Rafting to Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve from Haines
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Haines, USA
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Experience the wildlife of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on a half-day tour from Haines that features a 1.5-hour float trip aboard a sturdy raft. The preserve is known to have the world's largest concentration of bald eagles, and other native animals such as moose, otters, and bears. Learn about Alaska's pristine wilderness from your guide, and stop for lunch at a scenic spot before returning to Haines. Your tour includes lunch, guide, raft tour, and port pickup and drop-off.
- Half-day Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve rafting tour, from Haines
- See the bird life that flourishes in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
- Hear from your guide about the region's history and wildlife
- Look for Alaskan animals such as bald eagles, brown and black bears, and moose
- Have lunch at a gorgeous location after rafting
- Great for the whole family
- Includes lunch, raft tour, guide, and port pickup and drop-off
What's Included
- LunchLunch consists of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookie and water. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available with 48 hours advance notice.
- Driver/guide
- Local guide
- Port pickup
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Port Chilkoot Cruise Ship DockHaines, AK 99827, USA
Cruise ship guests: Meet our guide near the Information Booth ashore. Guests in hotels: Meet our guide outside the hotel. Look for the Rainbow Glacier Adventures Logo on our sign. If you don't find the guide by 10 minutes before the tour time, please call our office.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
2
Haines
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age 7 years
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Maximum weight 250 lbs.
- Cruise Ship Passengers, please provide ship name for meeting location. Hotel guests, please provide name of hotel for pick-up.
- Minimum of 2 guests required for tour to run.
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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
Katherine_A
My 11 year old daughter and I came to Haines on a cruise ship. We wanted to get out and see more than just the town, and MAN did this blow us away. If you’re looking for wildlife, there’s an abundance of eagles. But don’t discount the phenomenal views of the snow capped mountain ranges, escaping the crowds of the cruise port (our boat had 9 passengers), and phenomenally knowledgeable guides. We felt at peace and humbled by the experience and could not have asked for a better way to spend our afternoon in Haines. Book it!
Reviews
4.6
based on 73 reviews
Frances_S, Sep 2025
An enjoyable experience all in all- well organized and on time. Love that they provided quality equipment (raft, life vests, boots, and a pair of binoculars for the raft. My only complaint is that the guide was very soft spoken. Thankfully I was seated in front of him so I was able to hear but not sure anyone behind him did.
Michael_S, Sep 2025
A great day out almost got sunburnt so warm.
Floating down the river is such a beautiful way of seeing the wildlife on the water and in the air.
Michelle_W, Sep 2025
Easy pick up from our cruise ship.
A nice easy experience rafting down the Chilkat River. Anyone can do this activity. We had a lady who was 83 and she did this. Easy in the raft and no it’s not white water rafting. Calm river. The guides are all knowledgeable and fun. Our bus driver and Raft Driver was Davey and Steve both very knowledgeable. We saw lots of bald headed eagles and their nests. We saw them fly and they were huge. Easy to get in and out of the raft. We had lunch at the end Turkey cheese Mayo mustard lettuce sandwich, biscuit and apple.
The only thing we found disappointing was the long wait at the toilet stop. It must of been at least 45 minutes as we were waiting for other busses to turn up. Too long of a wait.
Overall a good experience
Jiajing_L, Aug 2025
The guide is very friendly. The scenic bus ride to the eagle preserve is also very nice as the driver introduced us to the area. Unfortunately, once you get there, I was quite disappointed with the area. The eagle preserve had maybe two eagles. The river is scenic on a beautiful sunny day; however, it was very windy and super cold in early August despite the sun. The whole tour with the bus ride is a 4-4.5 hour experience, but it was quite uneventful and underwhelming. I can’t imagine coming here on an overcast or rainy day. This is a good excursion consider Haines is a very quiet and boring town, but this area is nothing special for someone who’s been to Lake Tahoe and American river water rafting.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for providing your feedback regarding our tour to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, I’m glad that you enjoyed our friendly guide and the scenic drive to the Chilkat River. It is important to us that our guests are prepared for our tours and have reasonable expectations. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is home to over 300 resident bald eagles, and in November over 3,600 bald eagles have been counted there. During the summer, bald eagles are nesting and so they are busy feeding their young and protecting their territory. Bald eagles only congregate after the nesting season ends in the fall. So please do not expect large congregations of bald eagles during the summer. Our raft trip is about experiencing and learning about a very important and unique wild and natural area. We get you away from the road and into the wilderness. It is quiet, your cell phone doesn’t work and you won’t even hear a plane flying overhead. You cannot hear the road. Quiet time in nature is something that is missing from our hectic lives, and this trip gives you a chance to break away from the “civilized world”, if even for a short time.
