Denali Rafting Canyon Wave
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Denali National Park, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Hit the rapids safely with this Canyon Wave rafting trip along the beautiful and scenic Nenana River along the border of Denali National Park. Your professional guide will lead you along 11 miles of rapids, allowing you to be a paddle rafter or the more laid oar boat rider, so there’s something for everyone in this adventure. Roundtrip transportation from your accommodation is included, as well as necessary gear so you can just focus on having fun.
- Splash along the Nenana River near Denali National Park in this guided river adventure
- An expert guide ensures fun and safety for everyone
- All gear including a drysuit, helmet, and river shoes are provided so there’s no hassle for you
- Roundtrip transportation from your accommodations is included, making the planning even easier
What's Included
- Professional River Guide, Drysuit, PFD, helmet, paddle (if needed), river shoes, transport to & from the river, safe location to store your personal belongings
- Warm Non-cotton base layers- polyester/wool, long johns, to wear underneath drysuit, extra socks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
What To Expect
1
Denali National Park and Preserve
2
Denali National Park
3
Healy
4
Denali Park
5
Nenana River
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- No infants
- Hight and weight restrictions of max 6'5" and 265 lbs.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kimberly_I
This was so much fun and exciting. We would definitely do this again. Our guide Mike was fantastic. He made sure to prepare us for each rapid and kept our group safely in the raft. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for an exciting experience.
Reviews
5.0
based on 643 reviews
Alex_R, Dec 2025
My best friend and I went together and had a great time. It is a few hours of fun and the staff was really nice, they all seem to LOVE their jobs. The experience lasts a few hours and the rapids weren’t as crazy as I expected them to be. This was so much fun and we would definitely do it again.
Mark_A, Sep 2025
Great time. Felt safe with Pat! Definitely would do business with them again. My best friend and I took some camping recommendations from our tour guide 10/10 spot. Thanks Pat!
chris_f, Aug 2025
Doesn't matter how old you are, just enjoy the ride sit back and take in the scenery or help paddle👍
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Bucket list adventures are what it’s all about! We’re so glad you enjoyed the Canyon Wave — whether paddling through the rapids or sitting back to soak in the Denali scenery. Thanks for choosing to check this one off with us!
Jeff_C, Aug 2025
Very scenic raft experience! J Money our guide was great! Class 3/4 rapids although water was a bit low.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your review! Happy to hear you enjoyed your trip with J Money at the helm navigating you through the best parts of the rapids. The Nenana is a gorgeous river and we are pretty proud to share her beauty with so many people.
Erika_S, Aug 2025
Very safe, not near as strenuous as I thought it would be. Really fun, will definitely go again! Raft guide doubled as a tour guide!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We are thrilled to hear you had a great time on your raft adventure. It can sound pretty intimidating to do a white water trip but once you've gotten one under your belt, it can be addictive. Come see us again!
Nick_M, Aug 2025
Super fun and the guide Beau was funny and made the experience super. The scenery is breathtaking and it is an easy day getting to and from rafting
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for rafting with us! We’re so glad Beau kept you laughing and made the trip a blast. The scenery along the Nenana River really is breathtaking — it’s fed by glacial runoff, so you get that beautiful milky water while staying warm and dry in our drysuits. Easy logistics and a fun, safe day on the water is exactly what we aim for. Glad you had a great adventure!
Kevin_S, Aug 2025
Lots of fun and the guides were very knowledgable and professional. Good adventure for all. The equipment and dry suits were awsome. Even get the chance to swim in the frigid water.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for rafting with us! We’re glad you had a great time with our guides and enjoyed the adventure. The Nenana River’s glacial runoff is definitely chilly, but our drysuits help keep you warm and dry so you can focus on the fun—whether that’s paddling through the rapids or taking a refreshing dip. We appreciate you joining us for a day on the Nenana!
Teresa_T, Aug 2025
Awesome experience! Knowledgeable guide, Beau, was entertaining and very thorough in explanation of safety procedures. Would do it again (and again!)
