Marsh Fork Canning

Meet with your guide at 4 pm for a pre-trip meeting in Fairbanks at Arctic Wild headquarters.

Fly from Fairbanks to the Gwich’in settlement of Arctic Village, where we switch to a smaller plane and head further north, over the spectacular Philip Smith Mountains, to our put-in on on the Marsh Fork of the Canning River. The sun won’t even think about setting so we can hike all night if you want!

Ideally we will take a layover day right at the start of the trip so we can settle into the country and get used to the majesty of the landscape. There is excellent hiking further into the headwaters or up a nearby ridge. There is lots of Dall sheep habitat in the headwaters so we will scan for them amongst the rocks. Sometimes we get to see golden eagles hunting lambs and have seen wolves in this area more than once.

The river is small at the start and there are places where if the river is low we might get stuck in the shallows and have to bounce over a sandbar if we misjudge a channel. It is all part of the adventure and we will work together to propel and steer the rafts down the Marsh Fork.

We like to take a long lunch on paddling days to look around, perhaps take a short stroll, search out fossilized coral, or even catch a quick nap out of the wind.

After several miles the river collects itself and we leave the shallows behind. There are numerous small cliffs right near the river and some truly spectacular mountains that tower above the river.

Happy Solstice at 69° degrees north! There are some extraordinary hikes in the mid-section of the Marsh Fork so it is a good area to take another layover day. We found a hidden canyon with a waterfall many years ago, there is a long hike that ascends one ridge and returns to the Canning via a connecting ridge forming an 8 mile loop. But even after 30 years of exploring the Canning there are an endless number of hikes we’ve never done and several more lifetimes of exploration to be done. Each trip is unique and hikes are tailored to your interests and abilities.

The Marsh Fork collects a few tributaries and several springs give it volume as it enters the narrowest portion of the valley. There is a 2 mile section that offers the most challenging (fun) paddling on the trip. There are no defined rapids, but rather a long “busy” section of river where we are constantly shifting and spinning to stay in the deep water and avoid the crowd of rocks all around.

Once the boulder garden is behind us the river slows, spreads into a braided delta where the Marsh Fork joins the mainstem, mixing greenish waters with impossibly clear mountain water of the Marsh Fork.

The final paddling day is on the Canning River and the towering cliffs are replaced with a broad sky and distant vistas. The broad valley is rich in wildlife and the willow thickets are a good place to look for muskox.

We spend the final night of the trip at the sandbar where the airplane will land the following day.

Pack our gear and await the arrival of our bush pilot, who will land on a long gravel bar. Weather permitting, we will fly back to Fairbanks in time for a late dinner.

Or if you are joining the Canning to the Coast canoe trip you get a day to explore, or rest before paddling to the Arctic Ocean.