11-Day Whitewater Rafting on the Breathtaking Tatshenshini River

We’ll all assemble at the lobby around 8 a.m. to load our vehicle and embark upon the scenic drive to Dalton Post. On our way there, we’ll stop at Kwaday Dan Kenji hamlet, translated from Southern Tutchone it means “The Long Ago People's Place.” At the museum, we’ll be able to compare our lifestyle and habits with the native shelters and traditional living skills of the First Nation elders.

Then, we’ll continue to Kluane National Park Interpretive Centre and Kluane Game Sanctuary. The road will take us through the spectacular landscape of Haines Pass, which will take us to the US Customs Post in Pleasant Camp.

In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at Dalton Post where our guides will deliver a safety briefing and answer any questions that you might have about whitewater rafting. We’ll load the rafts and wind our way down the mighty Klukshu River and after a few hours of paddling, we’ll reach our first camp.

After a hearty breakfast at the camp, another safety briefing will follow as we’ll be greeted by Class II-III whitewater rapids in the  St. Elias Mountains. Then, as we travel through a narrow, rugged gorge in the Tatshenshini River and into a more extensive valley, we’ll depart Yukon and enter the territories of British Columbia.

Here, we enter the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park where breathtakingly beautiful views of the mountain range on the horizon, along with river banks covered in verdant green blankets of wildflowers and moss remain. At the end of the day, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the world’s largest bio-reserve.

The third day of our expedition will be much quieter than the previous days. We’ll have descended steep rapids the day before, and now we’ll traverse a peaceful river, passing through broad valleys dotted with oxbow lakes. Glacier-carved, U-shaped valleys here allow cool ocean air in, which together with frequent floods, avalanches, and elevation changes has created many diverse habitats for wildlife and birds.

If we’re lucky, we’ll have a chance to spot grizzly bears, moose, bald eagles, beavers, osprey, and many species of waterfowl. The river will become broader as we paddle further and dramatic views of the Alsek Range will open up before our eyes.

If the weather permits, the fourth day of our expedition will be spent hiking. We’ll be camping at Got Ridge which offers excellent hiking trails. As we ascend higher and higher onto the ridge, views of the surrounding valleys unfold before us, and an alpine meadow welcomes us to lie down among the wildflowers.

Those who wish to continue ascending will be rewarded with a view of the glaciers at Alsek Range at about 3280 feet (1000 meters). On your hike, you might spot hardy mountain goats feeding in the open tundra.

On Day 5 of our trip, we’re back to rafting. We’ll go down past the Carmine Peaks, and O’Connor River where spectacular views of the St. Elias Mountain Range open up and signs of recent glacial activity are visible. The river cruises through a series of vast valleys and canyons that are home to an abundance of wildlife: mountain goats, moose, grizzly bears, and bald eagles. See if you can spot them and snap a few pictures!

From our camp at Melt Creek, a glistening white and icy panorama of approximately 27 glaciers is visible from every direction. Over the next couple days, we’ll explore this world of ice from our rafts. We’ll also finally reach the confluence of the Alsek River. Here we’ll paddle into the Noisy Range,home of Pentice Ice Cap where the Tatshenshini River disappears.

On day 8, we’ll camp at the base of Walker Glacier where you’ll be treated to a melody of icebergs breaking free from glaciers.

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll get back on the river. We’ll follow the current down to the stunning Alsek Lake. On our way there, we’ll pass an abundance of glaciers, including the vast icy desert of the Novatak Glacier. Due to rapid climate change, Novatak Glacier has retreated for more than 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) over a period of 25 years and might disappear altogether in a matter of decades. Soon enough, you might be one of the few who has seen it!

Here, at the Alsek Lake, Grand Plateau Glacier stretches out on the shoreline for several miles and calves icebergs out into the lake with a thundering roar. Our camp will be set on the shore where we’ll spend our evening observing and listening to the icebergs, breaking free.

We’ll spend the next day exploring the surrounding areas by feet and observing other calving icebergs in Alsek Lake.

The final leg of our journey will take us down from the Alsek Lake to the Dry Bay, where the river enters the Gulf of Alaska. Dry Bay area hosts a small seasonal community with a few fishermen and it can only be accessed by plane or by boat. A bush plane will pick us up and take us to Whitehorse. Breathtaking views of the Coast and St. Elias Mountain Ranges are visible from the plane.

We strongly recommend that you don’t make any homeward flight arrangements until the next day, as our trip to Whitehorse can be heavily delayed by the weather in Dry Bay. Many guides and guests like to meet at the local diner to chat over shared experiences of the past 11 days. You’re more than welcome to join in!

Please arrange your own accommodation for the final night in Whitehorse.