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

Mon 23 Dec

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Starting at $226.00

Make a reservation

Mon 23 Dec

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)

David_J

Jul 2022

we had a wonderful experience with Jen as our guide. She was very informative and made the trip fun. She was very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife and gave lots of facts.

Response from Host

Jul 2022

Jen is an amazing guide with a lifetime of experience in the Far North. She is one of our senior guides and is lots of fun to be with. Thanks so much and we hope to see you again here in Haines!

Cheryl_H

Jun 2022

Spent over 200 per person to see about 10 bald eagles. I do understand that people cannot control what animals are "out" but I was expecting to see anything more than eagles, especially for the 4 hrs spent on the bus. It was more like a scenic sit seeing trip photography trip. Our guide David was amazing though!

Response from Host

Jun 2022

Thanks for sharing your candid thoughts. It is critical for us that guests have realistic expectations about our tours. The money you spent was not just to see bald eagles and other wildlife. This tour includes meet and greet service at the cruise ship dock in Skagway, round trip transfers between the cruise ship dock and the Fast Ferry dock, a round trip scenic Fast Ferry ride between Skagway and Haines ($75p/p retail just by itself) meet and greet and pick-up at the dock in Haines, and four hours guided touring in Haines with a professional naturalist. We provide professional-grade spotting scopes and binocular on the tour. And the tour includes a nice lunch. All Rainbow Glacier Adventure tours are small group tour: we have a maximum of 14 per vehicle. You were not in a big crowded 40 passenger bus like other companies. And we do not spend four hours in the bus. We get out and explore a variety of environments and make numerous stops along the way. I appreciate that you commented that David was amazing. David Kresni has a master's degree in Environmental Education, is a first-rate wildlife photographer and is a recognized expert in the field of global climate change. We cannot control the number of bald eagles that you see on any tour. As far as other wildlife goes, beginning in August the pink salmon start running up the Chilkoot River and the odds of seeing brown bear increases every week until October. But we never guarantee wildlife sightings. I am sorry that your expectations did not match the experience. We have a commitment to high-quality tours. The value is in the overall experience. If you read the reviews on Trip Advisor, you will find that the vast majority of our guests thoroughly enjoy the experience and feel like they got great value for their money.

rainraven

Jan 2022

Worst excursion ever! Highlight was boat ride to Haines. Down hill from there. 4 hours on riding around Haines and stopping at pull offs (no facilities) and hanging around each parking lot for 45+ minutes. Enclosed are pics of the picnic lunch. I was not expecting gourmet food, But for $219 pp, a restaurant quality sandwich would have been appreciated, Instead of one that looks like the Inexperienced tour guide threw together in her kitchen. We saw one bear from far away.

Response from Host

Jan 2022

I was happy to see that you saw a brown bear in the wild on your tour. To see a brown bear in the wild, even from a distance, should be considered a privilege and a highlight. Brown bear do not cohabitate well with humans, and have been largely eliminated from the lower 48 states. We always bring high-powered spotting scopes on our wildlife tours so that bears can be viewed safely from a distance. Our guides are experienced at finding bear, and also teaching our guests about bear and how they fit into the Chilkoot ecosystem. We never guarantee bear sightings. Our guides are seasoned and well trained. First and foremost, they are trained in bear safety. We stay close to the vehicle in the parking areas because our number one priority is safety. To venture far from the vehicle in bear country exposes our guests to unnecessary risks. We do not advertise this as a hiking tour. Even elderly guests and those with poor mobility can enjoy this tour. It is an educational tour and a scenic drive. Each stop is carefully chosen to provide information about various ecosystems where the wildlife lives. On our four-hour tour, our guests experience a fjord, an estuary, a riverside stop, and a scenic lake. Contrary to your comments, there are facilities at the majority of our stops. Our lunch consists of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a crisp apple and a fresh-baked cookie. Mountain Market, a popular local Haines eatery, prepares our lunches each morning. We even offer gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian lunch options with advance notice. I am sorry you were not satisfied with your experience with us. Rainbow Glacier Adventures has been in business for over twenty years and we have received hundreds of five-star reviews on Tripadvisor. I sincerely hope my comments help you to understand this tour and our company better.

Chilkoot Wilderness and Wildlife Viewing - Skagway Departure

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