Chilkoot Canoe Wildlife Safari Tour (Haines Departure)

After meeting your tour representative in Skagway, you'll board a high-speed catamaran for a 45-minute boat ride to the town of Haines. Upon arrival in Haines, we'll take a short tour of Fort Seward, a 30-minute drive from downtown Haines, and then head up the Lutak Inlet to the Chilkoot River Valley. The Chilkoot corridor offers incredible wildlife viewing. Brown Bears, eagles, mountain goats, and spawning salmon are common sights. Our guides are expert naturalists and enjoy sharing their love and knowledge of the Alaskan wilderness. Once at the Lake, we’ll head out onto Chilkoot Lake in stable motor-assisted Voyageur Canoes. Our Canoes are built using similar dimensions as the canoes used by trappers and gold miners at the turn of the century. Powered by either paddle or motor, this tour offers guests the opportunity to paddle in the serenity of Chilkoot Lake, while also having the advantage of relaxing and taking photographs when it’s time to take a break from paddling. We’ll be out on the water for about 2 hours and explore the inlets, coves, salmon spawning streams, and numerous waterfalls that spill off of the mountains into the lake. After enjoying the beautiful views of the lake, we’ll return to Haines and serve a picnic-style lunch at a private ocean beach location. Following lunch, we'll load up back onto the fast ferry for the return trip to Skagway. * Timings: (~50 minutes) – Your friendly guides will meet you near the Port Chilkoot Cruise Ship Dock in Haines. Before departing you’ll be able to ask any questions that you might still have about your upcoming excursion and use the restrooms before you embark on an interpretive drive through historic Fort Seward and continue to Chilkoot Lake. Along the way, we’ll drive along the breathtaking shoreline of the Lynn Fjord and the wildlife-rich Chilkoot River. (~15 minutes) – When we arrive at Chilkoot Lake you’ll have the opportunity to meet your other guides and take in the stunning views of the pristine lake. Your guides will help you get fit with a PFD (life jacket), rubber boots, and canoe paddle. You’ll then receive a thorough safety briefing and orientation before boarding the 31’ long voyageur canoe for your adventure. (~90 minutes) – We’ll spend the next hour and a half experiencing Chilkoot Lake while our stable voyageur canoes. It is an excellent way to take in the fantastic views by water and if the wind picks up or you’re ready to relax, we will use the quiet 4-stroke motor to move around. (~15 minutes) – Once back at the put-in we’ll trade your rubber boots and PFDs back in for your shoes and you’ll have time to enjoy our private deck and spotting scopes to take in the views of the lake and surrounding mountains and waterfalls one more time. (~35 minutes) – We’ll then board our transportation and head down to the ocean for lunch. (~25 minutes) – At our private ocean-side picnic area, you’ll enjoy a picnic-style lunch that provides great views of the Lynn Fjord in a private setting. (~10 minutes) – Once we wrap up with lunch, a brief trip will bring us back to our meeting point near the dock which is a short walk from downtown and nearby shops and restaurants.