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Alaska
Wildland Adventures pioneered
floating the mellow, turquoise
blue Kenai River and has operated
continuously since 1977. Join
them for a serene 2-hour float,
or take on a 7-hour adventure,
complete with fun Class II+ rapids
and a cruise through a glacial
lake.
AWA's Kenai
River Scenic Float Trip offers
a nice introduction to the river, taking
you along a stretch of the scenic Upper
Kenai closed to motorized boats. Watch
for wildlife-moose, eagles, Dall sheep,
salmon, waterfowl, beaver, and
bears-as your guide navigates you
through the snow-capped mountain
scenery of the Kenai National Wildlife
Refuge. Listen to stories behind
the sights: the wildlife, the
native inhabitants and early settlers,
and the forces that shaped the
Kenai River Valley. There's one
Class II rapid on this trip, and
the water is mostly a placid Class
I.
The Kenai
River Canyon Full-Day Raft Trip starts
with the above scenic float, then
continues down through the Kenai
Canyon for another 5 miles. Once
you enter the canyon, the river pulls
away from the road, so this canyon
stretch provides much more of a wilderness
experience. You'll see fewer people
and (hopefully) more wildlife. At
one point, your guides will pull the
boats ashore for a delicious riverside
picnic lunch. This is a good opportunity
to stretch your legs and wander the
riverbank in relative solitude. The
canyon also offers some spirited Class
II+ rapids.
The river empties into the massive,
turquoise-gray Skilak Lake, and the
scene at the confluence is breathtaking.
You'll motor your raft across part
of this pristine, glacier-carved lake
in the heart of the wildlife refuge.
(Note: On rare occasion, the winds
can kick up three-foot or higher waves
on Skilak Lake. When this happens,
the trip ends with a 1.5-mile walk
on an established trail back to the
highway pick-up spot.)
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