Photo Credit: Bob Kaufman

Alaska Float Trips

Ever rafted a river in the Lower 48? That’s nothing like rafting in Alaska. Up here, those rivers are known as creeks. Alaska’s rivers are huge bodies of water that move fast, run deep, and are cold. Fed by snowmelt or glaciers, a flipped boat or swim in a river can lead to hypothermia. In short, Alaska rivers are serious forces of nature.

Floating down one of these aquatic highways is an unforgettable way to experience Alaska. Rivers take you quickly into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, without the physical exertion of hiking or climbing. Everyone travels at the same pace, silently, watching the wildlife without scaring them away. And you can bring along little luxuries—an extra tent, good food, bottles of wine—that would make for an impossibly heavy backpack on a hiking trip.

So get out there and go rafting, Alaska style!

Trip Planning Considerations

Things to think about before you even start planning. Your answers will affect where in the state you go, what river you run, and what time of year you start out.

  • Are you looking for whitewater/rapids or a scenic float?
  • Is there particular wildlife you’d like to see?
  • Are we experienced enough for the river we want to float, or should we hire a guide?
  • Should we shuttle cars at drop-off & pick-up spots, or budget for air service?
  • Does anyone want to fish or go for day hikes?
  • Pick up a copy of The Alaska River Guide, a great resource for investigating floatable rivers.

Trip Preparations

Some things to think about before you set out:

  • How comfortable are you and/or your group being alone in the wilderness?
  • Who have you talked to about this river?
  • Are there significant winds?
  • Any tricky rapids or good camp spots to be looking for?
  • Did you talk to anyone about the water level?
  • What will the weather be like?
  • Where’s the patch kit?
  • What is the bear situation?
  • What is the weather like? Is there an optimal month or time for this river, especially as it relates to water flows?

What Kind of Boat?

Everyone uses self-bailing boats nowadays. But you will have to decide between:

  • Paddle rafting. Each person has their own paddle; you work together to maneuver the boat. This gives everyone an activity, but has limited gear capacity.
  • Oar rafting. One person paddles using oars on a metal frame. Unless your paddlers are all very strong, oar rafting gives you more control over the boat. Those not manning the oars can relax and watch the scenery go by.
  • On harder rivers, try to have more than one boat in case one boat dumps, loses gear, or rafters fall out. The other boat can help with rescue and recovering gear, though you should lash your gear to the boat so it won’t fall out—even if the boat turns upside down and scrapes the rocky bottom.

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Float Trips

The Nabesna Riv­er is a glacial­ly fed Class I‑II riv­er in Alas­ka, flow­ing 80 miles from the Wrangell-St. Elias Moun­tains through canyons and val­leys before join­ing the Chisana Riv­er to form the Tanana. It starts steep and swift, then slows as it mean­ders into the Tetlin Nation­al Wildlife Refuge. Ide­al for a 3 – 4 day trip, it has no major obsta­cles but requires con­stant maneu­ver­ing through its busy currents.

The Colville Riv­er flows from the DeLong Moun­tains through Arc­tic tun­dra, drain­ing into the Arc­tic Ocean. Frozen for much of the year, it floods each spring. Its cut banks hold dinosaur fos­sils and sup­port one of North America’s largest Pere­grine Fal­con pop­u­la­tions. A 375-mile sec­tion, most­ly Class I‑II, can be float­ed in up to 20 days, pass­ing through one of the continent’s most remote regions.

The Firth Riv­er, Canada’s old­est, flows through Yukon’s Ivvavik Nation­al Park, home to cari­bou migra­tions and rich his­to­ry. This remote, 150-mile riv­er fea­tures rugged land­scapes, Class III-IV rapids, and excel­lent Arc­tic Char fish­ing. Flow­ing through four unique regions, it offers an unpar­al­leled wilder­ness raft­ing expe­ri­ence. Per­mits are required, and trips take 6 – 10 days in this pris­tine Arc­tic setting.

The Tana Riv­er is a 36-mile Class IV+ glacial run from the Chugach to Wrangell Moun­tains, requir­ing skill for its cold, fast waters. Flow­ing from the Tana Glac­i­er, a trib­u­tary of the Bagley Ice Field, it offers stun­ning scenery, sand dunes, and tricky rapids. When com­bined with the Chiti­na Riv­er, a 95-mile trip is pos­si­ble. McCarthy Riv­er Tours & Out­fit­ters is the only com­pa­ny offer­ing guid­ed trips.

