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You are viewing: Home > Rivers > Copper River
Copper River Rafting: Mountains to the Sea
| Location: |
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park |
| Trip Length: |
15 days
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| Activities: |
Rafting on Class II-III water; day hikes over uneven terrain with no trails; wildlife and scenic photography.
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| Dates: |
June 26-July 10, 2012
; July 8-22, 2012
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| Price: |
$4950 + 6% govt. tax from Anchorage
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| Rating: |
M |
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Join us for one of Alaska's most beautiful and awe-inspiring river experiences. Our trip down a quartet of rivers has exciting whitewater, calving glaciers, cascading waterfalls, icebergs and amazing wildlife over the course of 100 miles from the Wrangell Mts. to Prince William Sound. We raft the Kennicott, Nizina, Chitina and Copper rivers through the heart of the Wrangell and Chugach Mountains. Our trip begins in Anchorage, where we take a breathtaking scenic flight over the mountains and glaciers, or travel by van through the Matanuska Valley to the Copper River Valley and on to McCarthy, deep inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Arriving in McCarthy, we have the evening to explore the historic Kennecott copper mine, and the town of McCarthy. You will spend the night in one of local accommodations. After a full day reaching the 'heart of the Wrangells,' get a good night's sleep in preparation for our journey downriver. |
We launch our rafts just below the terminus of the Kennicott Glacier, immersed immediately in the rapid-spiked Kennicott River and into to the Nizina River. This swift, glacial river takes us through steep-walled canyons and down a wide valley through the Chugach Mountains. We reach the Chitina River, and sweep down its twisty braids to where it joins the mighty Copper River. With each new tributary, the river grows and by the time we reach Abercrombie Rapids, the river's flow is nearly ten times the flow of the Grand Canyon's Colorado River.
Our river journey takes us through varied landscapes, from canyons to sand dunes to lush channels lined by dense underbrush. We follow the route of the historic Copper River and Northwestern Railroad that carried ore from Kennicott during the first half of the 20th century. We take time to hike up to waterfalls and glaciers, to fish for salmon, and to explore the sand dunes at the confluence of the Wernicke and Copper rivers. We float through legendary Abercrombie Rapids, pausing to watch brown bears catch salmon in the rapids. We are likely to observe lots of wildlife, including grizzy/brown bear, harbor seal, river otter, bald eagle, salmon, beaver, and lots of birds. As we approach the coast, the dry Interior climate makes way for the coastal rainforest. Evenings by a fire made from driftwood, while feasting on Copper River sockeye salmon, make this a truly Alaskan expedition.
We pass the Miles Glacier and float underneath the Million Dollar Bridge across the Copper River, and past the towering face of Childs Glacier, whose terminus extends into the Copper River. We take out near the fishing town of Cordova. Here on Prince William Sound we can appreciate the ocean environment and the journey that salmon take from the sea to their spawning beds far up the Copper's tributaries.
| Itinerary |
| Day 0 |
Travel to Anchorage, Alaska on your own.
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| Travel Day |
We meet you at your accomodations in Anchorage this morning, and head out on the highway through the Chugach Mountains and toward the Wrangell and St. Elias Ranges. We then fly by small plane into McCarthy, where you will spend the night in local accomodations.
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| Day 1 |
Early this morning we will board another bush plane for our flight out to the toe of the Nizina Glacier. This is a spectacular flight, revealing a landscape of icebergs, high mountain peaks, and the glacial-silt river heading off down valley. We spend today exploring the area on foot and camp tonight next to the berg-filled lake.
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| Day 2 |
Early in the morning we head across Nizina Lake and begin our trip down the river. The Nizina moves swiftly in its upper reaches. We stop for a hike today a spectacular waterfall pouring from one of the riverside cliffs. We camp along the river, below the geologically fascinating mile-high cliffs.
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| Days 3-4 |
Today we explore the Chitistone area, where glaciers have scoured valleys that ringed by jagged ridges. The hiking and sights on this day are uniquely Alaskan, with plunging waterfalls, soft tundra underfoot, and lots of animal tracks to identify. The river is swift with whitewater through this section. Listen for the sound of glacial silt hitting the raft tubes. On Day 4, we reach the Nizina Canyon, after negotiating tricky and tight hairpin whitewater turns. We camp near the confluence of the Nizina and Chitina rivers.
