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KONGAKUT RIVER RAFTINGWilderness Wildlife & Birding
July 7-16
10 Days - $4,100

KONGAKUT RIVER with LOWER KONGAKUT/ARCTIC COAST PADDLE
Wilderness Wildlife & Birding
July 7-23
18 days - $5,800

This float trip on the Kongakut River rafts through the northeastern corner of Alaska, beginning high in the mountains of the Brooks Range, then paddling north to end amid the foothills at the verge of the coastal plain. The Kongakut River traverses some of the most remote wilderness in America. Golden Eagles soar high and low as Dall Sheep dot the mountainsides. The tundra teems with colorful wildflowers in full bloom as camouflaged baby birds nestle in hidden nests. The treeless, mountainous scenery of the Brooks Range is splendid, the hiking is excellent, and a two mile stretch of Class III whitewater adds a splash of excitement to an otherwise Class II wilderness float trip.

The huge Porcupine Caribou herd typically travels this river corridor back and forth from their wintering area in Canada.  These animals are always on the move and sometimes we end up in the middle of them, an indescribable experience; and sometimes we just miss them by minutes. Wolves and grizzly bears are often seen as they are attracted to this phenomenon.  The birding begins in the alpine habitat of the high mountains and changes as we raft through varying habitats toward the foothills.

While weather may influence our rafting schedule, your typical day will be a mixture of hiking and floating with some layover days for hiking. A day hike near our last camp may be rewarded with a view of the coastal plain and Arctic Ocean, weather permitting.

Consider extending your journey on the Kongakut by adding our Lower Kongakut/Arctic Coastal Paddle trip in which we continue down through the coastal plain and along the Arctic Ocean's barrier islands. The two trips combine to make an incomparable 18 day expedition from mountains to sea in the wild, remote northeastern corner of Alaska.

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Kongakut Photo Album

Most Recent Bird List

Cumulative Bird List

Caribou - Alaska's
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

Seen in Arctic Village only:
1.     Common Loon (Gavia immer)
2.     Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica)
3.     Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)
4.     Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
5.     Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
6.     Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
7.     Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)