Ani­akchak Riv­er, a remote 35-mile Class IV run, flows from Sur­prise Lake through a vol­canic caldera and dense brown bear habi­tat to the Pacif­ic. The trip takes 3 – 4 days, end­ing in Ani­akchak Bay. Weath­er can be severe, with July as the best raft­ing month. The route fea­tures rugged ter­rain, fast waters, and stun­ning scenery. Inflat­able 14-foot rafts are ide­al for nav­i­gat­ing this wild and scenic river.

Overview The Marsh Fork is a trib­u­tary of the Can­ning Riv­er, an arc­tic riv­er that forms the west­ern bound­ary of the Arc­tic Nation­al Wildlife Refuge and flows through the dra­mat­ic Phillip Smith Moun­tains and past the Franklin Moun­tains. The trip we describe is a 35-mile sec­tion of the Marsh Fork and a 5‑mile stretch of the Can­ning Riv­er to the first take­out option that is a grav­el strip at Plunge Creek. The Marsh Fork requires some Class…  ...more

The Can­ning Riv­er flows from the Phillip Smith Moun­tains, form­ing the Arc­tic Refuge’s west­ern bound­ary. Ide­al for small boats, it fea­tures a wide, glac­i­er-carved val­ley with mean­der­ing chan­nels. Though not a white­wa­ter chal­lenge, low water lev­els can make nav­i­ga­tion tricky. A 14-foot raft or inflat­able kayak works best. Expe­di­tions Alas­ka offers 7 – 12 day guid­ed trips through this remote Arc­tic wilderness.

The Win­ner Creek to 20 Mile Riv­er loop is a great first pack­raft­ing trip. For those with pack­raft­ing skills, this route offers a quick, easy-to-access, mul­ti-sport adven­ture. The hike up to Berry Pass is seri­ous­ly under­rat­ed, and the views of the 20 Mile water­shed are absolute­ly stunning.

Just 40 min­utes from Anchor­age, the North Fork Eagle Riv­er offers a scenic, 7‑mile Class I float with a remote feel. The unbraid­ed riv­er has many bends, mak­ing the actu­al float clos­er to 8 miles and tak­ing 3 – 5 hours. It’s a great full-day trip, espe­cial­ly with kids, with time for grav­el bar play. Despite its gen­tle nature, sweep­ers and sub­merged logs add chal­lenge. It’s more seclud­ed than Portage, with few boats even on busy weekends.

The Chi­likadrot­na Riv­er, a Wild and Scenic Riv­er, flows 60 miles through Lake Clark Nation­al Park to the Mulchat­na Riv­er. Aver­ag­ing 5 mph, it runs through birch and spruce forests with jagged peaks above. The trip takes 4 – 8 days, fea­tur­ing swift water, rapids, and occa­sion­al sweep­ers. A pop­u­lar fly-in fish­ing spot, it offers thrilling white­wa­ter for expe­ri­enced boaters in an 82-mile journey.

The Kil­lik Riv­er flows 135 miles through Gates of the Arc­tic Nation­al Park, offer­ing a 7 – 10 day raft­ing trip with Class I – III rapids. It begins in the Endi­cott Moun­tains, wind­ing through tun­dra and per­mafrost coun­try before join­ing the Colville Riv­er. The route pass­es archae­o­log­i­cal sites and evi­dence of ear­ly Native Amer­i­can habi­ta­tion. Rafters can start at East­er Creek or upriv­er near April Creek.

The Tat­shen­shi­ni Riv­er, a 152-mile wilder­ness float, flows from Yukon to Alas­ka, pass­ing glac­i­ers, white­wa­ter canyons, and griz­zly ter­ri­to­ry. It tra­vers­es major fault lines, surg­ing glac­i­ers, and Pleis­tocene-like land­scapes before join­ing the Alsek Riv­er. End­ing in Glac­i­er Bay, it offers a jour­ney through alpine ter­rain, ice­bergs, and pow­er­ful waters, mak­ing it one of North America’s great­est riv­er adventures.

The Sheen­jek Riv­er flows 290 miles from Alaska’s Brooks Range to Fort Yukon, earn­ing a Nation­al Wild and Scenic Riv­er des­ig­na­tion. It offers canoe and kayak trips through vast wilder­ness, with routes from 120 to 268 miles. Most of its length lies with­in wildlife refuges and serves as win­ter range for the Por­cu­pine Cari­bou Herd. Olaus and Mardy Murie chron­i­cled its his­to­ry in Two In The Far North.

