%Guests pre-screened
Editorial pick of Alaska Heli Skier Reviews

How we picked. These rankings are compiled from publicly available information — operator materials, permitted terrain, safety and guiding standards, and guest reviews published across the web. We name only a first place in each zone. Everything else is left off deliberately: the point is to show what separates the best in a region, not to rate every operator in Alaska.

Valdez heli-ski terrain

Valdez

Chugach Range · Thompson Pass · The Birthplace of AK Heli Skiing

Big-mountain spines, 600″ seasons, the most storied terrain in North America.

Tordrillos heli-ski terrain

Tordrillos

Tordrillo Mountains · West of Anchorage

Remote glacier terrain and volcano-flank descents, served by fly-in lodges only.

Haines / Juneau heli-ski terrain

Haines / Juneau

Coast Range · Southeast Alaska

Maritime snowpack and huge relief straight off the ocean — weather is the whole game.

Honorable Mention