Alaska: Rafting the Tatshenshini River

Day 1 : Arrive in Haines, Alaska

Accommodation: : Halsingland Hotel - Haines

Arrive in Haines, Alaska by 3:30pm to have enogh time to check in and clean up for your 5:00pm pre-trip meeting at the Halsingland Hotel. We have reserved rooms for our group at the Halsingland Hotel. Just mention you are part of Alaska Discovery group. This room is included on the price of your trip.

Day 2 : Travel to Dalton Post in Yukon Territory, Canada

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast on your own, meet at the Halsingland Hotel lobby at 8:00 a.m. and board a van for a beautiful 3-hour drive (104 miles) up the Chilkat River Valley, across the border into British Columbia, and on to Dalton Post in Yukon Territory, Canada. After we rig our bags into the rafts, we’ll push off on the Tatshenshini. Soon, we’ll plunge into the exhilarating Class III rapids of the Tatshenshini Gorge. Upon emerging into calmer waters, we’ll make camp along the river.

Days 3 - 5 : Along the “Tat”

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The river slowly builds momentum over the next three days as we wind our way toward the beautiful Alsek and Noisey Mountain Ranges. There are a few good short hikes to take in this area. This is prime country for moose, bear and wolf; the beaches are often marked with the tracks of all three, and occasionally we catch views of the animals themselves.

Days 6 - 9 : The Confluence / The Walker Glacier / Floating the Alsek

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The mountains, river and wildlife become more spectacular as the swift flowing river brings us ever closer to Alsek Bay. We come to the majestic confluence with the Alsek River, a place many call “the center of the universe.” Our campsite vista will span the broad expanse of both river valleys, flanked by more then 20 different glaciers.

Day 10 : Dry Bay

After floating into the flat, forested plains beyond Alsek Bay, we arrive at the Dry Bay Fishing Company outpost along the estuary of the Alsek River. (Dry Bay is named for the mud flats in low tide, certainly not for the weather patterns here.) Small aircraft will meet us for our spectacular charter flight to Yakutat in time for the scheduled Alas­kan Airlines service to Juneau (we have tailored this trip around this flight, and Juneau is your gateway city to other destinations). Most guests choose to return to Juneau this night and often get together for a no-host dinner at a local restaurant. We recommend you stay in Juneau this evening as some flights homeward necessitate a forced overnight in Seattle before connecting with onward-bound flights. We’ll provide you with a list of hotels in the pre-departure information booklet.