The Wild Riv­er is a 63-mile, Class I fam­i­ly-friend­ly float trip through remote wilder­ness. It flows from a forest­ed lake to the Koyukuk Riv­er, pass­ing Bet­tles. Eas­i­ly float­ed in 6 days, it starts as a swift, crys­tal-clear stream before slow­ing near the Koyukuk. With only a few lin­e­able Class II rif­fles, it offers a scenic and acces­si­ble adven­ture far from civilization.

The Hoholit­na Riv­er is a remote, rarely trav­eled 180-mile float (Class I & II) with world-class fish­ing. Begin­ning at White­fish Lake, it winds through tun­dra, spruce, and poplar forests before meet­ing the Holit­na and Kuskok­wim Rivers. The trip takes 5 – 10 days, cov­er­ing 165 miles on the Hoholit­na and 20 more on the Holit­na to Sleet­mute. Expect soli­tude, slow turns, and stun­ning Alaskan wilderness.

The Talachulit­na Riv­er, or Tal,” is a 5 – 7 day float trip through scenic gorges and past the Tor­drillo Moun­tains. It begins with 16 miles of Class I creek, fol­lowed by 32 miles of Class I – IV rapids, and ends with 13 miles on the Skwent­na Riv­er. Best for small rafts and kayaks, it’s a top fish­ing spot with his­toric Athabas­can sig­nif­i­cance. The Tal was Alaska’s first catch-and-release-only riv­er for Rain­bow Trout.

Overview This inter­est­ing com­bi­na­tion of rivers and lake is a rarely done cir­cuit that would be a great mul­ti-day wilder­ness float trip for kayaks and rafts. With good fish­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties and only Class III at times, it is most­ly a Class II trip and for 80 miles it trav­els through an amaz­ing land­scape. The Nelchi­na Riv­er sys­tem is a rocky glacial riv­er with dai­ly water lev­el fluc­tu­a­tions amid a forest­ed val­ley and with spec­tac­u­lar views of…  ...more

The Nenana Riv­er, form­ing Denali Nation­al Park’s east­ern bound­ary, is Alaska’s top raft­ing des­ti­na­tion, offer­ing var­i­ous dif­fi­cul­ty lev­els. A thriv­ing indus­try pro­vides 2‑hour to overnight trips. Kayak­ers enjoy its waters, includ­ing the annu­al Nenana Wild­wa­ter Race. Its Class IV gorge hosts wildlife like sheep and eagles. In 2012, extreme flood­ing tripled its flow, with guides nav­i­gat­ing peak flood­wa­ters after care­ful planning.

The Alat­na Riv­er, a wild and scenic riv­er in Alas­ka, flows 184 miles from the Brooks Range to Allakaket. It pass­es Cir­cle Lake, the Arrigetch Peaks, and Help­me­jack Hills, offer­ing stun­ning views. The upper sec­tion is rocky with Class II+ rapids, while the low­er sec­tion mel­lows into mean­der­ing bore­al for­est. A pop­u­lar float trip des­ti­na­tion, it takes 4 – 14 days, best nav­i­gat­ed by inflat­able kayak or small raft.

The North Fork of the Good­news Riv­er in Alas­ka offers a 60-mile, 5‑day float trip through Togiak Refuge, sur­round­ed by tun­dra moun­tains. The riv­er is rich in fish, with good cur­rent in the upper reach­es and tidal influ­ences at its mouth. Togiak Refuge spans 4.7 mil­lion road­less acres, fea­tur­ing moun­tains, rivers, lakes, and estu­ar­ies. Pri­ma­ry access is by air or water, mak­ing it a true remote wilder­ness adventure.

The Gulka­na Riv­er is an 80-mile Nation­al Wild and Scenic Riv­er, pop­u­lar for white­wa­ter trips and fish­ing. It takes 5 – 7 days to pad­dle, start­ing with a 7‑mile stretch on Pax­son Lake. Rapids range from Class I‑IV, with a fast, boul­der-filled canyon (Class IV) that non-experts should portage. The riv­er fea­tures King Salmon runs, scenic views, and a mix of slow and rocky waters, ide­al for expe­ri­enced paddlers.

The Tlikak­i­la Riv­er flows through Lake Clark Nation­al Park, where the Alas­ka and Aleut­ian Ranges meet. Its 51-mile route fea­tures glac­i­ers, cliffs, caves, water­falls, and deep gorges. Though most­ly Class I‑II, one sec­tion reach­es Class III+. The river’s source has shift­ed due to glacial changes, but it remains a stun­ning wilder­ness float, tak­ing 3 – 6 days to complete.