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks so much for the awesome review! We're thrilled to hear you had a great time on the water with Beau—Here at New Wave, we’re all about delivering the Best Trip Every Trip!
Rick_S, Aug 2025
Beau was our tour/raft guide and was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the river/rapids. Reassured us every step of the way
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that Beau made your rafting experience unforgettable! It's great to know he was able to reassure you along the way with his knowledge of the Nenana River! We at New Wave always are here for a rapid adventure!
Debra_R, Aug 2025
JMoney is an awesome guide! He kept a cheerful mood on the raft and got to know each of us. Thanks for the great ride!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for the great review! We're so glad you had an awesome ride and that JMoney helped make it memorable. He’s fantastic at keeping things fun while making everyone feel ready on the river. We appreciate you choosing New Wave Adventures and hope to see you again out on the river!
Erika_O, Jul 2025
Our guide Luke was awesome! He was funny but serious about safety. He talked with us throughout our river adventure sharing interesting stories about rafting and some of his other adventures. We went as a family (with 2 teen boys) and we all loved it. We also did a flight seeing tour which everyone raves about, but my boys said the rafting was hands down their favorite. We did the more intense one with class III & IV rapids and it was wild in the best possible way. My boys have not stopped talking about it!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for joining us on the river and for sharing this fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear your family — especially your adventurous teen boys — had such an unforgettable experience on the Nenana River! That’s exactly the kind of excitement we love delivering!
Luke is a phenomenal guide, and we’re lucky to have him on our team. His passion for adventure and commitment to safety really set the tone for every trip!
We appreciate you choosing New Wave Adventures during your time in Denali
Michael_M, Jul 2025
So happy we booked this. The whole experience was amazing. I was a little worried before, but the guides were great and made the adventure of a lifetime!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Appreciate you!! We’re so glad you chose to raft with us and even happier to hear it turned into the adventure of a lifetime!! Thanks again for trusting New Wave Adventures. We hope to see you back in Denali for another round!
Alison_P, Jul 2025
We had a great time and definately a once in a lifetime experience to whitewater raft in Alaska! Beau was our river guide and took great care of us. Certainly a highlight of our Alaskan adventure .
Response from Host, Jul 2025
hank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re honored to have been part of your once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan adventure — and thrilled to hear it was such a highlight.
Beau is an outstanding guide who takes pride in making every trip safe, exciting, and memorable. We’re glad he took great care of you out there on the river!
There’s nothing quite like whitewater rafting in the heart of Alaska, and we’re so happy you got to experience it with us at New Wave Adventures!
Iuliia_K, Jul 2025
Really cool experience! Beau and Pet was really knowledgeable, funny and helpful guides. We had amazing time.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for the awesome review! We’re so glad you had an amazing time on the river — and we couldn’t agree more, Beau and Pat are both knowledgeable, funny, and fantastic guides to adventure with.
It means a lot that you chose New Wave Adventures for your Denali experience. We hope the memories stick with you!
Denise_R, Jul 2025
Amazing 2 hours with Amber on the river! Great fun and plenty of thrills without being scary. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks, Denise, we're so happy to hear you enjoyed your experience with Amber! We'll be sure to pass on your compliments
Karen_A, Jul 2025
It was a lot of fun. New Wave provided everything we needed. We got very lucky and had great weather.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the 5 star review! your review helps us know we are on track to give our customers a great time!
Bradley_N, Jul 2025
All of our group had an amazing time!! This was mine and Brad’s first experience and we will definitely do it again!! G Money was our guide and we really had a great time with him.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for the awesome review. Glad you had a great first rafting experience. with us! We will pass along your information to G Money!
Sherry_G, Jul 2025
It's full of adventure and excitement. We had several 1st timers in our raft. Our guide was excellent!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
New Wave professional guides are great way to experience class 3-4 whitewater without years of training. We are so glad your enjoyed your river experience.
