Float Trips Lastings 6-10 Days

Just north of Fairbanks, Alaska, flowing out of the low mountains and rolling hills west of Chena Dome and south of Mastodon Dome, is the Birch Creek National Wild and Scenic River, one of only a few rivers of this status that is accessible by road and requires no flying in or out to do the 126-mile section of Class I to III+ river. A swift, shallow stream, Birch Creek begins above  More...

The Ambler River is a small, clear river with numerous small rocky rapids in its upper reaches and flows out of the Schwatka Mountains of the western Brooks Range. It has an 80-mile stretch of river to where it joins the Kobuk River near the town of Ambler with 15 miles of rocky rapids in a single channel at the start, 35 miles of braided channels in its heavily forested middle  More...

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  More...

The Nigu and Etivluk Rivers, beginning in Gates of the Arctic National Park, are seldom-visited river valleys in the high arctic at above 68 degrees north latitude and flow north out of the Brooks Range to join the Colville River. Beginning in the mountains, the rivers flow north from the Brooks Range, out of the eastern edge of the DeLong Mountains into the Arctic foothills  More...

The Little Su, as it is known, is a clear stream that flows out of the Talkeetna Mountains and through a constricted, boulder-choked canyon before becoming a mild, meandering river. It is a relatively small stream, warmer than most Alaskan rivers and offers two distinct type trips. One is a Class IV+, 7-mile section of near continuous whitewater suitable, only for skilled  More...

The Holitna River is an easy flowing river in southwest Alaska, running through a vast wilderness area. Flowing north along the base of the Kuskokwim Mountains and out of the Taylor Mountains, the Holitna is the largest river system in the lower Kuskokwim River basin and offers a great family and friends trip in a true wilderness setting with a chance to meet local natives at the  More...

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  More...

This is an easy float (Class I & II) on the largest tributary of the Holitna River. Like the Holitna this is a world class fishing destination. The river begins at the large Whitefish Lake and passes through a lot of windy, slow turns moving on its long trip down to meet the Holitna River and eventually to the Kuskokwim River. It is a remote, rarely traveled river, and it is very  More...

Flowing south away from the Kuskokwim Mountains and out of the Nushagak Hills and into Nushagak Bay of the world famous Bristol Bay region, this river represents one of the most important fishery habitats in southwest Alaska. For 275 miles this river runs as a Class I river that is well suited for families that have good wilderness camping skills and enjoy interactions  More...

The John River is a classic stretch of arctic river: scenically spectacular, clear with good fishing, great hiking in the upper reaches, no dangerous sections of river and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. It flows swiftly, south out of the arctic interior through Anaktuvuk Pass into the rugged Endicott Moutains and represents a path from the Inuit culture of the north to the  More...

The Happy River is a gem of an Alaska Range River. Located in a vast wilderness and draining the south slopes from Rainy Pass, and flowing into the much larger Skwentna River, it is a swift, rocky river of moderate to slightly above moderate difficulty. Kayakers find it an easy run, while it presents several challenges to rafting parties. In the upper valley the river is within a most gorgeous location with swift, continuous but small rapids, while the lower section is a twisting canyon that abruptly dumps you out onto the Skwentna River along where the Iditarod Sled Dog Trail is found.

The Chitina River flows down a huge valley that traces a path separating the Wrangell Mountains and the St Elias Mountains of Alaska's southeastern mountain region. This river trip can be done in 4 to 8 days depending on where you start your trip. This valley sits astride a giant fault line that runs through a region that has formed as colliding tectonic plates have pushed up  More...

A trip down the Firth River, with its headwaters in Alaska and most of the river located in Canada, is a river trip with no parallel. It is said to be Canada's oldest river having been a refugium where the ice of the last ice age never existed. As a result, its landscape is rugged and craggy and its riverbed without glacial outwash gravels. Located within Ivvavik National Park in  More...

The Squirrel River is a very clear, small volume arctic river flowing south out of the foothills of the Baird Mountains to where it joins the Kobuk River at the village of Kiana. This is an easy float and well suited to families or beginner paddlers that are competent wilderness campers. There is good hiking in the upper mountainous region and good fishing all along the way.  More...

At the very western edge of Alaska's mountainous interior and adjacent to the giant delta region of the Yukon River is the little known, federally designated Wild and Scenic, Andreafsky River and its tributary, the East Fork River. Flowing south west away from the Nulato Hills, the Andreafsky River and its tributary the East Fork, run for 105 miles and 122 miles as clear streams  More...

The Kanektok River is located in the Togiak National Wildlife Reserve of Southwest Alaska and flows westward 85 miles from Pegati Lake and into the Bering Sea at the city of Quinhagak. It starts in the scenic Ahklun Mountains then spills out across the Kuskokwim lowlands and is a fly fisherman's paradise. It is a world class fishing destination and sees quite a bit of fishing  More...

The Nabesna River is a glacially fed Class I and II river that flows north out of the heart of the Wrangell-St Elias Mountains and cuts through a shallow canyon between the Mentasta Mountains and the Nutzotin Mountains of south central Alaska. It joins the Chisana River and, together, they form the mighty Tanana River, which flows through interior Alaska to its confluence with  More...

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  More...