The Alsek Riv­er is a pow­er­ful, glacial-fed water­way flow­ing from Cana­da to Alas­ka through vast pro­tect­ed wilder­ness. It fea­tures mas­sive glac­i­ers, swift white­wa­ter, and the high­est con­cen­tra­tion of griz­zlies in North Amer­i­ca. The jour­ney includes a manda­to­ry heli­copter portage at Turn­back Canyon and takes 13 – 16 days. Harsh weath­er and com­plex logis­tics make it a true expe­di­tion, best suit­ed for expert paddlers.

The Alagnak riv­er, a fed­er­al­ly des­ig­nat­ed Wild and Scenic Riv­er that orig­i­nates in Kat­mai Nation­al Park and Pre­serve, is a fish­er­man’s par­adise and the most pop­u­lar fish­ing float trip in the Bris­tol Bay region. From it’s head­wa­ters at Kukak­lek or Non­vianuk Lake, it is a 75 mile Class I and II riv­er with one Class III canyon that is a mile long and has a short falls, not eas­i­ly portaged or lined due to the steep walls. The riv­er is a good…  ...more

The Holit­na Riv­er is a 200-mile, 8 – 10 day Class I float in south­west Alas­ka, flow­ing through vast wilder­ness from the Tay­lor Moun­tains. It’s the largest riv­er in the low­er Kuskok­wim basin, offer­ing a scenic trip with a chance to meet locals in Kashegelok. A major fish­ing des­ti­na­tion, it hosts all five salmon species, Arc­tic Char, North­ern Pike, and Sheefish. The jour­ney starts at the Kogruk­luk Riv­er and Shot­gun Creek confluence.

The Delta Riv­er offers diverse float­ing chal­lenges, from qui­et lakes to Class IV rapids. Stun­ning scenery, abun­dant wildlife, and great fish­ing make it a favorite. It’s a two-day trip from Tan­gle Lakes to mile 212 on the Richard­son High­way. Beyond that, Black Rapids fea­tures Class IV rapids requir­ing portag­ing. The riv­er then flows 30 miles of Class III and 18 miles of Class I‑II to the Tanana River.

The Now­it­na Riv­er (Novi) is a remote, tea-col­ored Class I‑II riv­er in Alas­ka, flow­ing 300+ miles through the Now­it­na Nation­al Wildlife Refuge. Orig­i­nat­ing in the Susu­lat­na Hills and Sun­shine Moun­tains, it mean­ders through wood­ed ter­rain to the Yukon Riv­er near Ruby. A stretch of white­wa­ter exists in Now­it­na Canyon. The low­er riv­er is slow and wind­ing. A 245-mile float takes 10 – 14 days.

The Salmon Riv­er, a Nation­al Wild and Scenic Riv­er in Kobuk Riv­er Nation­al Park, flows 100 miles from the Baird Moun­tains to Kiana. A Class I water­way, it pass­es through tun­dra, forests, and rolling hills. While its upper reach­es may be too shal­low, it’s ide­al for campers and fish­er­men seek­ing remote wilder­ness. The trip, tak­ing 6 – 10 days, offers stun­ning scenery and oppor­tu­ni­ties to meet local native families.

Beaver Creek Nation­al Wild and Scenic Riv­er has its head­wa­ters in the White Moun­tains, north of Fair­banks, Alas­ka. The riv­er flows west past the jagged lime­stone ridges of the White Moun­tains before flow­ing to the north and east, where it enters the Yukon Flats and joins the Yukon Riv­er. It is one of the few road acces­si­ble streams in Alas­ka with a Wild and Scenic des­ig­na­tion. The first 127 miles of Beaver Creek were des­ig­nat­ed a National…  ...more

The Ivishak Riv­er, 95 miles long, orig­i­nates in glacial lakes, flow­ing north through Alaska’s Arc­tic Nation­al Wildlife Refuge. It tran­si­tions from rocky rif­fles to a wide, braid­ed flood­plain, fed by glac­i­ers and springs. Rich birdlife, over 100 species, thrives here. The upper sec­tion is a des­ig­nat­ed Wild and Scenic Riv­er. It joins the Saga­vanirk­tok Riv­er near Prud­hoe Bay. A 90-mile Class I/II float, tak­ing 5 – 10 days, is pos­si­ble. Extend­ed trips  ...more

The Hula Hula Riv­er is a clas­sic Arc­tic adven­ture, fea­tur­ing 80+ miles of white­wa­ter, moun­tain scenery, and vast coastal plains. It flows through the 10 02 Land, home to the Por­cu­pine Cari­bou Herd, at the heart of oil drilling debates. Pad­dlers may see cari­bou, polar bears, and eider ducks while nav­i­gat­ing Class III+ rapids. Sol­id plan­ning is essen­tial for this 10-day jour­ney to the Beau­fort Sea.