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| Day 5-7 |
The topography changes significantly as we merge with and float the Chitina, a broad, braided river. In clear weather we see distant peaks over 15,000 feet. The Chugach mountains form the southern boundary and the Wrangells form the north as the Chitina winds its way west. The Chitina is blessed with fantastic sandy campsites that allow classic Alaska panoramas. We continue down the Chitina, stopping along the way for great side hikes, fishing clear side streams for salmon, and exploring historic sites. Each day the distant peaks of the St. Elias mountains fill the sky. The afternoon of Day 7 we reach the Copper river and the town of Chitina. He we are shuttled to nearby cabins for a night of showers and other creature comforts.
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| Days 8-9 |
Late in the morning we shove off and head down the Copper. We quickly enter Wood Canyon, where the river narrows and runs swift and deep. The river here flows nearly ten times as strong as the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Simply put, the Copper river is big. After exiting the canyon we camp along shore, and marvel in the rich green Copper river corridor. The scenery takes a more grand appearance with each day as we move through the Chugach Mountains. We see mountains draped with glaciers, and vegetation-clothed lowlands. This is not easy country for hiking, but fortunately, we can ascend rocky creeks, and we can explore the old railroad bed as well as old railroad tunnels constructed at the turn of the 20th century.We can explore the vast sand dunes along the river. We have plenty of time for wandering and wildlife observation.
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| Days 10-13 |
The river grows in size and spectacle with each mile. Tributaries serve as idyllic lunch and camp stops. Brisk afternoon upriver winds challenge our navigability. We stop to explore the Bremner Dunes and Whiting Falls. Keep your eyes trained on the landscape for sitings of bear, moose, and eagles. We pass through Baird Canyon and across a wide, still stretch of river to Abercrombie Rapids. Grizzly bears often line the banks to fish for sockeye salmon. We ride the rapids into Miles Lake, created as Miles Glacier retreated. Here we find curious seals that have swum up from the ocean. Icebergs drift from the face of Miles Glacier and accompany us downriver. We spend a night near the glacier, with a spectacular mountain and glacier view, listening to the sound of calving ice.
On Day 13 we camp near Miles Glacier and witness icebergs crashing into the river. Our last night is filled with with both the thunder of ice and quiet moments of reflection on Miles Lake.
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| Day 14 |
We cross Miles Lake to find the river current again, and float under the Copper River bridge and past the towering face of Childs Glacier. We stop to observe the glacier calving into the Copper River from a viewpoint above the river. Later we float swiftly past the towering face. From here, the river spreads into a delta. We enter a coastal ecosystem and begin spotting new bird species. Our last camp is beside the Copper, now subdued by myriad channels flowing into the sea.
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| Day 15 |
Our last morning on the river, we float to Flag Point, where our van will be waiting. After repacking and deflating our rafts, we drive 25 miles into the small fishing town of Cordova for showers and a no-host celebratory dinner. Participants have the option of spending one or more nights in Cordova (on your own) or flying directly to Anchorage this evening. We are happy to arrange accommodation for you in Cordova. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system has daily sailings from Cordova to Valdez and Whittier, for a marvelous alternative to flying. There are no roads to Cordova from the rest of the state.
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| Included in trip costs |
- Transportation from Anchorage to McCarthy at the beginning of the trip via small bush plane or van as well as transportation from Cordova to Anchorage or Valdez after the trip.
- Specialized river gear, such as life jackets, waterproof river suit, rubber boots, one large waterproof dry bag, camp chair
- Kitchen equipment and eating utensils and eating utensils
- Double accommodation tent
- Accommodation for one night in Chitinat
- All rafting equipment and safety gear
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| Not included in trip costs |
- Accommodations in McCarthy
- Sleeping bag, pad
- Fishing license
- Items of a personal nature, i.e., clothing and equipment, camera, binoculars, etc.
- Any meals or snacks you choose to purchase in McCarthy, Cordova, or Chitina
- Guide gratuities
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| Call or E-mail us for the complete packet on this expedition.
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