Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Rafting

6.5 Hours departs from Skagway

Treat yourself to a small-group rafting and scenic driving tour through the famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. 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 cliffs rising above the sea. Marvel at the scenery and look for harbor seals basking on the rocks along the shore and bald eagles perched in the pine trees.

Arrive in Haines, meet your expert guide and enjoy a thirty minute riverside drive along the Haines Highway. Glacier-clad mountains thrust to the sky, colorful wildflowers line the road, and green riverside channels provide habitat for moose, bear and trumpeter swans.

After a thorough safety talk, board your raft and head downstream through the famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. This is a float trip, not a whitewater rafting trip; the water is swift and cold. Your hands are free for your binoculars or camera; paddling is not required. Your guide uses the oars to expertly navigate the raft through the ever-changing channels.

You will experience the beauty of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and learn about its critical role in ensuring bald eagle’s survival. The scenery is spectacular and the sights and sounds of modern civilization seem far away. There is no cell phone reception.

Your guide helps you spot bald eagles whether they are perched in the trees, soaring in the sky or feeding along the shore. Early in the summer, resident eagles can be seen flying to their nest to feed their chicks. By mid-summer, the river fills with salmon, and more eagles can be seen along the banks and in the trees. In late summer, the young birds begin stretching their wings to prepare for their first flight.

At the trip's end, board the comfortable vehicle and head back to Haines, enjoying lunch along the way. Return to Skagway via Fast Ferry.