Steve Johnson’s journey to Alaska began long before he ever set foot in the rugged wilderness he would come to call home. Born and raised in Minnesota, Steve developed a passion for hunting early in life. His adventurous spirit and strong sense of duty led him to serve in the U.S. military—first as a submariner, and later as a Navy Corpsman attached to a specialized Marine Corps Reconnaissance Unit.

In 1988, Steve made his first trip to Alaska to hunt, drawn by the state’s vast wilderness and promise of adventure. From that first experience, a vision began to form—one that would ultimately become Ultimate Alaskan Adventures.

Steve believed that outfitting should be different. It should be client-centered, rooted in integrity, and driven by a relentless pursuit of the once-in-a-lifetime trophies that hunters dream about. He knew that success in Alaska required more than just knowledge—it required character, grit, and a team that shared his values.

To that end, Steve personally handpicked and extensively trained a select group of guides who not only matched his skill but embraced his ethos. Many of those same guides are still with the outfit today, guiding with the same precision and heart that Steve instilled in them.

Over the course of more than 31 years, Steve established and perfected a network of remote lodges, cabins, and designated camps in carefully chosen regions across Alaska—locations still in use to this day. Through his dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to doing right by his clients, Steve achieved not only impressive success rates, but forged lifelong friendships that brought hunters back year after year.

It was through this three-decade-long pursuit that Steve coined the motto we still stand by: “Reputation, Experience, Results.”

He was a Husband, Father, Brother, Friend, and Mentor. He will be missed.

“Us guides that spent countless days and months by Steve in the mountains every season seemed to always try and emulate how he handled every situation; whether the approach he used playing chess with sheep or friendly client interaction by always doing the right thing by them, we came up with a saying.  “What would Johnson do.” This has been secretly said in the minds of all us guides whenever there was question, doubt, or conflict, and it has seemed to always help us prevail. Though we miss him dearly, we carry on—honoring Steve’s legacy with every hunt. We continue to guide in the places he established, follow the principles he lived by, and uphold the standards he set. For the Mentor and friend he was to all of us, we are proud to continue the journey he began and humbly move forward with this outfit, never forgetting its founder, and preserving the Johnson Legacy with every step we take into the wild.“

From all of us at Ultimate Alaskan Adventures, we thank you for being part of Steve’s story.