The Aniuk Riv­er flows 80 miles from Howard Pass to the Noatak Riv­er, offer­ing a remote, scenic route with rocky rapids and rich wildlife. It tra­vers­es alpine tun­dra, marshy val­leys, and upland habi­tats in the Noatak Nation­al Pre­serve. The riv­er is above the tree line and fol­lows a his­toric migra­to­ry path. A trip takes 4 – 6 days, with Cut­ler Riv­er as the first exit. Inflat­able kayaks and canoes are ideal.

Lake Creek is one of south cen­tral Alaska’s most famous streams, pri­mar­i­ly due to its supe­ri­or salmon runs. King Salmon use Lake Creek and Chelat­na Lake as a spawn­ing site and return in large num­bers and trout and grayling fol­low right behind them. Lake Creek is a clear, swift, and at times, very strong riv­er with two sec­tions of Class III+ and IV rapids and many tech­ni­cal boul­der gar­den rapids to get through. The two hard­est sec­tions can be…  ...more

The Niz­ina Riv­er flows from the Niz­ina Glac­i­er into the Wrangell Moun­tains, offer­ing 45- to 90-mile trips with Class III rapids. A trib­u­tary of the Chiti­na Riv­er, it fea­tures braid­ed glacial plains, a nar­row canyon, and diverse wildlife, includ­ing bears, moose, and bison. Sur­round­ed by the St. Elias, Wrangell, and Chugach Moun­tains, it runs through one of the most scenic and remote wilder­ness areas in Alaska.

The Chulit­na Riv­er flows south from Broad Pass, offer­ing a 75-mile float tak­ing 3 – 5 days. The upper sec­tion is great for canoes and kayaks, while the low­er is more chal­leng­ing. The East and Mid­dle Forks are pop­u­lar mid to late sum­mer, attract­ing floaters and anglers. As the West Fork joins, the riv­er changes from a clear, rocky stream to a pow­er­ful glacial riv­er with strong eddies and big holes.

Overview With the Tal­keet­na Moun­tains to the north and the Chugach Moun­tains to the south, the Matanus­ka Riv­er pours forth from the large Matanus­ka Glac­i­er in a swift, freez­ing cold, tor­rent of Class II to Class IV white­wa­ter for near­ly 70 miles before it meets the sea where the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet reach­es into the inte­ri­or. The riv­er runs down the trench formed where the Bor­der Ranges Fault line sep­a­rates the two mighty moun­tain ranges,…  ...more

The Lit­tle Su is a clear, warmer Alaskan riv­er flow­ing from the Tal­keet­nas. It offers two trips: a Class IV+ white­wa­ter run for expert kayak­ers and a calmer Class I‑II sec­tion ide­al for fish­ing, float­ing, and camp­ing. Pop­u­lar routes are 84 or 56 miles, tak­ing up to 5 days. Below the Parks High­way, motor­boats are allowed on the sec­ond and fourth week­ends from Nan­cy Lake Creek to the Lit­tle Su Access Road.

Expe­ri­ence the back­coun­try of Denali Nation­al Park in a way few oth­ers do. You’ll board a bus from the Vis­i­tor Cen­ter and dis­em­bark just before Sable Pass and then immerse your­self in the wild Alas­ka land­scape. Rec­om­mend­ed for inter­me­di­ate back­pack­ers and begin­ner packrafters.

The Kenai Riv­er flows 80 miles from Kenai Lake to Cook Inlet, pass­ing through canyons, white­wa­ter, and Ski­lak Lake. A 4 – 5 day trip offers stun­ning scenery, Class III rapids, and world-class fish­ing. The riv­er is heav­i­ly vis­it­ed, espe­cial­ly in July and August, with power­boats and crowd­ed fish­ing spots. Most of it lies with­in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, home to one of Alaska’s great­est salmon runs.

The Fortymile Riv­er, a Yukon trib­u­tary, flows through rugged ter­rain with Class I‑IV rapids. Known for its twist­ing route and blind turns, it has major rapids at The Kink and Canyon Rapids. The Tay­lor High­way pro­vides mul­ti­ple access points, with trips from 2 – 5 days. More remote sec­tions require fly­ing in. The area has a rich Atha­paskan his­to­ry, exten­sive min­ing, and fed­er­al­ly des­ig­nat­ed Wild and Scenic Riv­er status.

