Chilkoot Lake Nature and Wildlife Viewing (2.5 hrs in Haines)
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Haines, USA
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Explore some of southeastern Alaska's best wildlife-viewing areas, and immerse yourself in unspoiled nature, on this small-group tour from Haines. Your destination is Chilkoot Lake State Park: Thanks to your guide's knowledge, have the best chance of spotting bald eagles, harbor seals, brown bears, and more as you explore. With round-trip transit included, experiencing Alaska's wildlife and landscapes is made easy.
- Round-trip transit from Haines, including port pickup, included
- See the best of Chilkoot Lake State Park in one time-saving trip
- Have a better chance of spotting wildlife than you would on your own
- This small-group tour helps keep your sightseeing personal
What's Included
- Driver/guide
- Port pickup
- Gratuities
- Lunch
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 lobby. 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.Itinerary
After morning pickup at the cruise port in Haines, your guide drives you and a small group to Chilkoot Lake State Park.
Look through the powerful spotting scope for the possibility of seeing wildlife such as bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bears. Your guide explains how the animals fit into the Chilkoot’s complex ecosystem and shares insights about their behavior.
Depending on the time of year that you visit, you are more likely to see different animals. In May, June and July, eagles care for their young and wildflower blooms peak. Migrating salmon arrive towards the end of July, attracting brown bears to the water. From early August through late September, bears are frequently spotted.
The tour concludes with return to your starting point after several hours of exploring.
Look through the powerful spotting scope for the possibility of seeing wildlife such as bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bears. Your guide explains how the animals fit into the Chilkoot’s complex ecosystem and shares insights about their behavior.
Depending on the time of year that you visit, you are more likely to see different animals. In May, June and July, eagles care for their young and wildflower blooms peak. Migrating salmon arrive towards the end of July, attracting brown bears to the water. From early August through late September, bears are frequently spotted.
The tour concludes with return to your starting point after several hours of exploring.
1
Haines
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Tanani Point
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Chilkoot River
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Fort William H. Seward National Historic Landmark
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A minimum of 2 people is required for tour to run
- At time of booking, please provide the name of your Cruise Ship or Hotel accommodation so we know where to meet you for the tour.
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour requires a certain amount of walking on uneven and rocky surfaces.
- Motorized wheelchairs or scooters cannot be accommodated.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 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
Jacquie_S
Absolutely wonderful experience. Chad our guide was very knowledgeable and took time in answering any questions we had. The locations we went to and the scenery was stunning. We saw lots of bald headed eagles, some catching fish too, and we were also very lucky to see a mama bear with 4 cubs.
Reviews
4.7
based on 75 reviews
leimingtang, Nov 2025
This tour was awesome! It became a private tour due to our daughter requiring a car seat. We saw eagles and had many stops for picturesque scenery. It was a great day!
Cathy_K, Sep 2025
I love taking Viator tours. Their buses are way smaller than the ones used by the typical cruise excursions, so you get a much more personal experience. The guy doesn’t have to be afraid to jump off the scripted tour when something amazing is happening. And that’s exactly what happened on our tour! We took the chill Chilkut Wilderness tour in Haines, Alaska Rainbow Tours. Our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly. We passed so many sea birds and even involved eagles. Then we got to the perfect spot. A rapidly running stream filled with salmon. Along came a gorgeous, juvenile, brown bear, who was frolicking in the stream, looking for the perfect fish. He strolled back-and-forth right in front of us for more than 20 minutes, just posing for our pictures. You could not beat that!
Janie_A, Sep 2025
Great guide, persistent in trying to help us find our bears!
Saw eagles, sockeye beautiful red salmon. Mom & 4 cubs playing in the water!
Michelle_B, Sep 2025
A lot of great information along with some animal sightings. Animal and bird sightings are never a guarantee and we knew that going into it. We were fortunate enough to see brown bear, bald eagles, and scoters. We also learned a lot about the local area and saw hanging glaciers and learned a bit of geology, history, flora, and fauna. We felt fortunate to have Chad as our guide.
Daniel_M, Aug 2025
Chad was very knowledgeable about all things Haines! The wildlife, the vegetation, and the community. Great tour!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for the 5-star review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your time with Chad. His deep knowledge of Haines comes from both his studies in zoology and aquatic biology, as well as more than thirty years working as a fisheries biologist here in Southeast Alaska. He’s passionate about sharing the natural and cultural history of this place, and it means a lot to know that came through on your tour.
Charlotte_E, Aug 2025
Great afternoon tour. Excellent guide very knowledgeable and friendly. Tour exceeded expectations. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for the review! Knowing we were able to exceed your expectations really means a lot. Our team works hard to create experiences our guests can remember and look back on fondly. We truly appreciate your kind words and the recommendation!
Nancy_F, Aug 2025
Very informative, very enthusiastic, very nice and friendly tour guide. We saw a bear, eagles and mountain goats. Enjoyed the tour and highly recommend
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you so much for joining us and for your wonderful review! The Chilkoot truly is a special place. We’re so glad you had such a great time during your visit and were able to see bears, eagles, and mountain goats — what an incredible day! We really appreciate your recommendation.
