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Voyij
Skagway   • 
Duration 6 hr 30 min

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Rafting - Departs from Skagway

Offered by Rainbow Glacier Adventures  In Haines, Alaska

About us

We are committed to providing an unforgettable experience and superior service for each and every one of our guests. Our staff and guides are knowledgeable about the natural and human history of our area and offer great customer service. Our small groups provide experiences and visit locations that big bus tours cannot. Our largest vehicle holds 14 guests yet averages 6. Our tour minimum is just 2 guests so, if you are the only couple signed up, your tour won’t cancel!

We are Haines and Skagway specialists. We compose our team primarily of local hires. Since we live here, we strive to be good community members. Many of our tours involve partnerships with other Haines businesses. We consider the effects of our tours on the local environment that we call home.

We’ve approached tourism in a sustainable manner since the 1980s. We recycle at the office, donate to local environmental projects and make sure our money stays in the local community.

About the owner
Joe arrived in Haines in 1986 working as a naturalist aboard a small, eighty-passenger expedition ship. Haines captured Joe’s heart and imagination, and he moved here in 1987 to manage and guide for a local rafting company. Joe founded Rainbow Glacier Adventures in 1992. The first tours RGA offered featured small group visits to local artists’ homes. Since that time, the company and variety of tours has grown but the concept of local guides and high-quality, educational tours remains. While Joe spends much of his time running the organization, he particularly enjoys guiding private photography tours and special charters. Joe enjoys backcountry skiing, international travel, photography, and, above all, spending time with his wife, Edie, and daughters, Stella Angelina and Sapphire Marie.

What we'll do

Treat yourself to a small group rafting and scenic driving tour through the famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.

From Skagway, the trip begins with a 45-minute ferry ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliff sides on both sides of the boat. Marvel at the scenery and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and bald eagles.

Once in Haines, meet your expert guide and enjoy a riverside drive along the Haines Highway. The drive is incredibly scenic: glacier-clad mountains thrust to the sky, colorful wildflowers line the road, green riverside channels provide habitat for moose, bear and trumpeter swans. The highway was declared a National Scenic Byway in 2009.

Arrive at the river in the heart of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, approximately 45 minutes away. Don your life jackets, listen to your guide’s safety talk, board the raft and leave the road and civilization behind. You are immersed in the Alaskan wilderness, floating the silent river channels.

This is 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 the summer months, a healthy resident population of bald eagles lives along the river. Your expert guide will push the raft along, explaining the intricate balance of nature that makes this a unique and special place. You do not have to paddle; your hands are free for your camera and binoculars. Keep an eye out for other wildlife besides bald eagles. ……moose, otters, brown and black bear, and even wolves, call this Preserve their home.

You will spend approximately one and one half hours floating the river. After rafting, your guide will select a scenic spot to enjoy a picnic lunch on your way back to Haines and/or back to your ship in Skagway.

What to expect / what's provided

* Duration: 6.5 hour tour departing from Skagway

* A minimum of 2 person booking is required for this tour

*Includes roundtrip ferry ticket to/from Haines

*Your tour includes a deli-style lunch. It consists of a turkey sandwich on organic whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookie, and bottled water. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available with 48 hours of advance notice.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel more than seven days prior to the tour, you are entitled to a full refund. If you cancel seven days to 24 hours prior, you receive a 50% refund. With less than 24 hours notice, there will be no refund.

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