The Chatani­ka Riv­er, a Class II stream in the Yukon Riv­er drainage, flows from the Alas­ka Range through val­leys before reach­ing Minto Flats. Ide­al for canoes and kayaks, it includes the 28-mile Chatani­ka Riv­er Canoe Trail, a BLM-reg­is­tered route. The longest float­able sec­tion is 45 miles, tak­ing 3 to 4 days. The riv­er fea­tures clear or light­ly tan­nic waters and offers a scenic wilder­ness experience.

The Hap­py Riv­er is a top-rat­ed Alas­ka Range riv­er, first float­ed in the last 20 years. It fea­tures swift, rocky rapids, stun­ning views, and par­al­lels the Idi­tar­od Trail. Flow­ing into the Skwent­na Riv­er, it offers a 6 – 8 day jour­ney through remote wilder­ness. Kayak­ers find it easy, but rafters face chal­lenges. Cold, splashy waters require dry suits. Acces­si­ble only by air, it’s a true adventure.

This bit of riv­er sys­tem is a crys­talline, spring-fed water­shed that flows into the Tanana Riv­er and is famous as being the largest doc­u­ment­ed spawn­ing area for Coho Salmon of the entire Yukon Riv­er sys­tem. It is a fair­ly short riv­er of 20 miles with 12 miles you can float, but when com­bined with the 30 miles of Tanana Riv­er down to the Alcan High­way Bridge, a long week­end or up to a 3 day trip is pos­si­ble and is entire­ly acces­si­ble by car.…  ...more

The Nigu and Etivluk Rivers, in Gates of the Arc­tic Nation­al Park, flow north from the Brooks Range through tun­dra to the Colville Riv­er. Shal­low waters favor kayaks and fold­ing canoes, though small rafts can nav­i­gate with effort. The Class I‑II rivers offer scenic views, fish­ing, and archae­o­log­i­cal sites. Trips span 6 – 10 days, cov­er­ing up to 100 miles with boul­der gar­dens and rif­fles along the way.

The John Riv­er flows south from the Arc­tic through Anak­tu­vuk Pass into the Endi­cott Moun­tains, link­ing Inu­it and Athabaskan cul­tures. It offers clear waters, great fish­ing, hik­ing, and abun­dant wildlife. The head­wa­ters require drag­ging boats before a swift Class III run, while the mid­dle and low­er sec­tions are eas­i­er. The 100-mile stretch is the most pop­u­lar, tak­ing about 7 days to complete.

The Chick­aloon Riv­er flows from the Tal­keet­na Moun­tains to the Matanus­ka Riv­er. A 33-mile Class II-III+ stretch offers fast, con­tin­u­ous rapids with some blind drops requir­ing scout­ing. This is not for begin­ners but is an excel­lent week­end trip for expe­ri­enced rafters with good gear and read-and-run skills. The riv­er is glacial-fed, and access to the upper sec­tions is lim­it­ed, often requir­ing heli­copter transport.

The Squir­rel Riv­er is a clear Arc­tic riv­er flow­ing from the Baird Moun­tains to the Kobuk Riv­er at Kiana. It’s an easy float, ide­al for fam­i­lies and begin­ners with good fish­ing and hik­ing. After August, only fold­ing canoes and kayaks can nav­i­gate the upper stretch, while the low­er 56 miles suit rafts. A his­toric route between the Kobuk and Noatak water­sheds, it offers 80 or 56-mile Class I trips last­ing 5 – 7 days.

Overview Locat­ed in south­west­ern Alas­ka, in one of the rich­est fish­eries in the world, the Wood-Tikchik State Park has a great, easy to mod­er­ate float trip that is per­fect for fam­i­lies with wilder­ness camp­ing expe­ri­ence and for diehard fish­ing enthu­si­asts. From the fur­thest inland lake to Dilling­ham, Alas­ka is a 130-mile trip that involves pad­dling your way the length of 4 large lakes and down the three rivers that con­nect the lakes and then…  ...more

The Yan­ert Riv­er, a hid­den gem and the largest trib­u­tary of the Nenana, flows through a dra­mat­ic val­ley near Mt. Deb­o­rah. This 20-mile Class II riv­er pass­es through a glacial out­wash plain, a deep gorge, and rugged moun­tains before join­ing the Class III+ Nenana. Ide­al for a 3 – 4 day trip, it offers great hik­ing and stun­ning scenery. Rafts are best, though kayak­ers com­plete it in two days.

The Chena Riv­er flows 50 miles from the White Moun­tains through Fair­banks. Fed by five trib­u­taries, it is a Class II riv­er with log­jams, small chan­nels, and camp­grounds. The Mid­dle Fork serves as the main sec­tion. The Chena Hot Springs Resort is a com­mon start­ing point. With inter­est­ing fea­tures along its length, the riv­er takes 5 to 7 days to complete.

