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Aniakchak River - Aniakchak National Monument

Multisport in Alaska with Alaska Alpine Adventures

Highlights

  • Incredible rafting and hiking trip in Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve
  • Excellent wildlife viewing: all 5 species of Pacific salmon, grizzly bears, coastal brown bears,  black bears, dall sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, and migratory birds

Full Description

Join us this summer for a truly exploratory Alaskan adventure tour, hiking and rafting into the seldom visited Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve, located along the volcanically active "Ring of Fire" in the heart of the Aleutian mountains.

We’ll spend the first part of this adventure trip hiking around Surprise Lake and exploring the 2500’ deep caldera, the impressive remnant of a massive volcanic eruption 3500 years ago. The expedition will culminate with an exciting 4-day rafting trip down the spectacular Aniakchak River where you’ll float from a volcano to the sea.  Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve, encompassing 586,000 acres of pristine Alaska wilderness, offers amazing hiking, incredible rafting, and some of the wildest weather in Alaska in one of the least visited and most remote units of the National Park System.

Includes:

  • All group gear (tents, stoves, fuel, inflatable canoes, dry bags, etc.), satellite phone,  and safety equipment
  • Trekking poles
  • Ground Transportation from the B&B to Anchorage International Airport on Day 2
  • Air transportation from Anchorage to King Salmon
  • All internal bush flights necessary for the trip
  • Lodging on night one at a B&B in Anchorage
  • Professionally guided hiking and rafting tour at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio
  • All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary
  • Storage for your extra travel items while in the field

Excludes:

  • Lodging in Anchorage prior to and after your adventure
  • Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.)
  • Trip cancellation insurance
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Guide gratuities

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

Today you are free to arrive in Anchorage on your own. We’ll be staying at the Inlet Tower Hotel, which is located close to the airport and adjacent to downtown Anchorage. After checking into the hotel, you’ll meet our guides by early afternoon in the hotel lobby. Tonight we’ll do an orientation dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, and upon returning to our hotel, we’ll pour over maps and discuss the trip and the route. Dinner included.

Day 2

After breakfast, we’ll board a flight to King Salmon, where, if the weather cooperates, we’ll then board a floatplane destined for Surprise Lake within the Aniakchak Caldera. As we unload our gear and establish camp on the shores of the lake’s azure waters, we are sure to be awestruck by the magnitude of our surroundings. With mountains surrounding us on all sides, the outside world will seem distant and detached. You’ll forever remember the overwhelming feeling of solitude as the float-plane lifts from the lake and disappears into the distant horizon. All meals included.

Day 3-5

We’ll take the next three days to explore the amazing Aniakchak Caldera. With daypacks containing essentials, we will head out in search of adventure. Whether climbing to the caldera’s rim or scanning for wildlife along the lakes edge, we are sure to feel immersed in the wilderness that surrounds us! The hiking within the caldera is endless and wonderful. Devoid of vegetation, the hiking offers unparalleled access to the ridges and peaks that rim the valley floor. All meals included.

Day 6

Today we will trade our trekking poles for paddles as we break down camp and load our boats for our descent down the Aniakchak River, a nationally registered Wild & Scenic River. The river runs swift as it exits the caldera through the famed "Gates". Losing almost 75’ per mile, this section of the river requires careful navigation through car sized boulders and exciting rapids!

Day 7-9

We will spend 4 total days on the river, taking time to enjoy the wilderness that surrounds us, and anticipating the changes we will see as we scan the horizon for the Pacific Ocean. On the shores of Aniakchak Bay we’ll share our final camp with the residents of this coastal environment, including seals, sea otters and the sea birds that call this magical place home. All meals included.

Day 10

Weather permitting, we’ll again revel in the skill of our bush pilots as they whisk us back to King Salmon and the conclusion of our adventure. From King Salmon, you’ll catch a flight back to Anchorage. If you are leaving Alaska on this day, please make certain that you schedule all homebound flights from Anchorage for after 11 pm. Breakfast & Lunch included.

About The Operator:

Alaska Alpine Adventures

Headquarters:

Anchorage, Alaska

Established:

January 1998

Alaska Alpine Adventures was conceptualized during many seasons of exploration throughout Lake Clark National Park by founders Dan Oberlatz and Derek Nelson. During this time, we held odd jobs and lived a life focused on climbing, skiing, and hiking as much of Lake Clark as we could possibly afford. Work simply meant the means to pay for our next flight into the wilderness, and time spent in the wild was the currency we preferred to earn. From first ascents and descents of remote peaks of the Alaska and Aleutian mountain ranges, to extended backpacking trips and speed hikes, our lives were rich with Alaska experience and the lifestyle was wealthy. Our explorations fostered a profound appreciation and respect for the Alaska wilderness, a remarkable skill-set, and a passion for pure wilderness travel. Furthermore, our collection of experiences became the seed for Alaska Alpine Adventures, which became a reality in 1998.

Since our early days on Lake Clark, it is the blend of "what we do" and "who we are" that has made AAA. We are quite simply a group of explorers and naturalists sharing with our guests the incredible beauty of Alaska—The Great Land. Our goal and passion is to give participants the opportunity to experience, through pure adventure travel, the exhilaration, the wonder, the grandeur, and the solitude of Alaska's magnificent national parks and wildlife refuges.

As guides, however, we are more than simply leaders into the areas we venture. Throughout the Alaska Alpine Adventures' experience, we endeavor not only to share these amazing landscapes on foot, raft, skis, or kayak, but also to help our clients develop a sense of commitment to and appreciation for the vast public lands we visit. We strive to be good stewards of the truly wild and intact ecosystems we explore, and are committed to educating ourselves and others to respect and protect the wilderness areas that make these wonderful experiences possible.

Because we promote the educational component of our expeditions, we tend to attract visitors bent on exploring and experiencing "real" Alaska - rather than simply "peak bagging" or "thrill seeking." We believe that this is also due in large part to the fact that we project conservation ethics, cultural awarness, and environmental commitment throughout all aspects of our enterprise.

Our impressive collection of experiences represents not only our history, but also the blueprint for the future of Alaska Alpine Adventures. When you choose to travel with us, you can rest assured that your trip has been meticulously planned and executed by real Alaskans with authentic Alaska know-how, skill, and ability.