Question: “How long have you all lived and worked in the Nabesna Area?”
Answer: “For three generations, take a quick look at this quick summery.”

Generation 1
Devils Mountain Lodge was established in the 1950’s by Bill and Lorene Ellis, originally from Texas who moved to Alaska to make a better life for their family. Bill was one of the early pioneer bush pilots and guides in the state. He developed a reputation for his exceptional flying and aircraft mechanical skills, along with building a successful guiding business hunting sheep, moose, and bear. Lorene, a woman of incredible strength and wisdom, was the backbone of the business. With the help of Athabascan native, Jack John who lived nearby, she learned self-reliance and how to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. She raised her four boys with tenacity, often alone when Bill was away on guiding trips.

Generation 2
Kirk Ellis, the youngest of Lorene Ellis’s four children was raised in Nabesna learned to guide and fly at an early age. He also learned the aircraft mechanic skills passed on from his father. Kirk has a deep and abiding love and respect for this area of Alaska that he calls home. With thousands of Alaskan hours flying time and over 40 years of experience in the guiding business. Gennie, Kirk’s wife, moved from Texas to Alaska in 1966 at age 9 with her mother and brother. Her mother happened to meet and later married Athabascan native Jack John, the very one who befriended the Ellis family at Nabesna. Gennie learned to trap and run a dog team and began working at Ellis’ during hunting season. Kirk and Gennie married in 1976, had 4 children, and continued the guiding business after Bill Ellis passed away.

Generation 3
Kirk and Gennie’s eldest son, Isaac Ellis, and middle and youngest daughters Zoe and Emily continue to work and run Devils Mountain Lodge continuing the family business. Their eldest daughter, Amanda, married with two young children together with her husband who is in the Army and are together experiencing the world.

Question: “Where are you located?”
Answer: The lodge, known as Devil’s Mountain Lodge, is in Nabesna on the north side of the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, in south-central Alaska. If you use Google Maps, you can find us by searching for:   Devils Mountain Lodge

Devil’s Mountain Lodge, base camp and year-round home to the Ellis family, is located at mile 42 on the Nabesna Road. It is a scenic 300 mile, 6-to-7-hour drive from Anchorage to Nabesna, so a night’s rest in town is recommended before embarking on the journey.

Question: “What area do you operate in?”
Answer: The guiding area covers portions of the Wrangell, Mentasta and Nutzotin Ranges, with hundreds of square miles of choice remote country, accessible only by bush aircraft.

Question: “Who do you use for guides?”
Answer:  Our guides are licensed, experienced professionals. All guides are all personal friends as well as respected employees.

Question: “What the heck is up with the name Devils Mountain Lodge?”
Answer:  Right next to our main lodge at Nabesna is a mountain the local native peoples named Devils Mountain. The story for the name was based on some crazy man that lived on the mountain way back in the old days. Bill Ellis (the founder) had a thing for the macabre and named his business after the mountain.