A com­bi­na­tion of clas­sic Alaskana: float planes, big moun­tains, crys­tal blue lakes, and home­steading his­to­ry. This route” is unique­ly freeform. You’ll be able to choose from hun­dreds of avail­able hik­ing options. With the vast major­i­ty of the pad­dling being on flat water this is a great option for a novice packrafter.

The Charley Riv­er, a Nation­al Wild and Scenic water­way, flows 108 miles to the Yukon, pass­ing through val­leys, cliffs, and flood­plains. It offers clear waters, hik­ing, and white­wa­ter, with Class II-III rapids and occa­sion­al Class IV in high water. Rich in his­to­ry, it has evi­dence of ear­ly occu­pants and gold min­ing relics. Most trips cov­er 88 miles in 6 – 10 days, mak­ing it a pre­mier Alaskan wilder­ness adventure.

The Nusha­gak Riv­er flows 275 miles through south­west Alas­ka, offer­ing top-tier fish­ery habi­tat with salmon, trout, char, and grayling. A Class I riv­er, it’s ide­al for fam­i­lies with wilder­ness skills, pass­ing native vil­lages, tun­dra, and scenic bluffs. Pop­u­lar for raft­ing, fish­ing, and hik­ing, it joins key rivers like the Mulchat­na. Trips range from 5 days to 2 weeks, with log­jams and sweep­ers as main hazards.

Portage Creek is the eas­i­est float near Anchor­age, a 1 – 2 hour float down flat water with the option of take outs at mile 4.5 or 6.5. With kids, how­ev­er, you’ll want to turn it into a half-day adven­ture, stop­ping on grav­el bars to play and explore. You’re nev­er far from Portage Val­ley Road, which can pro­vide a sense of com­fort. Even though the road does not have a deep wilder­ness feel, you are sur­round­ed by sev­er­al-thou­sand foot moun­tains which…  ...more

The Por­cu­pine Riv­er flows 500 miles from Cana­da to Alas­ka, join­ing the Yukon Riv­er near Fort Yukon. A Class I wilder­ness trip, it pass­es through bore­al forests and is home to the Por­cu­pine Cari­bou herd. Used for cen­turies by Gwich’in Atha­paskan traders, it fea­tures smooth-walled canyons and scenic flats. Pop­u­lar routes start in Old Crow, with trips rang­ing from 10 to 14 days, depend­ing on the put-in location.

The Ambler Riv­er is an 80-mile clear water route from the Schwat­ka Moun­tains to the Kobuk Riv­er, fea­tur­ing rocky rapids, braid­ed chan­nels, and a chal­leng­ing 3‑mile canyon. Its diverse habi­tat sup­ports Sheefish, mak­ing it great for fish­ing. The jour­ney, ide­al for kayaks and canoes, takes 6 – 8 days, allow­ing for a mix of adven­ture and relax­ation through forest­ed and open landscapes.

The Chiti­na Riv­er flows through a vast Alaskan val­ley, divid­ing the Wrangell and St. Elias Moun­tains. Fed by Logan and Chiti­na Glac­i­ers, it shaped a min­er­al-rich region where native pop­u­la­tions and min­ers have long explored. Peaks rise to 16,000 feet as it joins the Cop­per Riv­er. A remote, mod­er­ate-dif­fi­cul­ty raft­ing trip, it spans 60 – 112 miles, tak­ing 4 – 10 days through rugged wilderness.

Overview With­in the Brooks Range lies the Endi­cott Moun­tains and in the heart of these moun­tains is the Gates of The Arc­tic Nation­al Park and Pre­serve. Where the moun­tains rise to meet the sky the begin­nings of the North Fork of the Koyukuk Riv­er lie. This is a riv­er that begins in these moun­tains and even­tu­al­ly flows into the giant Yukon-Kusko delta region. But at its start are the 7000-foot high moun­tains of the Gates, with Mt Doon­er­ak the…  ...more

The Andreaf­sky and East Fork Rivers are remote, Wild and Scenic water­ways in Alas­ka, flow­ing 105 – 122 miles through tun­dra and for­est. This Class I riv­er is ide­al for a 5 – 7 day float, best suit­ed for inflat­able kayaks or small rafts. The East Fork fea­tures more trees and bogs, while the area is home to diverse wildlife, includ­ing the rare Bris­tle-thigh­ed Curlew. Few trav­el here out­side of local groups and fish­ing parties.

