Chilkoot Wilderness and Wildlife Viewing - Skagway Departure in Skagway booking from $226.00

Chilkoot Wilderness and Wildlife Viewing - Skagway Departure

Overview

Leave the crowds of Skagway behind and visit Chilkoot Lake State Park in Haines.

Your tour begins with a high-speed catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords which connect Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from both sides of the boat. Upon arrival in Haines, you will meet your expert naturalist guide for a drive to Chilkoot Lake State Park.

This park has it all: a turquoise lake surrounded by snowy mountain peaks, a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea, and important Tlingit cultural sights. Bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bears are often seen here.

City: Skagway

Sun 03 Nov

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Starting at $226.00

Make a reservation

Sun 03 Nov

Starting at $226.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Bottled water

Driver/guide

Lunch

Port pickup

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A minimum of 2 people is required for tour to run
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the name of their cruise ship and Hotel guests must provide the name of the hotel or B&B.
Not accessible to motorized wheelchairs.
Your tour includes a portable lunch. It consists of a turkey sandwich on organic whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookie, and bottled water. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available with 48 hours advance notice.
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

What To Expect

Haines

Visit a true naturalist’s paradise - Haines, Alaska. Haines boasts some of the most pristine wild country in Southeast Alaska. Your expert naturalist guide will share their knowledge of this area’s unique wildlife, plants, and ecosystems.

Chilkoot River

In May, June and July, the wildflowers are at their peak and eagles are busy caring for their young on the nest. Beginning in late July, the river fills with migrating salmon, while brown bears come down to the river’s edge to feed. As the number of salmon in the river increases, the likelihood of seeing bears down along the river increases, with a good probability of bear sightings from early August through late September.

Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area

As you drive through the park, your guide knows the best places to stop for scenery and the possibility of wildlife spotting. Your guide is equipped with a powerful spotting scope to bring the wildlife in close, and your guide will help interpret the behavior of the various wildlife and explain how the animals fit into the Chilkoot’s complex ecosystem. Make sure you bring your camera to take advantage of the numerous photo opportunities.

Fort William H. Seward National Historic Landmark

Fort William H Seward overlooks the Port Chilkoot Cruise Ship Dock. Built by the US Army in 1904, the fort has a storied past and is now privately owned and maintained.

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (15)

nancy_b

Aug 2022

We enjoyed our guide Kate she was knowledgeable and kind. It was a bit too much in the van. I would have liked to chase more animals.

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Thanks for your kind review of our tour. Kate is a great guide. Just for your information, we never "chase" animals. We follow ethical wildlife viewing protocols. This means that our goal is to watch wildlife without changing their behavior in any way. We do spend time looking for wildlife and this often involves driving around in our van. If we find wildlife, then we get out and spend as much time as possible to safely and ethically watch and interpret their behavior. The best wildlife viewing area is only seven miles from town so we usually don't have to spend too much time in our vehicle. But if we don't find anything and choose to look at another location, driving is required. There are limited roads in the Haines area.

betgerw

Jul 2022

This was a not an accurately described excursion experience. It was advertised as a “wildlife” experience with pictures of bears and wildlife alongside the description. As soon as we met our guide, he told us we had less than a 10% chance of seeing any wildlife. Instead,, we had scenic photo opportunities of lakes and channels and we learned about fauna. Our guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. However, it was not at all what we expected and most of us on the tour felt misled .I cold not recommend this tour.

Response from Host

Jul 2022

Thanks for advising us about your feeling about our tour description. Your guide advised you that there was a low chance of seeing bear, but not that there was a low chance of seeing any wildlife. Bald eagles, harbor seals, common mergansers, surf scoters, and other wildlife are often see on these tours. It is true that we have a photo of a bear on our advertising, but we clearly say in the tour description that the odds of seeing brown bear are low until the pink salmon run begins in August. Even then, we never guarantee bear nor other wildlife. Along those lines, let me share with you my experience regarding the odds of seeing bear along the Chilkoot River. This comes from having lived and guided here for over thirty years. Before August 1st, the odds of seeing bear are low. We do see them alongside the road eating vegetation, and a few come in during the early summer to feed on the sockeye salmon run, but the odds are low. By August, when the pink salmon begin to run, I estimate a 50 percent chance of seeing bear. Even with that being said, years ending in odd numbers (like 2023) compared to years ending in even numbers (like 2024) have higher chances of seeing bear because the pink salmon runs are on a two year cycle. The odds keep increasing throughout the month of August as the pink salmon runs get stronger. By September, the odds of seeing a bear are over eighty percent, and by mid-September, they are close to 90 percent. We never say 100 percent chance of seeing brown bear because there are many variables, including the amount of water in the river. High water decreases the chance of seeing bear because it is difficult for them to catch the salmon. I am glad you mentioned our guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. While I cannot control the wildlife sightings, I do have control over hiring and training of our guides. Hopefully, the value of the tour is found in the quality of the information and service provided. If you or anyone else are interested in guaranteed bear sightings, this is not the tour to buy. We will look into revising our advertising of this tour so that guests like you do not feel misled.

28stanb

Jul 2022

Our guide David was amazing. His knowledge of the area, history and sites was unbelievable. He could tell you about everything there. He also a avid photographer and knows where the best place to photograph are. We were there in June, but if you go in July you have a better chance of seeing bears as the salmon are running.

Response from Host

Jul 2022

Thanks for your kind comments about our guide, David. He is a font of knowledge and he enthusiastically shares it with our guests. Since David is a professional photographer, he can give photo tips in addition to sharing his knowledge of natural history. In the interest of providing accurate information, I would say that July is still early for reliable bear viewing in Haines. August and September would be best months, the pink salmon run that attracts the bear starts in early August and peaks in September. It would be great to have you join us again.

Chilkoot Wilderness and Wildlife Viewing - Skagway Departure

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