Last updated: February 19, 2025
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
July 9
The day before the trip starts you will meet your guides at 4 pm at the Arctic Wild World Headquarters for a question and answer, gear check, and safety briefing.
July 10
The flight from Fairbanks to Eagle departs at 8 am, so the day is still fresh when we arrive on the banks of the Yukon. It takes a bit to assemble canoes, load equipment, and discuss river safety so it will be well after lunch that we let the current pull us away from the hospitality of Eagle and into the wilderness.
On this first day we refining our paddling skills and settle into the routines of river life. No need to travel very far.
July 11 - 16
Our time is ours to do what we please. We can start our day by climbing the bluff behind camp to smell the sweet sage and watch rough-legged hawks circle above the river. Or we can head out early and watch the glassy river slip beneath the canoe. At lunch we can follow a small creek back into the woods where we find an old cabin with a garden still producing rhubarb in the wilderness. We will travel most days and will be on the water for five to six hours each day. This schedule allows plenty of time for exploring from camp or making side trips during a leisurely lunch break. We will pass many clear water side streams that offer opportunities to fish. As we near our final destination, the river bluffs disappear and we enter an area called the Yukon Flats, a fantastically productive area for waterfowl. Here, as the river slows, the sky is broad and colorful.
July 17
We leave the main river for a smaller, willow-lined side channel. After a few miles we see the log buildings of Circle, Alaska. After disassembling our canoes and packing our gear we will load into our van for a four-hour scenic drive back to Fairbanks.
