Brimming with wild salmon, bears, bald eagles and some of the most accessible wilderness in Alaska, Haines is an ideal jumping off point for a wide range of active adventures including sea kayaking, fishing, rafting, hiking, camping and wildlife viewing.
ITINERARY 1
What follows is a general flow of events. Visiting remote areas can be challenging and flexibility is often necessary for an authentic experience.
Day 1: Arrive Haines airport and meet your guide. A short drive (20 minutes) will bring us to the Chilkoot River where you will meet your fly fishing instructor for an afternoon of salmon fishing.
Night 1: Experience an authentic Alaska cabin in the woods. Enjoy the long daylight hours and never ending sunset with fire seared salmon steaks cooked onsite and served with fresh local greens. Participation is encouraged and your guide will share the techniques and tricks that make guiding an art form.
Day 2: It’s an early start today. The water taxi departs at 9:00 AM bound for a remote beach only accessible by water. On arrival we will offload our equipment and set up our base camp. After setting up tents and the camp kitchen we will have a picnic lunch and explore the surrounding area for signs of wildlife. Our first mission is to find a suitable place to set the wild game camera, with any luck we will capture some wildlife on film. The afternoon is open for fishing, learning to paddle the sea kayaks or hiking along the beach.
Night 2: Tonight we tuck in to our tents and sleeping bags for a well deserved rest.
Day 3: Today is full with activities so we start off with a big breakfast cooked right on the beach. Help find the perfect stick sizes for cooking pancakes on the griddle or keep the tea water hot on the open fire. After fueling up we will head up the lake trail watching for the telltale signs of bears, moose and wolves. Depending on the pace of the hike we will enjoy a lake side picnic lunch while we skip rocks and take in the stunning Davidson Glacier. We will return to the beach base camp by early afternoon in time for a midday nap or a paddle in the kayaks (weather permitting) before settling into our dinner prep chores.
Night 3: This is your last tent night so savor the sounds of the waves on the beach, the evening song birds and the occasional rumble of the distant calving glacier.
Day 4: Another early morning finds us breaking down camp and stuffing sleeping bags, after breakfast and hot drinks of course. The water taxi will arrive mid morning and we follow the shoreline back to Letnikoff Cove where we meet our airport shuttle.
ITINERARY 2
What follows is a general flow of events. Visiting remote areas can be challenging and flexibility is often necessary for an authentic experience.
Day 1: Arrive Haines airport and meet your guide. A short drive (20 minutes) will bring us to the Chilkoot River where you will meet your fly fishing instructor for an afternoon of salmon fishing.
Night 1: Tonight we camp on the banks of Chilkoot Lake. After setting up tents and our camp kitchen we will enjoy the long daylight hours and never ending sunset with fire seared salmon steaks cooked onsite and served with fresh local greens. Participation is encouraged and your guide will share the techniques and tricks that make guiding an art form.
Day 2: We have a lot to do today. After preparing a hearty breakfast we will start the day by practicing our newly learned fishing skills and casting for salmon and char from the lake shore. We will take break from fishing before midday and grab our knapsacks for a short nature hike on the lake’s bog trail. Here we will identify rare plants like the carnivorous Sundew and spiny Devil’s Club. And don’t forget to check the wild game camera we set out yesterday!
Night 2: Tonight after another gourmet camp meal we will take a short evening walk to look for bears feeding on salmon in the river before we tuck in to our tents and sleeping bags for a well deserved rest. This is your last tent night so savor the sounds of the gentle waves lapping on shore as the evening song birds join the symphony of falling water and whispering spruce trees.
Day 3: Today is full with activities so we start off with a big breakfast cooked in camp. Help find the perfect stick sizes for cooking pancakes on the griddle or keep the tea water hot on the open fire. After fueling up and checking the game camera again we will head to the lake for a day of sea kayak instruction and exploring the pristine glacial waters of the Chilkoot. Depending on the pace of the paddle we will enjoy a lake-side picnic lunch while we skip rocks and take in the cascading waterfalls and surrounding snow capped peaks. We will return to camp by early afternoon in time for a midday nap or another round of fishing before breaking down camp and moving to the cabin.
Night 3: Tonight we sleep closer to civilization and enjoy a rustic Alaskan Cabin in the woods.
Day 4: Another early morning finds us packing our bags and preparing breakfast before heading out to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve for a morning raft trip. We will see bald eagles fishing for salmon and tending their nests on shore as we float the braided glacial channels of the Chilkat River before returning to the Airport for your return flight.
If the above sample itineraries look intriguing, let us know!
We can create the perfect trip to suit your group’s needs and interests.
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Haines Rafting Company is proud to partner with the National Park Service
Visit SEAK Expeditions for sea kayaking and backpacking adventures in Southeast Alaska
Check out Alaska River Outfitters for quality raft rental packages and trip support for non-commercial rafters
