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Multi Day Wilderness River Floats on many of Alaska's rivers 7-21 days
Our
rivers have long been used as highways to remote parts of Alaska. In the summertime they
are a low impact way to see a great deal of country and wildlife without the crowds. These
floats can include day hikes along the rivers along the higher ridges or gravel bars or as some prefer just
sitting in camp sipping wine and absorbing the "bigness" of the country
around them. Some rivers are glacierfed and are higher during hot weather
others get more snowmelt. River levels vary throughout the summer.
Rivers in the arctic stay frozen longer in the year. Also rivers tend to
change their course over time. We choose our location by time of the
year, river flows and interests of the guests. Remote river floats in Alaska often require a bushflights to get to and from the put-in/take-out and are more expensive. If you are looking for a true wilderness adventure away from the crowds and you don't mind camping in a tent for several days you definitely want to do such a trip. Alaska is a place
that is wild and huge and offers an incredible variety and terrain for
true wilderness river expeditions. Choose one of the following river floats or contact us about any river in Alaska and we can arrange a custom trip for you on your family or friends on your time schedule and the location desired.
Prices start at $150.00 per day per person depending on location and degree of luxury desired and go up to $500.00 per person per day for remote trips requiring long bush flights.
Two person minimum. We only take a maximum of 6 people on our float trips.
Call us (907) 745 6680 or e-mail to find out more.
- Matanuska River
- Copper River
- Yukon & Charley River
- Lake Creek
- Alatna River
- John River
- North Fork of the Koyukuk River
- Kongakut River
- Hulahula River
- Noatak River
- Chilikadrotna River
- Wood Tikchik State Park Lakes System
- Aniakchak River
Contact us for more detailed information on any of these trips and we can custom design your trip.
Join us for a day or overnight trip on the Matanuska River in the scenic Matanuska Valley only an hour and half from Anchorage. The Matanuska Glacier is located at mile 102 on the Glenn Highway. It is the largest road accessable glacier in Alaska and 26 miles long reaching far into the Chugach Mountains.After walking on the glacier,we descend down the river from the Glacier Park to the King Mountain Campground where a hearty BBQ awaits us on our float/hike combination. Our trips are great for families with children 8 years and up. In some places the Matanuska is constricted between walls of colorful rock in others the river opens up and braids in many river channels revealing scenic vistas of the snowcapped, glaciated Chugach Mountains on one side and the rocky barren Talkeetna Mountains on the other side of the valley. Our shorter scenic float takes us from King Mountain Rec. Area to the King River where you can see the beautiful turquoise color of the King River merging with the silty grey colour of the glacial waters of the Matanuska. Along the river we will take a break for a snack and have the opportunity for hikes up a creek and explore the Chugach Mountains.
A start for a float at 10:00 AM is best, but with all the long daylight hours of Alaska's summers, we can schedule our floats at our guests requests. We can take 2-9 guests on our trips. Same day booking possible.
2008 season: June 5 - August 18
6 hour float & hike :$150.00 per person
2 day/overnight float: $500.00 per person
The powerful Copper River originates in the glaciated Wrangell Mountains and flows into the Gulf of Alaska. It is Alaska's fifth largest river and flows at speeds averaging 7-9 miles per hour. This float offers outstanding scenery, wildlife and a true wilderness experience even though it is road accessable. After getting on the river we won't see too many people until we get to our take out point at Child's Glacier near the small fishing community of Cordova only reached by airplane or ferry where we will be treated with the sight of Child's Glacier and a scenic drive in the Copper River Delta and across the famous Million Dollar Bridge that was damaged by the 1964 Good Friday Earth quake.This trip starts and finishes in Anchorage. The first day we will drive the national scenic Glenn Highway to Chitna or to the community McCarthy along the old Railroad Grade for the longer version of the trip that includes floating the Kennicott River that takes us to the Nizina River and on down the Chitna River and finally to the Copper River getting more powerful along the way. Covering 13 million acres, Wrangell St. Elias is the largest park int the U.S. National Park System and part of the largest protected ecosystem in the world.
Your guide on this trip does all the rowing and navigating on the river. Guests enjoy the scenery along the way and kick back. In the evening we set up camp with tents and a pagoda for dinners. We will cook delicious meals for you before setting out every day to venture further down the river and explore along the way. There are several clear tributaries where we might see brown bears feeding on salmon. There are three species of salmon that travel up the Copper ( Red, Silver and King).
