Alaska Adventures
ALASKA RAFTING EXPEDITIONS
An Alaska rafting trip is an adventure in time, taking you back to an era before cell phones, cars, or people, where nature resides in delicate balance. Join us for an inspirational journey down two of North America’s most wild and remote rivers—the Alsek and Tatshenshini. These unforgettable expeditions take paddlers through two different regions of the breathtaking Alsek-Tatshenshini wilderness, a rugged and untouched landscape punctuated by the dramatic peaks of the St. Elias Mountains, glaciers and bobbing icebergs. Near the border of Alaska, the two waterways converge with both trips culminating in the heart of Glacier Bay National Park. The Alsek and Tatshenshini are two distinct experiences, each offering a unique opportunity to rewild your soul on an Alaska adventure like no other.
Find Your Perfect Trip
Adventures in Alaska
Alaska Rafting on the Tatshenshini River
Location:
Alaska
Adventure Level:
Moderately Challenging
Minimum Age:
13
Alsek River Rafting Adventure
Location:
Alaska
Adventure Level:
Challenging
Minimum Age:
14
This was a trip like no other. The guides were so knowledgeable about the rivers we rafted, the glaciers surrounding us, and the stories that bring the area to life. We rafted, hiked, explored, laughed and learned on this trip.
Terri OARS Tatshenshini guest
Map
What Alaska rafting trips does OARS offer?
OARS facilitates rafting trips on the Tatshenshini River and the Alsek River. Both trips begin in Canada’s Yukon Territory (a passport is required) and culminate in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park.
Tatshenshini rafting trips cover 140 river miles over 13 days and offer Class II-III whitewater, while Alsek rafting trips cover 160 river miles in 12 days and are considered more challenging with Class III-IV whitewater. Both trips offer incredible hiking opportunities, but with an extra day and slightly less river miles, the Tatshenshini moves at a more relaxed pace with several layover day opportunities meant for relaxation and exploring. The highlight of an Alsek River rafting trip is undoubtedly the exciting heli-portage mid-trip over Tweedsmuir Glacier and an unnavigable Class V stretch of whitewater through Turnback Canyon.
What kinds of wildlife should I expect to see on an Alaska trip?
Alaska and the Yukon are home to wildlife of the most majestic quality. The region is host to grizzly and black bear, wolves, moose, bald and golden eagles, osprey, peregrine and gyrfalcons. On the coast, Alaska also offers close encounters with puffins, cormorants, oyster catchers and marbled murrelets as well as sea otters, sea lions, orcas and humpback whales.
Why choose OARS for an Alaska adventure?
While on a 1977 Tatshenshini River rafting trip in Alaska, OARS Founder and President George Wendt, witnessed a vastness even greater in magnitude than Grand Canyon. It was a profound experience for him to travel approximately 150 miles through territory utterly untouched by human development.
‘The Tat’ was a very different type of river than he had previously experienced, taking him through lush glacier-carved, U-shaped valleys teeming with wildlife. Walking on a glacier certainly offered a dramatic change from the hot desert southwest where he had spent much of his time. He recognized immediately it was a place he needed to share with others. Today, we’re proud to offer a handful of Tatshenshini River trips each summer as well as Alsek River rafting expeditions through our Canadian partners.
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