Alaska Float Trips

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 Kon­gakut Riv­er in Alaska’s Arc­tic Refuge offers raft­ing, hik­ing, and wildlife view­ing in a remote tun­dra land­scape. Flow­ing from the Brooks Range to the Beau­fort Sea, it fea­tures Class II – III rapids, cari­bou, moose, and Arc­tic char. August brings autumn col­ors, while summer’s mid­night sun extends adven­tures in this fly-in-only Arc­tic wilderness.

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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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.

Float Through Anchor­age Neighborhoods

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.