Alaska Rafting Tours

Alaska’s Portage Valley is the closest spot to Anchorage for learning about and seeing the dramatic beauty of its glaciers. Girdwood-based Chugach Adventures has designed an all-day, all-ages tour that combines the best this valley has to offer: wildlife, informative exhibits, a scenic river float, and a tasty salmon-bake – not to mention all the amazing views along the way.

Discover Alaska’s glaciers close-up on one of Chugach Adventures’ Spencer Lake tours.  Two popular options get you off the main roads and into the backcountry – by train and a raft or canoe. Your trip begins with a scenic ride on Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery train, which runs from Anchorage, Girdwood, and other pick-up points along the railbelt. Enjoy a beautiful ride down Turnagain Arm and the Placer River Valley and into remoter areas of Alaska that you can’t get to by car. Disembark at the Spencer Glacier Whistlestop, and gear up for an exploration of the iceberg-choked Spencer Lake and points beyond.

River floats offer an ever-changing view of Alaska’s scenery, with ample chances for spotting wildlife. Combine that with a view from on high and you’ve got the best of both worlds. Chugach Adventures has partnered with Alaska Alpine Air to design an amazing helicopter ride/river float combo.

Six Mile Creek is one of the most famous—and most challenging—whitewater runs in the entire state of Alaska. Your heart will be pounding and your muscles burning as you paddle through rapids called “Big Rock Drop,” “Suckhole,” and “Let’s Make a Deal.”

Alaska Wildland Adventures pioneered floating the mellow, turquoise 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 as your guide navigates you through the mountain scenery of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

Glide down the glacially fed Nenana River right outside Denali National Park and you'll see the Alaskan wilderness from a new perspective. Denali Outdoor Center’s trips let you go smooth and mild or rough and wild.

Explore Denali offers several tours, with something for all activity levels. Best of all, they're all small-group tours, so you'll get to spend plenty of time with the company's trained naturalists. You can take a guided raft trip down the Nenana River, pedal the trails by bike, or participate in a guided hike.

Float through the remote wilderness of Denali State Park with the company that has offered expertly guided rafting day trips for the past 16 years. You’ll get breathtaking views of glacial moraines, boulder fields, granite canyons, and sparkling hematite beaches. Wildlife abounds in this spectacular country, and it's quite common to see eagles, bears, fox, wolf, lynx, beavers, and moose, as well as many species of birds and fish. Choose a two-hour, four-hour, or full-day float trip.

This tour operates out of Talkeetna, a town known for having some of the best views of Mt. McKinley. This family-owned business employs only Alaskan guides, limits its groups to small sizes, and focuses on taking visitors to places they wouldn't go otherwise. Float quietly downstream, looking for wildlife and enjoying the quiet and solitude of the wilderness. You’ll find a variety of tours, depending on your river-rafting appetite.

Whether you want whitewater or a mellow float trip, the expert guides of NOVA River Runners can take you on a memorable journey. Glacier Run is an incredibly scenic float trip that starts at a glacier terminus. It’s just a 90 minute drive from Anchorage along the Glenn Highway National Scenic Byway. The Lion Head Run offers an equally scenic trip adjacent to the glacier and with several miles of rapids that will get the adrenaline pumping.

Explore the famed Copper River Basin with guides who can take you on a mild river float, a wild ride over Class III and IV rapids, or a fishing adventure in some of the most  renowned fishing spots in the state. Alaska River Wrangellers is the only Copper River Basin outfitter with certified, professionally trained guides. Their priority is helping you have a safe and fun adventure exploring this amazing and rugged part of Alaska. 

The focus of the 3.5-hour Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip is great views of the namesake glacier, which is 1.5 miles wide, 150 feet high, and the most famous part of the massive Juneau Icefield that even John Muir once raved about. Glide along the iceberg-studded lake and scope out the glacier, getting up-close views of hanging glaciers and towering peaks. Keep an eye out for birds nesting in the rocky cliffs, as well as otters, seals, black bears, and bald eagles.