Yukon Canoe

Meet your guides at 8 am at the Arctic Wild World Headquarters for a question and answer gear check before heading to the airport and flying northeast from Fairbanks to the riverside village of Eagle on our charter flight. Once we arrive and settle into our lodging, at the Falcon Inn (included) we will take some time to tour the Gold Rush Era town before we head to the river and assemble the canoes in preparation for the following day’s departure from civilization.

After a great breakfast at the Falcon Inn we’ll load the canoes, discuss river safety and let the current pull us away from the hospitality of Eagle and into the wilderness.

Will work on refining our paddling skills and settle into the routines of river life. Once we are comfortable on the river, we can stop in at fish camps and homesteads to learn about modern life along the river.

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.

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.