Regarding the weather, even during the summer months in Alaska, there can be a cold wind and rain. I’ve even seen it snow in both the months of May and September! So we always encourage our guests to dress in layers and be prepared for cold weather. Our guides always bring extra jackets and even carry wool blankets on the raft for those who are not prepared for the cold.
Our Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve tour is nothing like the tours in Lake Tahoe and the American River. I understand that it can be disappointing if you were expecting lively rapids like the American River and instead were taken on a quiet river in a pristine Alaskan wilderness environment.
Katherine_A, Jul 2025
My 11 year old daughter and I came to Haines on a cruise ship. We wanted to get out and see more than just the town, and MAN did this blow us away. If you’re looking for wildlife, there’s an abundance of eagles. But don’t discount the phenomenal views of the snow capped mountain ranges, escaping the crowds of the cruise port (our boat had 9 passengers), and phenomenally knowledgeable guides. We felt at peace and humbled by the experience and could not have asked for a better way to spend our afternoon in Haines. Book it!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! It makes us so happy to hear that your time in Haines with your daughter was such a memorable experience. Escaping the cruise port crowds and soaking in the peaceful beauty of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - complete with eagle sightings and quiet moments on the water - is exactly what we hope our guests experience on tour. Our guides love what they do, and we love them for it. Their knowledge and care truly shine, and they’ll be thrilled to know they helped make your afternoon feel so special. We truly appreciate you choosing to spend your time in Haines with us. Thank you for the kind words and recommendation!
Robyn_M, Jul 2025
We were fortunate to have a sunny clear blue sky day with temps in the mid 50’s. Saw several bald eagle and a few birds. Not abundant wildlife sightings but a very relaxing ride down the river taking in the snow capped mountains
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the kind review! It sounds like you had a beautiful day for your float - sunny skies, crisp air, and those snow-capped mountain views make for such a peaceful and memorable experience. There’s nothing quite like drifting down the river and taking in the stunning Alaskan landscape.
Marilyn_L, Jul 2025
Relaxing and quiet as you are away from civilization. You can hear the eagles chatter! Quite amazing on a quiet flowing river.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the peaceful float through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. There’s something truly special about being away from it all - just the quiet flow of the river and the sound of eagles echoing through the valley. We’re so happy you noticed that magic too and got to experience it with us. It means a lot to share moments like that with guests who really take it in.
Judith_P, Jul 2025
Easy raft ride; peaceful and quiet and lots of fun. Small group was great! Lots of knowledge about flora and fauna and there were many eagles seen...no bears though!!!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the great review! We're so glad you enjoyed the peaceful float—it’s such a special experience, especially in a small group setting. The river you floated is part of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, which makes it an ideal place to spot these incredible birds in their natural habitat. We're happy to hear the calm waters, beautiful scenery, and local knowledge made for a fun and memorable trip. Thanks again for joining us!
jfonz581, Jun 2025
Great excursion. Enjoyed the rafting and especially the stop to look for animal tracks. Great snacks and hot chocolate afterward. Guide very knowledgeable! Grandchildren really liked it.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the 5 star review! We’re so glad you and your grandchildren enjoyed the rafting excursion - it’s such a fun way to experience the area. We’re happy to hear your guide’s knowledge added to the experience. Thank you for joining us!
Peter_C, Jun 2025
Trip was Friday 13th of June. The weather was light rain. I think it might be better later in the season when the salmon are running. For us it was quite disappointing. Although it was well organized, there was a distinct lack of wildlife. The guide was nice but not very forthcoming with information. Other guides may have had more to say about the environment. I would not recommend it under the same circumstances.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks for your candid review of your tour with us. There are some aspects of the tour experience we can control, and others that we cannot. We cannot control the weather, we cannot control the date of the tour experience you choose, and we cannot control the wildlife.
The essence of a rafting tour with us is that you do not know exactly what you are going to see. Wildlife sightings, when they happen, are unscripted. We never guarantee wildlife sightings. So it is important for us that guest who join our tour have reasonable expectations.
