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Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Rafting - Skagway Departure

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Rafting - Skagway Departure

Overview

This is a small group rafting and scenic driving tour through the famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve with a scenic float trip (no whitewater) through the home of the largest bald eagle congregation in the world. Thousands of bald eagles travel here to feed on salmon in the fall and winter. In spring and summer watch for eagles nesting and raising their young.

City: Skagway

Mon 23 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $235.00

Make a reservation

Mon 23 Dec

Starting at $235.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

High Speed Catamaran transfer between Skagway and Haines, Alaska

Local guide

Bottled water

Driver/guide

Lunch

Port pickup

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Minimum age 7 years
Maximum weight 250 lbs.
A minimum of 2 people is required to open the tour
Cruise Ship Passengers, please provide ship name for meeting location. Hotel guests, please provide name of hotel for pick-up.
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (16)

568debbie

Jul 2019

Nice float in a beautiful valley and overall a very smooth experience. I was not aware that there was so much travel time involved just to get to the activity as I might not have booked this. But getting to see Haines was nice. My main critique is that our river guide dave took his raft down the river sideways 95% of the time which meant that my back was down river most of the time. So I had a terrible view and had a hard time viewing what he was talking about most of the time. The entire staff was nice and professional.

Response from Host

Jul 2019

Thanks for the review and your comments. We take all comments seriously and appreciate the chance to respond. The tour from Skagway involves a 45 minute Fast Ferry ride between the two towns each direction. There is no direct road connection- as a matter of fact, to driver from Haines to Skagway is 350 miles one way! The end result of this is that Haines is not as crowded as Skagway- Skagway gets over 1 million visitors a year! So the fact that there is some expense and time involved to get between the two towns actually works in favor of those who want get off the main tourist track. Another factor that is affecting our travel time to the river is that there is some road construction taking place along the Haines Highway right now. Of course, this is out of our control and some trips get delayed along the road. The actual length of time on the river varies depending on current, wind and other factors- but the typical trip spends 4 hours in Haines with 1.5 hours on the river. As far as your comment about going sideways down the river, it is important to understand the type of watercraft we use and how they move down the river. We use rubber rafts that are steered by the guide using two oars. This allows our guests to have their hands free to take pictures or use their binoculars to look at the eagles and scenery. Guests are not expected to paddle or row. The power that propels the raft down the river is the current of the river. In order to maximize the efficiency of travel down the river, the guide turns the raft sideways to the current. The raft is constantly turning from one side to the others as it moves downstream. While it may seem that the guide could drive the raft as if he is driving a car and simply point downstream, this is simply not the case. The boat travels sideways most of the time. But it is easy for the guide to turn around 180 degrees. So if you had your back downstream most of the time, you could have talked to Dave about it. Dave is a great guide and I'm sure if you had asked him or talked to him about it he would have turned the raft around so you would be pointed downstream. We always want our guests to leave our trip happy, and so it helps to let us know if there is an issue during the trip instead of after.

dianedinky

Jun 2019

I selected this for the opportunity to see eagles close up but we only saw 2 all trip and they were barely visible in the trees. I had much better sightings just on the bus Anchorage to Portage and then at Kenai. There was a centre with injured birds but we didn't visit it so there was no real educational element. This is not white water so you wouldn't select if a rafting fan. And not great for wildlife enthusiasts like me so not sure who it's aimed at. If you like being cold and getting a wet bum then this is for you. Otherwise avoid.

Response from Host

Jun 2019

I'm sorry to hear that our trip did not meet your expectations. This is a rafting trip in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The birds are wild and so the quality and number of eagle sightings vary with each trip. We do not advertise that we go to the Center for Injured birds on this tour. If you had desired to see injured birds in captivity, there are opportunities in Haines, Sitka and Juneau. It is true that this is not a white water trip, nor do we advertise the trip as such. The emphasis is getting out in pristine nature and experiencing uniquely wild and beautiful place- The Chlkat Bald Eagle Preserve. There are five species of wild salmon that run up the Chilkat River and many active bald eagle's nest along our route. We often have great eagle sighting on our tour. I am also sorry to hear you say that there was no real educational element. Rainbow Glacier Adventures prides itself on offering a high quality educational experience in a small group setting. I am the author of the book Where Eagles Gather, the Story of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Haines, Alaska and i have 30 years guiding experience in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. I personally train all our river guides, and the vast majority of those who go with us are impressed with the quality of our guides.

Kilraen

May 2019

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the eagle preserve on the Chillikat river. Our guide, Dave, really made our time on the raft enjoyable! He was was humorous and educational at the same time. We both highly recommend this adventure; well worth the cost and time, especially with Dave as your guide!! Tell Dave to say hello to “Evinrude” for us!

Response from Host

May 2019

I love that you said that Dave was both educational and humerous. We understand that folks like you are on vacation, not taking a college course, but that you want some good solid information about the Eagle Preserve. But its also important to present the infomration in a way that easy to digest. Dave's easy-going style and Southern accent belie the fact that he is an expert river guide, always wathcing out for your safety. Dave loves rafting and the Preserve and his enthusiasm is contagious. We're glad to have Dave back with us for another season. Joe