We will have plenty of opportunity to see wildlife and do day hikes along the way.
Our finishing point is Miles Lake where we will see the mighty Child’s Glacier with a 300 feet wall of blue ice. We will follow the biggest ice bergs to our final destination. In the heat of summer there are pieces of ice as large as houses breaking off the glacier that sound like thunder and shake the ground. We will be picked up by our shuttle to cover the 48 mile long gravel Copper Highway to Cordova and explore this quaint town. We will spend the night at a cozy B&B before we take the ferry the next day across Prince William Sound past Columbia Glacier back to Whittier once a WW II military base and from there we go through the railroad tunnel which opened a few years ago to vehicle traffic and head back to Anchorage along the beautiful Turnagain Arm.
season: June-September
duration: 7-10 days
Chilikadrotna River Float, Lake Clark National Park
This trips starts from Anchorage with a scenic flight to Port Alsworth into Lake Clark National Park. A floatplane will take us from Port Alsworth and drop us off at the scenic Twin Lakes area where Dick Preonnecke spent 30 years alone in the wilderness. Spectacular jagged peaks cradle Twin Lakes. This trip offers a true wilderness experience in wild unspoiled land with galciers,volcanoes, waterfalls and wildlife like moose, bear, caribou and an incredible veriety of waterfowl.We will hike and explore alpine meadows in the high country surrounding the lake before descending the clear swift waters of the Chilikadrotna River.
After joining the Mulchatna River for another 12 miles we arrive at our final destination where the bush pilot will us up.
season: June-August
duration: 7 days
Twin Lakes Kayaking & Hiking, Lake Clark National Park
Pristine wilderness and the legacy of Dick Proeneke who spent 30 years alone in this wilderness,awaits us underneath jagged peaks and crystal clear waters of Twin Lakes. This area is only accessable by bushplane and is one of Alaska's vast and untouched National Parks. With folding kayaks we will explore this area that is home to bears, moose, caribou and more. We will enjoy the solitude in this magnificent land a hike and explore hidden valleys, tundra, waterfalls and enjoy nature in the spirit of Dick Proenneke. From Anchorage we will take a scenic bush flight to the small community of Port Alsworth and from there a short bushflight to the Twin Lakes area.
season: June-August
duration: 7 days
Yukon Charley River Wilderness Float
The Yukon Charley National Preserve encompasses 2.5 mio acres.The river cuts through high plateau tundra and valleys untouched by glaciation during the ice age.This is also the home of the Fortymile caribou herd and we have plenty of opportunity to watch wildlife.The area is wilder and less populated than it was 80 years ago during the Kondike gold rush. Our trip starts after a landing in a small wheelplane on the primitive upper Charley landing strip.There is good hiking opportunities in the upper stretches .After the first three days on the clear and swift Charley River we join the mighty Yukon River where we get to see historic old camps and cabin sites of trappers and prospectors. We also get to see modern subsistence lifestyle with fish camps and fishwheels on the Yukon before we reach the small town of Circle.
From here we have the possibility of stopping along the way back for more sights along the route before Anchorage.
Day 1: Drive from Anchorage to the small community of Circle
bushplane ride to the put- in on the Charley River
Day 2: We explore the the area around the upper river corridor.Old historic mining and trapping camps are found in this area.
Day 3: the next two days we spend floating down the clear Charley River.
Day4-9: We are on a leasurely pace exploring and floating this unique area. We will float down the Yukon River to the small community of Circle.
Day 10: Time to enjoy the town of Circle after a hearty breakfast and drive back to Anchorage.
season: June-August
duration: 7-10 days
Noatak River Expedition , Gates of the Arctic National Park
The Noatak River drains the largest river basin in North America. It flows from the flanks of Mt. Igikpak at 8.510 feet the highest peak of the western Brooks Range and lies entirely above the arctic cicle..As one of Alaska's least traveled areas, the Noatak offers pure wilderness and remoteness.The Noatak is a national wild and scenic river.It is virtually unaffected by human activity. We will start this trip with a scheduled flight to Kotzebue. From here floatplane will drop us off at one of the upper lakes.This trip will lead us through the 65 miles of the Grand Canyon of the Noatak to Noatak village.This trip can be done as a shorter version of 10 days and a takeout at Cutler River without the Noatak canyon.