The Fortymile Riv­er, a Yukon trib­u­tary, flows through rugged ter­rain with Class I‑IV rapids. Known for its twist­ing route and blind turns, it has major rapids at The Kink and Canyon Rapids. The Tay­lor High­way pro­vides mul­ti­ple access points, with trips from 2 – 5 days. More remote sec­tions require fly­ing in. The area has a rich Atha­paskan his­to­ry, exten­sive min­ing, and fed­er­al­ly des­ig­nat­ed Wild and Scenic Riv­er status.

Float Through Anchor­age Neighborhoods

Overview Six Mile Creek is, per­haps, Alaska’s most acces­si­ble tech­ni­cal white­wa­ter run, well suit­ed to kayak or pad­dle raft, most­ly Class IV and one class V canyon. Flow­ing in the rugged Chugach Moun­tains of the Kenai Penin­su­la, with­in Chugach Nation­al For­est, this stream has a rep­u­ta­tion of boom­ing white­wa­ter and fast gorge style rapids. A small vol­ume stream, it has 3 dis­tinct canyons, with each one more dif­fi­cult than the pre­vi­ous. At most…  ...more

The upper Kobuk Riv­er flows through a scenic, forest­ed val­ley from Walk­er Lake, fea­tur­ing Class I – IV rapids. It tran­si­tions from wilder­ness to a trav­el cor­ri­dor with fish camps and rich archae­o­log­i­cal sites like Onion Portage. The jour­ney to Kobuk vil­lage is 115 miles (5 – 8 days), while reach­ing Noorvik takes 16 – 20 days (285 miles). This route is ide­al for kayaks and rafts.

The Tal­keet­na Riv­er is a clas­sic Alas­ka white­wa­ter trip with Class IV – V rapids, fast canyons, and turquoise glacial water. It offers stun­ning Denali views, great hik­ing, fish­ing, and abun­dant wildlife. A bush plane is required for access, and jet boats crowd the low­er reach­es dur­ing King Salmon sea­son. The 60-mile route takes 3 – 7 days and suits medi­um to large rafts or kayaks. Bears are com­mon dur­ing the salmon run.

Overview Begin­ning far up into the moun­tains of Lake Clark Nation­al Park, the Stony Riv­er is a lit­tle known but beau­ti­ful glacial riv­er that flows south away from the Rev­e­la­tion Moun­tains and out of Sled Pass to a point where it then flows north­west through the rolling foothills to where it even­tu­al­ly joins the Kuskok­wim Riv­er near the vil­lage of Stony Riv­er. The upper 50 miles of riv­er are inac­ces­si­ble and rarely see sum­mer­time traffic.…  ...more

Explore the Kon­gakut Riv­er, a pris­tine Arc­tic jour­ney through Alaska’s vast wilder­ness. Raft its gen­tle rapids, hike tun­dra hills, and wit­ness abun­dant wildlife: cari­bou, moose, and more. Enjoy long sum­mer days in this remote, breath­tak­ing landscape.

The Noatak Riv­er, a Wild and Scenic Riv­er, flows 400 miles through the Brooks Range and tun­dra, offer­ing stun­ning scenery, fish­ing, and wildlife. It begins in Gates of the Arc­tic Nation­al Park, mean­der­ing through val­leys, canyons, and rolling hills before reach­ing Kotze­bue Sound. Pri­mar­i­ly a Class I‑II riv­er, it’s ide­al for canoes and kayaks. Trips range from a week to 28 days, with mos­qui­toes being a sea­son­al challenge.

The Kanek­tok Riv­er in South­west Alas­ka flows 85 miles from Pegati Lake to the Bering Sea. Start­ing in the Ahk­lun Moun­tains, it winds through the Kuskok­wim low­lands, offer­ing world-class fly fish­ing. Lodges and camps line the riv­er, with motor­boats com­mon mid-July to mid-August. Its gen­tle Class I‑II flow is usu­al­ly clear, though sweep­ers pose haz­ards. Plan 4 – 7 days for a trip ide­al for anglers and campers.

The Cop­per Riv­er drains a vast North Amer­i­can region of moun­tains, ice, and forests. Its low­er reach­es flow over 200,000 cubic feet per sec­ond, while head­wa­ters carve steep gorges and glacial val­leys. Span­ning sub­arc­tic to tem­per­ate zones, it bor­ders the world’s largest non­po­lar ice field. The most com­mon trip, from Chiti­na to Cor­do­va, cov­ers 80 miles in 5 – 7 days. Rafts work well; canoes can be tippy.

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