We can control the level of customer service that is provided, and we take pride in the quality of the experience that guests receive when they join a Rainbow Glacier Adventures tour. That includes a seamless transition from ship to our vehicle, a knowledgeable guide during the narrated drive to the Eagle Preserve, and a competent boatman to take you down the river. Your safety is our number one priority. Our guides are knowledgeable about the wildlife, native culture, history and natural history of the area. And since I personally train the guides and I wrote the book, Where Eagles Gather, the Story of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, our guides are uniquely qualified to share that story with you. Each guide has their own style, some are more forthcoming than others. But all are happy to answer questions and share information with our guests.
In addition to that, we provide access to wilderness. Once you board the raft, you leave the road system behind. During the trip, there is quiet- no airplanes, no helicopters, no cell phones, no road traffic, no motorized boats on the river. Quiet time in nature is a commodity that is extremely rare in today’s society. If wildlife appears on the trip, it is an added bonus.
Visiting the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve by raft with Rainbow Glacier Adventures is one of the best experiences you can have while visiting Alaska. That is why I still guide on this river every summer, as I have done since my first summer in Haines back in 1987. I continue to learn from the river and bathe in the peace that it offers.
Jan_R, Jun 2025
It’s June and the weather on the river was intermittently raining and a cool high 40s to low 50s. We lucked out with the rain stopping through most of the tour. Our guide Steve was amazing and pointed out much of the local Fauna in addition to spotting numerous Eagles along the river. The salmon is just starting to run so there weren’t been any Eagles as I had anticipated. Catherine drove the bus and we had a nourishing and welcome turkey sandwich combo at the end of our cruise.. Definitely worth the time and money.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad the weather held out for most of your tour and that you enjoyed your time on the river. Steve is an excellent guide, and it's great to hear he helped you spot eagles and shared insights about the local fauna. We’re happy to hear the lunch hit the spot after your adventure! Thank you for joining us during your visit in Haines!
MARY_P, Jun 2025
Great experience, loved the raft ride, very informative guide. Relaxed float though the river spotting eagles and their nests
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed the rafting tour and found the experience both relaxing and informative. Floating down the Chilkat River is such a peaceful way to take in the beauty of the area. The surrounding mountains and glacial waters make it a truly memorable setting. We're happy you got to spot some eagles and their nests along the way too. Thank you for joining us!
William_E, Apr 2025
This was really fun, our grown kids loved it. Saw lots of wildlife too. Stopped along river and “tracked moose, wolves, bears.. was fun
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for your review! The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is a truly special place, home to an incredible variety of wildlife. We’re so glad your whole family was able to enjoy the experience!
Paul_N, Sep 2024
Real family operation. We were really looked after. Saw lots of wildlife and the hosts were really knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thanks so much for this positive review. I appreciate that you mention that we are a family operation. We want all our guests to feel welcome and that, for a brief time, they are part of our family here in Haines.
Michael_L, Sep 2024
When we reached Haines, we got off the ship at 8:30 it was raining sideways and was very cold, obviously it was Alaska so not so unexpected. However, going on a rafting trip that morning would have been very unpleasant, no matter how well we dressed.
The guide stated they were running a trip in the afternoon that wasn't full, we asked if we could switch to that one in hopes of the weather breaking a bit. He wasn't receptive and wasn't very pleasant just said no. If the afternoon trip wasn't full they should have given us the option, lost the entire cost of the trip, more than 300 USD.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
I am sorry to read this review. Our entire company is known for being flexible and responsive, so this is a tough review to respond to. But I can assure you that, if there was room on the afternoon trip, we would have moved you to the afternoon trip. Our guides and drivers do not always know the reasons behind our scheduling. For example, sometimes we run two rafts in the morning and one raft in the afternoon. Or we have to switch vehicles between trips, and so there may be room on the raft but not on the vehicle. Since I don't know what date and trip you are referring to, I can't explain the particular reason for there not being room for you.
But I can't understand why you canceled. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is twenty miles inland from Haines. Every mile you head inland receives one inch less rainfall annually than on the coast. In other words, its drier in the Preserve and the weather in town is not the same as the weather for our rafting trips. I've been guiding on this river for over thirty years, and I have left town many times in pouring rain and had the sun break out while rafting. So I don't understand why you canceled the trip and lost your money since you say that cold and wet weather was not unexpected.