season: July/August
duration: 10 days-21 days
difficulty: overnighting in tents, very remote
Kongakut River Expedition, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Visit the last great wilderness on earth. ANWR with and over 19 million acres has been much debated over, especially area 1002 which are the calving grounds of the porcupine caribou herd 130,000 animals strong. They migrate to the coastal plains and back to their wintering grounds in the Yukon every year. Join us for the 12 day trip in the spectacular Brooks Range, with some whitewater, fishing, spectacular scenery and the possibility of seeing caribou. We have plenty of time to hike up valleys and watch wildlife. From the Brooks Range we make our way towards the coast where we will be picked up by a small bush plane. More information and schedule upon request.
season: June-August
duration: 12 days
Hulahula River Expedition, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Hulahula flows north glacial valleys, rugged mountains, rolling tundra and finally through a breathtaking canyon before reaching the coastal plains and the Arctic Ocean. This is an opportinity to see ANWR, battleground between oil lobbyists and environmental groups, an area that has been much debated about in the last 20 years about drilling for oil. The coastal plains are the calving grounds of the 130.000 strong porcupine caribou herd.Development would destroy one of the most pristine and vast pieces of arctic tundra left in the US. Class III rapids.
No prior paddling experience is necessary since you will be with an experienced river guide. On this 12 day trip you will have time to watch wildlife, take pictures, hike on arctic tundra and enjoy incredible scenery.The trip starts in Fairbanks with a scenic flight to the small Native community of Arctic Village.From here we will take a small bush plane to our put in on the upper Hulahula River on a gravel bar.Our schedule for the next 11 days is going to be very flexible and on a relaxed schedule.
season: June-August
duration: 12 days
North Fork of Koyukuk River Expedition, Gates of the Arctic National Park
The North Fork of the Koyukuk flows south for 102 miles through broad, glacially carved valleys beside the Endicott Mountains in the Central Brooks Range. A clearwater river it flows through dramatic peaks and through the "Gates of the Arctic" between Boreal Mountain and Frigid Crags named by Rob Marshall in 1929.We will start this trip from Fairbanks with a bush plane flight to Bettles and from here via chartered wheelplane to our put-in for this float. We will have several days to float and explore this beautiful area on a leisurely schedule. Detailed description of the trip upon request.
season: June-August
duration: 7-10 days
John River Expedition, Gates of the Arctic National Park
The John River begins on the south side of the Arctic Divide and flows 145 miles south through alpine tundra and forested valleys.The scenery is breathtaking and spectacular as it makes its way from its headwaters at Soukpak Mountain to Bettles, a small native village. The area is an important migration route for the Western Arctic caribou herd. We start this trip from Fairbanks with a scheduled flight to Anaktuvuk Pass. More detailed information and schedule about this trip upon request.
season: June-August
duration: 10 days
Alatna River Expedition& Arrigetch Peaks Backpack, Gates of the Arctic National Park
This trip leads us into the remote Gates of the Arctic National Park. It offers an outstanding wilderness experience with hiking opportinities, especially in the upper half of the ricer. After a bush flight we will hike into the Arrigetch Peaks region and explore unspoiled wilderness. A float down the clear and beautiful Alatna River will give our legs time to rest and take in the beauty around us. This trip starts and finishes in Fairbanks. A bush flight will take us to the small comminity of Bettles and a floatplane will bring us to Circle Lake our starting point. We will take 12 days to enjoy this remote and beautiful part of the Brooks Range. Contact us for more detailed information and trip schedule.
season: early July - early September
duration: 12 days
Aniakchak River Volcano Expedition, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
This is one of the wildest river trips in Southwestern Alaska.The Aniakchak flows out of the Aniakchak Caldera, a 2,000 foot deep vulcanic blowhole. The river exits Surprise Lake through a narrow gap plunging through the Gates and flows into Aniakchak Bay.. If you are looking for remote wilderness, solitude, wild weather and wild water this trip is for you. The river is only 32 miles long. We will have plenty of time to explore the vulcanic area looking for plant species returning to the area after the 1931 eruption. Before the explosion Anianchak was a 7,000 foot mountain, now a caldera measuring 6 miles across from rim to rim. We will take a scheduled airplane from Anchorage to King Salmon and from there a floatplane into Surprise Lake.
season: late June/July
duration: 8 days
difficulty: very remote area, severe weather
Alaska Ultra Sport PO BOX 1125 Chickaloon Alaska 99674 ( 907) 745 6680
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