Karen_M, Jul 2025
Amazing and well organized. They outfitted the rafters with dry suits and the ride was amazing. We had the chance to jump in the water. This excursion was a highlight of our trip.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
New Wave is so glad that your whitewater adventure was the highlight of your Denali trip. Thanks for the compliments!
Deanna_G, Jul 2025
Great, great, and great!!!!👍 Everything about this was amazing!!! Great friendly environment. Great experience for the price!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
We are so glad that you enjoyed your whitewater rafting adventure! New Wave runs a great trip.
Kimberly_I, Jul 2025
This was so much fun and exciting. We would definitely do this again. Our guide Mike was fantastic. He made sure to prepare us for each rapid and kept our group safely in the raft. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for an exciting experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
New Wave guides are the best. You can safely experience Class 3-4 whitewater without years of training. Glad you enjoyed your Nenana river adventure.
Tricia_D, Jul 2025
I had never rafted before, but our guide was so good and the activity was so fun, it is a must do even if you don’t have any experience!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Another first timer! Thank you for choosing and trusting us to guide you through your first rafting experience. We hope it will be the first of many based off your trip with us.
Anthony_S, Jul 2025
Totally Awesome!!!
Great Guides who communicated every detail clearly.
They were patient & made the rafting so fun for our family.
Make the time so you can enjoy the adventure!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience with our guides! They're the best!
MaryGrace_S, Jul 2025
It’s our first time in Alaska and white river rafting and we had a great time. The staff are professional and took time to make us feel confident and excited about this adventure.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
So glad you enjoyed your whitewater rafting adventure! The Nenana River is a great way to enjoy Denali off the road.
Jim_S, Jun 2025
We originally were supposed to do the Canyon Wave but the river was running high so we ended up doing the Wilderness rafting excursion. It was a very pleasant experience for all 5 of us. We were able to really enjoy the rafting excursion having the instructor do all the padding for the group. It gave us more time to talk & enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounded us!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
We're glad to hear that you had a pleasant experience and enjoyed our Wilderness tour! Safety is our number one priority, so thank you for understanding that the Canyon tour couldn't run at that time.
Lisa_W, Jun 2025
Denali canyon wave tour was awesome the guides did their jobs perfectly they made you feel safe Bo was great safety Pat did our safety speech
Response from Host, Jun 2025
So glad you enjoyed your rafting adventure with Beau and Pat. New Wave guides are the best!
Traci_A, Jun 2025
Ally was an amazing guide! She is filled with enthusiasm and pure love for the wilderness and it was evident in her storytelling. We had a WONDERFUL time!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Yes, New Wave guides are great! Glad you enjoyed your rafting trip.
BETH_S, Jun 2025
This whole operation is top notch. Directions were clear, safety was covered an appropriate amount, everyone was patient when we needed guidance, and most of all, Pat was a phenomenal specialist! He told us what was coming and what to expect and made sure we all knew what to do - and what not to do. Between the rapids, he gave us interesting information about the water formations, history of the area, and his personal anecdotes. (Be prepared to be a bit uncomfortable in the dry suit before you hit the water, but it was worth it - put long hair in a braid and leave jewelry behind, for example.) We were very pleased and would definitely recommend Pat, Beau, and everyone here! Every picture of everyone in our party was all smiles!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks for the great review. Yes, our guides take care of you every step of the way to make for a fun, safe rafting experience. Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Suzanne_D, Jun 2025
We all loved this rafting adventure! It was fun paddling and floating. We saw amazing scenario and Tom provided really interesting stories about the area. We were also lucky to see two mother moose and their combined three calves along the river’s edge. Provided gear worked well to keep us dry. Definitely wear some warm socks and a few layers under the dry suits to stay warm.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Wow! That's a lot of moose to spot on your trip, how lucky! We're glad you had a great time and that Tom took such good care of you. Thanks for rafting with us!
Elsie_M, Jun 2025
The guides made for an excellent trip! It was exhilarating and not too cold, even early in the morning!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Glad you had a good trip. New Wave guides are the best! Thanks for rafting with us.
From $147.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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