Carl_F, Jul 2024
Great raft ride. I was hoping for more wildlife. The river was extremely high from the warm days melting up on the mountains. I think it might have been early in the season (late June) if you expected to see bears.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thanks for writing this review because this allows me to provide more information about bear viewing in Haines. We rarely see bears on the rafting trip. The raft trip is about experiencing a wilderness river and learning and immersing oneself into the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. I wrote the book, Where Eagles Gather, The Story of he Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Haines, Alaskas. THe book is about the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and I am considered a local expert. I train all my guides so that they are capable of sharing more than generic information about bald eagles and Alaskan rivers; we want our guests to know and understand the story behind the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It is truly a fascinating and unique place on our planet. The river is glacial-fed, wide and braided. Even though there are salmon in the river and bears feed on the salmon, the odds of seeing a bear on the raft trip are low. We do travel through a dense area of nesting bald eagles and the odds of seeing bald eagles on the raft trip is high. For those who come to Haines hoping to see bear feeding on salmon, the first piece of advice I will give is that the odds of seeing a bear before August is relatively low. From August to the end of September, the odds increase every day. This is because the more reliable bear viewing is on the Chilkoot River where the pink salmon begin to arrive in August. The run peaks in September and bear come down to the river to feed. Our Chilkoot Lake Nature and Wildlife VIewing tour is the trip with the best odds of seeing brown bear. So for your trip, you were on the wrong tour at the wrong time of year for bear viewing. It is important to me that we manage our guest's expectations, and I'm sorry that piece of information was not clearly communicated with you. The raft trip is amazing and valuable in its own right, but it is no way a bear viewing raft trip.
David_T, Jul 2024
Pleasant trip. Saw some birds and eagles. Enjoyed the bag lunch provided. Was dropped off at library as requested.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
So glad to see you enjoyed your time out on the Chilkat River with us. Thanks for mentioning our lunch. As you can imagine, getting supplies up to remote Alaska can be challenging. It took us years to find the right caterer and to select a bread with the right texture--not too dry, nor too tough. And something as simple as an apple can be challenging up here- we finally found an apple that is crisp and flavorful. And then there are those wonderful chocolate chip cookies! We also offer gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and kosher options. We will go out of way to accommodate special diets with advance notice.
David_P, Jun 2024
Very peaceful and scenic trip down the river. Our guide, Russ, was very knowledgeable and full of interesting information about every aspect of the trip. No white water to worry about and everyone stayed dry! I even recommend for families with small kids!
Lauri_M, Jun 2024
Steve was an excellent raft guide with good stories of the region. Aly our host driver was very knowledgeable with lots of information of the area, too. Good storytelling is always a bonus, thanks Steve and Aly!
Shelagh_N, Aug 2023
Our guide was the owner and had so much to tell us about the area. He is also a wildlife photographer. We didn’t see much wildlife but had fun twisting and turning on the river - just ten of us which was perfect.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Yes I was your guide and I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the raft trip twisting and turning down the river. I remember that day and it was beautiful with dramatic light and wonderful scenery. We almost always see bald eagles out along the Chilkat River and sometimes see other wildlife like bear, moose, otters and even wolves.
But the main reason to go rafting with us is to get completely away from the road and experience the feeling of wilderness on the river. The river is a "highway" that gets you away from the paved highway. Being a glacial-fed river, the Chilkat is shallow and twisting and this keeps power boats away. So the idea is to immerse you in the Alaskan wilderness and that is what we did. I hope you can return for another tour with us.
Sonia_M, Jul 2022
Great river float !! Exceptional guides with lots of knowledge !! Beautiful scenery...lunch was also included !
Response from Host, Jul 2022
Glad you enjoyed our float trip. We do have exceptional guides and pride ourselves on their knowledge and skill.
Joan_W, Jun 2022
Joe, our raft guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area. We saw eagles even though the salmon were not running.
Response from Host, Jun 2022
Thanks for your kind review. The eagles this time of year are near their nest looking for food for their young. The salmon runs are just beginning to start. As the salmon runs grow stronger, we will see more eagles. Also, around the beginning of August we will start to see more bear on our Chilkoot Lake Nature and Wildlife Tour. Perhaps you can join us on that tour during your next visit.
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