Alsek River Rafting Adventure

Arrive in Whitehorse in time for an 6 PM orientation meeting with your trip leader. This is a chance to ask any last-minute questions about gear or packing, as well as meet your fellow travelers.

Scenic Drive to Kluane National Park 

Our expedition begins this morning with a 1.5-hour drive to Haines Junction, where we’ll stop to visit the Kluane National Park Interpretive Center. Back in our vans, the drive continues over scenic Haines Pass to the Pleasant Camp Border Crossing in Haines, AK, to clear U.S. Customs.

Later in the afternoon, we arrive at the edge of Kluane National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we transfer to a 4×4 vehicle for the final 12.5 miles along a rugged trail to our waiting rafts and crew.

As the 4×4 fords streams and bumps across meadows, we often see our first wildlife of the trip. Bears, mountain goats, and Dall sheep are frequent sights, but the valley floor is also an excellent habitat for moose, beaver, songbirds, terns, swans, and other waterfowl.

The “road” fades out at the braided alluvial fan of Serpentine Creek, where our rafts will be rigged and waiting on the banks of the Dezadeash River.

After a thorough safety talk, we’ll make final adjustments to our packs and begin our journey. down a gentle stretch of the Dezadeash, aiming to find a suitable camp for the evening.

Lowell Glacier & Lowell Lake

The river is slow moving for the first few miles this morning until the confluence of the Dezadeash and the Larger Kaskawulsh. Here, the river becomes the Alsek, and the current picks up significantly.

This is an interesting portion of the river past ancient lava flows, unusual rock formations, dunes of wind-blown glacial till known as loess, and lots of bear sightings. Occasionally, we’ll stop to stretch our legs on a short walk to a waterfall or scenic overlook. 

In the 1870s, dammed by the surging Lowell Glacier, this portion of the river was flooded, creating a massive lake. When the dam broke, the ensuing flood was greater than the volume of the Amazon. Throughout the valley, you will see remarkable remnants of the lake and flood. The horizon is dominated by rocky glaciated peaks.

By the afternoon of Day 3, the river quickens, and we’ll encounter the trip’s first rapids as the river washes around boulders left behind by the glaciers. Later, we get our first view of the icebergs that dot Lowell Lake, where we’ll make camp for the next two nights. Surrounded by Himalayan-esque peaks, spectacular valleys, and breathtaking views, it’s a landscape that beckons us to explore or simply soak in the sights and rest. The choice will be yours.

Layover Day & Hiking at Goatherd Mountain 

We wake on the shores of Lowell Lake with Goatherd Mountain rising up behind us, and it’s evident that this is a world-class hiking location. The group has the option to split up today depending on people’s interests and abilities. Some may choose to hike to the top of the plateau or explore the meadows at lower elevations. For others, easy exploring around the iceberg-studded shoreline of the lake and watching for wildlife may be the perfect layover day. 

No matter which experience you choose, there will be unparalleled views of Lowell Glacier and the impressive peaks of the St. Elias Range. Gazing high into the ice field region of Kluane National Park, you’ll spot 13,905-foot Mount Kennedy, as well as Alverstone and Hubbard Mountain, which rise more than 15,000 feet above sea level. Canada’s highest peak, 19,850-foot Mount Logan, also looms in the distance.

Icebergs, Whitewater & Alsek Canyon 

Back on the water today, we continue across Lowell Lake, paddling and rowing through a maze of icebergs, which have calved off from the face of Lowell Glacier. The bergs range in size from minute to massive (some the size of entire apartment blocks!). Periodically, one rolls over with a resounding thunder, exposing its freshly washed, sapphire-blue underside.

As the lake narrows and becomes a river again, our pace picks up, and our anticipation for whitewater builds. We soon encounter some of the biggest rapids of the trip, including Lava North. Much like Lava Falls in Grand Canyon, which this rapid is named after, it’s full of big water features that make for an unforgettable run. 

Further downstream, the river valley becomes more confined, and the scenery continues to impress. Here, the mountains are high, waterfalls plummet from the cliffs above into the river, and several more fun rapids and wave trains keep the excitement factor high.