The Killik River begins in the northern portion of Gates of the Arctic National Park and flows north 135 miles to where it joins the Colville River at what is known as the Killik Bend. There is a 105-mile and a 90-mile section of river accessible to rafters and makes for a good 7 to 10 day trip. The river starts in the Endicott Mountains, in the region of Survey Pass at about GPS N  More...

The 95-mile long Ivishak River flows north, through the Philip Smith Mountains and the northern foothills of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to join the Sagavanirktok River on the coastal plain, 50 miles south of Prudhoe Bay. Fed by glaciers in the headwaters area, the Ivishak starts at a lake in a glacial trough and flows quickly through rocky riffles for 8 miles, then forms a  More...

The Nizina River flows out of the Nizina Glacier and into the heart of the Wrangell Mountains from a point not far from the divide with the St Elias Mountains to the east. This area is a part of the largest protected parklands in the world and from near its source, it offers a 45-mile or 90-mile trip with moderate Class III difficulties. It is a tributary of the Chitina  More...

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  More...

The Tana River is a short, challenging Class IV+ stretch of river that leads to the Chitina River. It flows out of the Chugach Mountains directly towards the Wrangell Mountains and has a reputation that deserves skill and experience paddling along fast, cold glacier water. It starts as a medium size river flowing out of the Tana Glacier that is an ice tributary of the  More...

From the Tanana uplands and The Mertie Mountains above 64 degrees north latitude, the Charley River is a National Wild and Scenic waterway and flows northward about 108 miles to the Yukon River. It is often thought of as one of the premier wilderness whitewater trips of the state and flows through three distinct topographic regions – open upland valley, cliff bound river, and  More...

The Salmon River, a designated National Wild and Scenic River, located in the Kobuk River National Park is a clear waterway with exceptional scenic attributes traversing a variety of vegetative zones as it flows south out of the Baird Mountains to its confluence with the Kobuk River. Gin clear and without any obstacles, it is a Class I river for the 45 miles to where it  More...

The Aniuk River begins in the mountains northwest of Howard Pass, an easy pass full of lakes and was a traditional pathway for migrating early native cultures. The river flows southwesterly for 80 miles to its confluence with the Noatak River. It is a small, clear water stream with numerous rocky rapids. For anyone wanting to do the Noatak River, yet want an alternate, more remote  More...

The Talachulitna or "Tal" as it is commonly referred to, is located totally within state patented lands. When people talk of floating the Tal it is usually a 5 to 7 day trip, down Talachulitna Creek and then down the Talachulitna River to the Skwentna River. From the start at a headwater lake there are 16 miles of shallow Class I creek and then 32 miles on the Tal with Class I  More...

The upper section is all shallow braids where the river winds its way through the British Mountains, an area of beautiful limestone cliffs rich with fossils. This is an area of some of the best high ridge hikes that are accessible from most camps. There are several good campsites that are just downriver of the landing strip  More...

The Wild River is not as wild as the country around it. In fact, it is one of the best family float trips that is available to those who want a dose of wilderness that is far from the security of the neighborhood watch group. It is a 63-mile trip from where it heads in a lake nestled in a lovely forested valley to where it joins the Koyukuk River and flows past the town of  More...

The Tat, as it is often called, flows out of the majestic Kluane Range of mountains in the southern Yukon Territory and slices past the Alsek Range on its way to traverse the region between the Ice Field Range and the Fairweather Range of the St Elias Mountains. It is, perhaps, the greatest wilderness float trip in North America with the upper half of its length in Canada and  More...

The Gulkana River is an approximately 80-mile long river that can be done in 5 to 7 average length days. It is a National Wild and Scenic River and one of Alaska's most popular whitewater river trips. It is an excellent fishing river trip, as well, with a large King Salmon run and lots of smaller sport fish to try for. The first three miles are, generally, Class II with 4 mph  More...

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  More...

The Talkeetna River is, according to almost every guidebook or reference you may consult, the most classic, wilderness, whitewater trip in Alaska. Its remote location, steep, fast-water canyon, abundant fishing and wildlife viewing make it one of the true classics for sure. It requires a bush plane to fly into the Talkeetna Mountains where there are huge views of the highest  More...

This river is a little known river, short in length but long in attributes, that flows in one of Alaska's premier wilderness parklands, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. With the Neocola Mountains to the north and the Chigmit Mountains to the south, the river sits in a geographically important site where the Alaska Range ends and the Aleutian Range begins. The scenery  More...

Issuing out of the aquamarine waters of Twin Lakes, the Chilikadrotna River, a Wild and Scenic River, flows past the high peaks of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and speeds the 60 miles to its confluence with the Mulchatna River. The river runs an average of 5 miles an hour through birch and spruce forest with the jagged peaks of the southern Alaska Range standing above it. It  More...

The Chena River begins in the White Mountains and is fed by five tributaries, the North Fork, South Fork, West Fork, Middle (East) Fork and the Little Chena. All the forks empty into the Middle Fork, which is the main section of the Chena River. The spring-fed Chena River runs right through downtown Fairbanks and is a Class II river with many interesting features along its  More...

Located in southwest Alaska and flowing out of the Ahklun Mountains to the Bering Sea, the North Fork of the Goodnews River is an ideal family and/or friends, 5 day float trip of 60 miles on an easy river that is choked with fish in the summer months. The upper half lies within designated wilderness in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and is surrounded by green tundra covered  More...