Trip Photos
Trip Description
Float the Kongakut River through the last great prehistoric wilderness in North America. Travel with the spring migration of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, hike within the Brooks Mountain Range under the midnight sun, and experience the Arctic in its most pristine environment. This land is a hiker's dream with active wildlife, sprawling hills, and abundant wild flowers. Experience the Arctic's awesome wilderness, wildlife, and solitude.
The Kongakut River flows through the Brooks Mountain Range and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. To the north of these mountains, the Arctic Coastal Plain opens and slopes gently into the Beaufort Sea. It's a sweeping vista of treeless tundra and rolling hills, so vast it redefines the concept of wilderness.
Our Kongakut River Rafting Expedition is a combination of both hiking and rafting adventures. We'll paddle the river in inflatable rafts. Everyone participates to navigate our rafts down river, but no prior paddle rafting experience is necessary. The Kongakut River is fast and fun! There are several small rapids to negotiate and breathtaking mountain and valley scenery along the entire route. The rafts allow us to travel from
mountains to coast and find the greatest places for hiking and watching wildlife. Our professional river guides will impart a love of the arctic land that will stay with you forever.
River rafting is only part of the fun; we will hike and explore every day. We will have many opportunities for both short walks and long hikes. Some days may be devoted exclusively to hiking, or you can relax at camp and fish for Artic Char. While rafting or hiking, we will always be ready to photograph the Arctic’s wildlife and scenery. You never know what wildlife has come to the river’s shore just around the bend, so keep your camera
ready!
The Coastal Plains: The Brooks Range stretches over 600 miles across northern Alaska. To the north, the Arctic Coastal Plain gently slopes to the Beaufort Sea in a sweep of treeless tundra. It's an expanse so vast that it redefines the concept of wilderness.
The Midnight Sun: When the Arctic sun comes out to play in the summer, it never goes to bed. The land of the midnight sun is another dimension. The sun does not set but plays along the horizon for hours, creating a quality of light that is uniquely clear and soft. Our June trips (at the height of the summer solstice) give us the best Arctic conditions, and a chance to see the vast Porcupine Caribou migration in full splendor. Our schedule on the Kongakut will be leisurely since we have nearly continuous daylight.
Wildlife: The open tundra offers incredible wildlife viewing opportunities from near and afar. Muskox can often be spotted munching on willows. Curious arctic foxes may happen upon camp. We often see small or large herds of caribou crossing the river and grazing on the summer vegetation. We encourage guests to bring cameras and binoculars to experience the grandeur of wildlife in the arctic.
Fishing: With the long summer days and plentiful Arctic char in the river, there is great fishing from most of our camps. We're sure to have fresh fish for dinner to complement our tasty meals along the way.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): At over 19 million acres, ANWR is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States. This refuge still remains a vast wilderness with no roads in or out, worthy of both exploration and appreciation.
Bush Plane Flights: Flying over taiga, tundra, sweeping plains, and the peaks of the Brooks Range is awe inspiring. Flying in via bush plane is the greatest way to enter into this dramatic landscape.
Hiking: Hiking options are innumerable. With easy terrain and surrounding hills and mountains to gain scenic vantage points, hiking around the Kongakut is truly world-class. Our guides are experts at customizing each sojourn for the group to maximize the quality of adventure in the arctic.
Duration: 11 days
Start Location: Fairbanks
End Location: Fairbanks
Days 1-2 The first day is your ‘big travel day’ from your hometown to Fairbanks, Alaska. We will meet at the Downtown Log Cabin Hideaway at 5:00 PM for a pre-trip orientation and to hand out river equipment. The second day begins with a scenic 300-mile flight across the top of North America. From the air you begin to get a sense of the Arctic’s vast wilderness as it stretches from horizon to horizon. From Fairbanks, we fly across the Yukon River Flats to the Native community of Arctic Village. We switch to smaller bush planes and continue north over the Brooks Range to land on a small gravel bar along the Kongakut River; we have arrived. When the last plane leaves, the silence settles around us and the magic of wilderness fills the air.
Days 3-10 We will traverse the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the Brooks Range to the Coastal Plain just short of the Beaufort Sea. Each day, after a hearty breakfast, we will break camp and float downstream to new scenery and adventures. We will stop often for hiking, snacks, and lunch. Some river days will be longer than others, and at some camps we may stay over an extra night so we can hike all day. We will hold to no set schedule, because adventure is always at the hand of those who are open to exploring. Each evening, in camp, we will enjoy the outdoor life of laughter, and camaraderie. We will enjoy robust fresh meals prepared by the guides and sleep in our expedition tents.
Day 11 Return – We are deep in the wilderness close to the Arctic coast on the Beaufort Sea. But, it’s time to return to civilization. On our last day at Caribou Pass, we’ll break camp and await the arrival of the bush planes for our return flight to Fairbanks. We plan to arrive by 5:00 PM. After showers and cleaning up, we will gather for one last dinner on this final evening and enjoy our night in Fairbanks.
To Book Your Adventure, Follow These Steps:
- Contact us for additional information and availability
- Reserve your space with a $500 deposit (per person).
- Complete Trip Paperwork is due no later than 45 days prior to your trip.
Included With Your Trip:
- 10 Days on the River
- 9 Nights Camping
- 2 Nights of Hotel Accommodations
- Local Flights: The charter flights out of Fairbanks and into the Arctic
- All Meals While On River
- Sleeping Pad
- Life Jacket
- Rubber boots & gloves
- Dry Bags
- Tents - Standard Shared Option
**Limited Availability of Single Tents - Available for Additional Cost**
2025 Dates: 2025
2026 Dates: June 10th, June 19th* (Sierra Club), August 5th, August 14th
DEPOSITS: A deposit will reserve your space on any expedition. Full payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
PAYMENTS: We accept personal checks, cashiers checks, money orders, Paypal, Mastercard & Visa.
REFUNDS: In the event that you are unable to join us the following guidelines will apply. All deposits include a $500 non-refundable registration free. Full Refunds, less registration fee, will be provided 90 days prior to the trip date. 25% refunds will be provided 30 to 89 days prior to trip date. Any amount retained by Chilkat Guides can be credited towards another trip if used within 12 months. No refunds will be provided within
29 days of the trip date. This policy has been established to meet the demands of planning well-organized trips. If for any reason a trip ends early there will be no refund. If you have not paid in full 30 days prior to your trips departure, and you have not contacted us regarding other payment options, we reserve the right to schedule another individual in your place. In this event, you are responsible for any associated costs.
IF YOUR TRIP IS CANCELLED: If, for any reason, Chilkat Guides has to cancel your trip, all deposits and trip payments will be refunded in full, or, are fully transferable to another course. Chilkat Guides will not be responsible for any costs associated with cancellations including, but not limited to: flight cancelation fees, flight change fees, and/or associated lodging and meal fees.
WEATHER: DELAYS AND ASSOCIATED CONSIDERATIONS: In the event that your trip is unable to depart at the scheduled time, individuals are responsible for any associated costs including food and lodging.
RELEASE, ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RISK AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT: All participants are required to sign our Release, Acknowledgment of Risk and Indemnity Agreement. Please take time to read this form and make yourself familiar with it before signing. If the form is signed electronically, participants may be required to sign the form in person upon arrival for the activity, but nothing shall be deemed to affect the efficacy of the
electronically completed and signed form.