Below Bates Creek, we’ll set our sights on finding camp for the next two nights. There are a number of possible layover camps on this stretch of the Alsek that are well-positioned for alpine hikes, glacier walks, and simply relaxing in one of the most beautiful natural settings on the planet. We’ll do plenty of exploring but also make sure there’s time to rest and reflect on the first half of our journey.

Back on the water, we leave the Yukon’s Kluane National Park and enter British Columbia’s Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park. Here, the Tatshenshini, another world-class whitewater trip, merges with the Alsek and continues as the Alsek into Alaska. For whitewater enthusiasts, the Tatshenshini-Alsek watershed is a dream.

Turnback Canyon & Tweedsmuir Glacier 

The day greets us with more mind-blowing scenery and massive wave trains on the water as we approach the notorious Turnback Canyon. Although it’s been kayaked several times in low water, the dangerous and turbulent whitewater in Turnback is considered unnavigable in a raft. 

For this reason, the main objective today is to position ourselves for an exciting helicopter portage tomorrow, which will offer us a birds-eye view of this impassable canyon and the impressive Tweedsmuir Glacier. We typically aim to set up camp at the base of the glacier. It’s a majestic setting with a dramatic and imposing sapphire-blue glacier hanging off the nearby cliffs. 

Tonight, the guides will deflate the rafts and consolidate the group’s gear in preparation for the heli-portage. 

Scenic Helicopter Ride Over Turnback Canyon & Tweedsmuir Glacier 

Immediately after breakfast, we’ll rendezvous with our helicopter transportation and begin the heli-portage over the canyon and glacier. Offering once-in-a-lifetime views of the region’s mountainous and ice-laden terrain, this experience is truly a highlight of our Alsek River rafting adventure.

It typically takes 4 – 5 hours to shuttle the group and equipment over the canyon. After lunch, we get back on the river and float down to a spectacular camp right at the confluence of the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers. At this point, the two rivers swell to stretch nearly three miles wide, surging through braided channels that crisscross the valley. The resulting waterway continues as the Alsek River and soon enters the State of Alaska and Glacier Bay National Park.

Glacier Bay National Park & Alsek Lake

If you’ve been lucky enough to raft the Tatshenshini, the next leg of our journey is an opportunity to revisit the 55-mile stretch of the lower Alsek from the confluence down. It’s an otherworldly river corridor filled with wondrous sights that will baffle our senses. 

Floating through the braided channels of the Alsek, the river narrows. Looking around here, we are encircled by massive peaks in an amphitheater of glacial ice and rock that dwarfs our very existence. A 360-degree look reveals dozens of glaciers, and soon, the crystal blue hues, deep crevasses, and jagged seracs of Walker Glacier come into view. We’ll spend some time hiking and marveling at this ancient river of ice.

Cutting through the Brabazon Range, we pass the massive Novatak Glacier, which is the tip of one of the largest ice fields outside of the polar regions. Eventually, we reach Alsek Lake, which was formed by the gouging action of the glaciers, resulting in the largest lake found anywhere in Glacier Bay National Park. We’ll set up camp on the shores of this iceberg-dotted lake. Behind us, Mount Fairweather, the fourth-highest mountain on the continent, soars more than 15,000 feet above us. Enjoying a hike from camp is extraordinary, but it’s the continuous explosive crescendos of calving glaciers in the distance that truly delights the senses during our stay here.

Our float continues through the icebergs of Alsek Lake. Cruising in and out of the ice is exhilarating and provides fantastic photo opportunities as we continue to witness giant pieces of ice calve off the glacier.

Dry Bay, Gulf of Alaska & Scenic Flight Back to Whitehorse

On the final leg of this unforgettable journey, the landscape transitions from the tallest peaks on the continent to the broad Pacific coastline as we make our way south to Dry Bay on the Gulf of Alaska.

At the Dry Bay airstrip, an aircraft will pick us up for the scenic return flight through the Coast and St. Elias ranges to Whitehorse, where we’ll clear Canadian Customs upon landing. After unloading gear, you’ll be transported to your hotel, where a warm shower will be a welcome amenity. 

The group may want to gather at a local restaurant (not included). Whitehorse is a lively town, and it will not be difficult to find a way to enjoy the evening!

You’re welcome to depart at any time today. However, we strongly recommend that you consider making arrangements to stay in Whitehorse another night in case there are weather delays returning from Dry Bay at the end of the river trip.