RAFT &
FLIGHTSEE
Day Trip
- Rafting
- Mild
Raft two Alaskan rivers and fly in a bush plane - all in one day!
Join us for a magnificent, one-day, Alaska rafting adventure that will carry you deep into the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias! Start your voyage directly on the Kennicott River just a half-mile downstream from the terminus of the Kennicott Glacier. From there, you’ll float down river while your guide expertly navigates through surging Class II and III Rapids. This river carves its way through a wide glacial valley that is great for animal spotting! Once you connect to the Nizina River, your gaze will turn to the narrow and twisting walls of the Nizina Canyon. We use oar (not paddle) boats for this trip, so your job is to hang on tight and enjoy the scenery as we go down the river!
Want the full itinerary? See our Raft & Flightsee Itinerary for more information!
Tour Details
Price
Adult(13+) $380
Child(12-) $330
Mileage
~17 river miles and ~¼ mile of walking
Terrain
Uneven river rock, up to Class III rapids
Tour Length – Day Trip
7 hours
Tour Start Times
10 am in McCarthy
Dates Offered
Daily from June 1st – September 1st, 2023
Age Limit
Must be age 8 or older
Group Size
Limited availability – maximum 12 guests to 2 guides per day
2 person minimum to start a trip. Call for availability if you are a solo traveler!
DETAILS
Trip Highlights
- Surging Class II-III Rapids navigated by your guide on an oar raft
- Remote wilderness that can only be accessed by boat
- Opportunities to view wildlife from the river
- Delicious deli-style picnic lunch spread
- 15-minute scenic bush plane flight back to McCarthy
What’s Included?
- Experienced and knowledgeable guide
- Lunch!
- Neoprene top, rain boots, and a PFD (personal floatation device)
- Roundtrip transportation to and from McCarthy!
(Pick-up time and location vary depending on your lodging location. Please reference your confirmation for specific details.)
What’s Not Included?
- Gratuity
- Personal gear
Equipment List
Come prepared with the following:
- Rain Gear – Both jacket and pants!
- Warm Layers – NO COTTON!
- Warm Hat and Sun Hat
- Sunglasses and Sunscreen
- Rain/Rubber Boots – We do have loaner boots available if needed. The shoes you arrive in will be stored in a waterproof bag if they are not waterproof.
- Water Bottle – lunch is provided!
- Camera/Phone to Take Pictures!
GALLERY
FAQ
Tipping is customary in the guiding industry and always appreciated. Our guides are paid professionals but tips make up a significant portion of their income and can go a long way toward making guiding a feasible long-term career choice. For our day trips, a good estimate is between 10% and 20% of the trip cost. So if you go on a day hike or climb with us, that would come to between $10 and $35 per person, depending on the trip and the percentage. As in any industry, your tip should be based on the service you feel you received. If you had the time of your life, the sky’s the limit! You can tip your guides in cash, via Venmo or you can leave a gratuity on your card. If your trip includes a flight you should plan on tipping your pilot independently, any amount that you pre-tip will go to your guide directly. Thank you for considering this ahead of time!
Because we are a long-established company with a great reputation in a stunning and remote location, we attract the best guides in the business! We hire competent men and women with extensive outdoor experience, first aid training, and great personalities and then put them through a thorough training program unique to our area and our programs. Because our schedule is as dynamic as the environment we live in, we usually assign guides the night before for our Day Trips. We love and trust every one of them and we know you will too! You can read more about these fabulous individuals here.
We are located in the heart of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. There is a 60mi dirt road that connects us to the highway system and there is also an airstrip in town!
There are several options for getting to McCarthy-Kennecott – driving, riding in a van shuttle, taking a scheduled or chartered flight, or some combination of these options. Please visit our Transportation+Lodging page for more detailed information.
Meet the incredible guides that are the heart of our trips!
Who are the guides that make up the St. Elias Alpine Guides team? They are a diverse and competent group of people from all across the country. Their extensive outdoor experience, wilderness medical training, and great personalities make them stand out from the crowd. We put them through a thorough training program unique to our area – glaciology lessons, backcountry navigation, and training trips on the slopes of the Wrangell Mountains add to our guides’ abilities to adapt and dominate in the diverse terrain of WSENP. From a glacier hike to an 8-day expedition, they’ll be sure to make it a trip of a lifetime!
Because our schedule is as dynamic as the environment we live in, we usually assign guides the night before for our Day Trips. And while we can’t guarantee who your guide will be – we love and trust every one of them and we know you will too!