Running Reindeer Ranch is said to be one of the best things to do in Alaska, let alone Fairbanks. Well, we didn’t care much about the rating, but walking with reindeer in the boreal forest and even patting them, given the chance, sounded like an interesting experience.
Last updated: November 19, 2025
Running Reindeer Ranch
Nestled within a 20-minute drive from downtown Fairbanks, Running Reindeer Ranch is everything you expect to see in Interior Alaska. Or probably I should correct myself here, everything after the dancing Aurora Borealis.
Secluded, but quite easy to reach, the place is snuggled in the borealis forest off Ivans Alley where birch trees stand out with their black stripes on white stems. And this is home to some naughty and well-mannered reindeer that run across the property summer or winter, rain or shine.
Reindeer are the heart of Running Reindeer Ranch, both literally and figuratively. The animals “rule” the place, giving it life and luring every other (maybe even every) first-time visitor of Fairbanks.
Running Reindeer Ranch: Skipping Is Not an Option
I had some doubts about us visiting Running Reindeer Ranch while planning our Fairbanks trip. While Forest, Poppy, Juniper, Heather, and other members of this reindeer family enjoy their freedom during guided reindeer walks and I’m sure more often than that, they are still domesticated. The last thing I wanted was to pay nearly $100 per person for a petting zoo. Even if this petting zoo swapped traditional goats and bunnies for social reindeer.
To be completely honest, I would probably never even consider visiting Running Reindeer Ranch had we planned this trip in summer.
Fairbanks has an envious location. It sits about 200 miles (3 hours 30 minutes) north of the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn’t set during the summer solstice. To the south, approximately 2 hours away, Denali National Park stretches for more than 600 miles across central Alaska. Both of these vast areas offer incredible opportunities to see Alaska wildlife in its natural habitat.
But since it was late October and I wasn’t looking forward to driving that far when you couldn’t really predict the conditions of the roads, we had to find “closer” alternatives to see some “locals”.
Visiting the Ranch
Running Reindeer Ranch seemed to be on everybody’s itinerary. Google ranked it as one of the top things to do in Fairbanks along with chasing the northern lights, dog sledding, and Chena Hot Springs.
If I had any doubts left, they dissipated as soon as we arrived. Everything about Running Reindeer Ranch felt authentic. As Tyrone who took over Jane (one of the owners and normally the guide) stated, at the ranch they tame, not train the animals. The reindeer here are usually friendly (the naughty ones stay behind until they start behaving well). But it’s certainly not a petting zoo. Phew, a big relief, right from the start!
The 2.5-hour guided walk started with the introduction of reindeer to the group. Before we went to the forest, we knew every reindeer, their “family trees”, and personality traits.
Once off the ropes, the deer thundered up the hill, paying little attention to the staff or visitors. We all slowly proceeded after the animals. I stayed closer to Dylan at this point. The boy befriended Nicki, one of the staff members who kept providing him with snacks for the reindeer. Dylan, in his turn, generously offered them to the animals, stealing every chance he got to pat them.
Is Running Reindeer Ranch Worth It?
The boy visibly enjoyed the entire experience. My mom ranked it as the best thing she did in Fairbanks. Dylan placed it second after the Aurora Ice Museum in Chena Hot Springs. I suspect that the museum got the first place mainly because he got “hired” as an assistant by one of the guides there.
If we make it to Fairbanks again, I have a good feeling we’ll be visiting Running Reindeer Ranch the second time. Just a few hours after our walk with the reindeer, Dylan regretted not getting reindeer antlers. He even urged me to go back to the ranch the next day. So if anything else, we’ll be back for those antlers.
Reindeer Walk in Photos
A lot has been said about Running Reindeer Ranch on the Internet. I won’t repeat any of these stories here, but share our reindeer walk through photos. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, I couldn’t agree more.
