Deep in the Alaskan wilderness, the Tatshenshini River lays at the heart of the Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park, encompassing over 27 million acres and five U.S. and Canadian parks and preserves. Bound by two towering mountain ranges — the Alsek and St. Elias — the Tatshenshini is a river forgotten by time. The rafting trip begins in a lake of ice flows, and then runs toward the ocean, merging with the Alsek River. This one-of-a-kind adventure then leads onto a glacier of moraines and frozen falls and finally into the shadows of ship-sized icebergs and the terminus of Alsek Bay.
Tatshenshini River Photo Gallery
Find out what past participants have said about this trip on the ROAM blog.
Tatshenshini River Expedition Travel Planner
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Day Zero
Today is your arrival day in Whitehorse. At 8:00 PM we'll meet in the hotel lobby of the High Country Inn to go over any last minute details and prepare for our morning departure for the river.
Day One
We will depart at 9:00 AM for the 2 1/2 hour drive to the put-in at Dalton Post. From Whitehorse we'll head North on the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction and then west along the Haines Road to the Dalton Post turn off. At this old abandoned trading post, we'll meet the other guides, load the rafts and leave civilization behind us. This first day, we will run a number of lively Class III rapids through the gorge then emerge, a few hours later, into a wide open valley to see our first views of the mountains with their hanging glaciers. That night, we'll set up camp at Silver Creek.
Day Two and Three
The river will slow down a little as we float through this incredible valley. Upon entering B.C., the river meanders through lush landscape and is home to a variety of birds, moose and beaver. The mountains to the southwest will seem to get larger as we pass the river terraces, all the while keeping a watchful eye out for the elusive blue bear, grizzly, mountain goat and wolf. Various tributaries double the size of the river and every turn produces a fantastic panoramic view. We will spend two days stationed near Sediments Creek where we can hike and explore the alpine region’s most diverse ecosystem.
Day Four and Five
We'll continue down the Tat and stop for lunch at O'Connor Creek. Every day the scenery will get more spectacular; mountains rise to 8,000 feet; glaciers hang from every mountainside. The river valley will continue to widen as we reach our camp near the confluence with the Alsek River. Here there are great hiking opportunities along the river terraces where wildflowers carpet the ground.
Day Six and Seven
We join the mighty Alsek River flowing from the North as we travel through the braided channels. The river will seem to narrow as the mountains reach for the sky. A 360-degree look will reveal over 50 glaciers as we near our camp at Walker Glacier. We'll marvel at the crevasses and hike onto the massive moraines. Later, around the campfire, we'll enjoy some fine scotch with 10,000-year-old ice collected from the glacier earlier in the day.
Day Eight
Cutting through the Brabazon Range, we'll pass the massive Novatak Glacier which is the tip of one of the largest ice fields outside of the polar regions. To the south, 15,300-foot Mount Fairweather, the fourth highest mountain on the continent, will dwarf our very existence. Tonight, we'll camp on the spit that separates the Alsek River from Alsek Lake, a five kilometer lake located at the bottom of the massive Alsek Glacier. In the afternoon, we will paddle out to the edge of the glacier and watch as giant, 100-foot pieces of the ice calve off with a thunderous roar and form icebergs in the lake. Our view from camp is one of the most spectacular anywhere on earth.
Day Nine and Ten
Today we’ll float through the icebergs in Alsek Lake as we make our way south of the Gateway Knob. Cruising in and out of the ice makes for an exhilarating morning and fantastic photographic opportunities. After breaking camp, we'll float the last miles down to the airstrip at Dry Bay on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we'll disembark, collapse the rafts and board the plane for the spectacular flight over the mountains back to Whitehorse. Once back in civilization, it's off to the hotel and a well deserved hot shower. Tonight, we'll all get together for a last toast to the Tatshenshini and plan our next adventure together.
Day Eleven
Depart for home at your leisure.
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