Jacquie_S, Aug 2025
Absolutely wonderful experience. Chad our guide was very knowledgeable and took time in answering any questions we had. The locations we went to and the scenery was stunning. We saw lots of bald headed eagles, some catching fish too, and we were also very lucky to see a mama bear with 4 cubs.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! It sounds like you had an incredible tour! We’re so glad you enjoyed your time with Chad. He's the full package with over 30 years in Southeast Alaska as a federal fisheries biologist and advanced degrees in zoology and aquatic biology. Chad brings a whole new level of depth to wildlife viewing. His knowledge, paired with his approachable style, makes for a truly special experience. And what an amazing day for sightings — bald eagles fishing and a mama bear with four cubs? We love to hear it! We’re thrilled you got to witness the wild side of Alaska in such a memorable way.
Thomas_L, Aug 2025
Excellent driver and great knowledge of the area. Saw salmon and an eagles and Brown bear wuth 4 cubs. Loved it
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for 5 star review! We're thrilled you had such a memorable experience — seeing salmon, eagles, and a brown bear with four cubs is truly special! We’re glad your guide helped make the day informative and smooth
Susan_A, Aug 2025
It was a wonderful afternoon and Chad was a superb guide! We were lucky to see a brown bear, mountain goats, and numerous bald eagles. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for the review! We’re not surprised to hear you had such a wonderful afternoon with Chad and that he helped make the experience special. Spotting a brown bear, mountain goats, and all those bald eagles — what an incredible day! We truly appreciate the recommendation.
red777, Jul 2025
Karla made sure that she was giving us the tour that we wanted. She put up her telescope for us to use.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the kind review! We’re so glad to hear Karla made sure your tour felt personalized and tailored to what you were hoping for. She’s a thoughtful guide who loves helping guests connect with the landscape - setting up the telescope is just one of the many ways she goes the extra mile. Thank you again for the 5 star review!
James_M, Jul 2025
Well worth the money . Saw wildlife and great scenery . Guide Dave was very knowledgeable and really cared about wildlife and guests
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the review! We're so glad you felt the tour was well worth it and that you enjoyed both the wildlife and the beautiful scenery. Davey will be so happy to hear your kind words. His passion for wildlife and genuine care for our guests truly makes him a standout guide. We appreciate you spending part of your day with us in Haines!
William_N, Jul 2025
Even though we didn’t see bears, we still had a wonderful time. Haines is beautiful and we learned a lot. She tried her hardest to find wildlife for us. We did see eagles. We would do the tour again.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the 5 star review! Haines is beautiful, and we appreciate you pointing that out. The beauty of the wildlife is that they are, in fact, wild. Our guides will take you to their habitat and go that extra mile to provide you with the best chance of spotting them, but since it's all part of the natural world, we can never guarantee what you’ll see. We're so glad you still had a wonderful time, learned something new, and got to enjoy the eagles along the way. We would love to welcome you back!
Andrew_D, Jul 2025
Good short wildlife excursion with narration. Minimum walking, with multiple scenic view stops in a small 12 ish person bus.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the review! We're so glad you enjoyed the narration on your wildlife tour and the stunning scenic stops along the way. If you only have a few hours in Haines, this really is the perfect tour -small group sizes mean more time at each location, plenty of chances to ask questions, and minimal walking so you can focus on the views. We appreciate you joining us!
Luzviminda_S, Jul 2025
A good overview of Haines and its surroundings, a small group, good value for your money; the special acknowledgement of our driver/guide, Katherine, whose calm, clear voice with relevant and interesting information made our tour pleasant and enjoyable.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for joining us! We're thrilled to hear you had such a pleasant experience exploring Haines. Katherine is a seasoned guide with a calm and thoughtful presence, and we're so glad her clear, engaging storytelling helped make your tour enjoyable. It's great to know the small group setting and overall value made the day even better. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again in the future!
Danielle_M, Jun 2025
Our guide was friendly, full of wilderness and Alaska knowledge, and created a fun experience. We were able to see places that wouldn't have been accessible (or even known about) had we just gone out on our own.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the great review! We’re so glad to hear your guide helped create a fun and memorable experience. One of the best parts of going with a local guide is getting to explore those hidden spots you might not find on your own - and it’s wonderful to know you felt that added value. We appreciate you joining us and for the 5 star review!
Doris_H, Jun 2025
Tour guide, Chad, did a great job locating and showing us wildlife, specifically goats and bald eagles. During our drive, he was continuously educating us about the history and topography of the area.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for the review! We're thrilled to hear that Chad made your experience so enjoyable. His passion for the region really shines through, and we're glad you had the chance to spot wildlife like mountain goats and bald eagles along the way. The combination of stunning scenery, rich history, and local insight is what makes this tour so special. We truly appreciate you joining us during your visit in Haines!
Bruce_C, Jun 2025
The tour goes to some very beautiful areas outside Haines to search wildlife. We didn’t see much wildlife but we tried! Apparently if we had been there in 2 weeks, we would see bears. We did spot some bald eagles though.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your review! We're so glad you enjoyed the beautiful landscapes around Haines. It's a special place to explore, even when the wildlife is a bit elusive.
We’re happy you caught sight of some bald eagles. While bear activity increases later in the summer, June offers vibrant wildflowers, long daylight hours, and active eagle nesting, making it a wonderful time to visit.
Cynthia_H, Sep 2024
Chad was a great and knowledgeable guide. We had a small group which got along well. We did not see bears but saw a mama moose with two babies, lots of eagles, a harbor seal and numerous other birds. Great time.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
I am so glad to read about the time you had with Chad. He is a very knowledgeable guide with a master's degree in fisheries biology. I am glad that you were open-minded and not fixated on seeing a bear. When one is open-minded, there is lots of enjoy about a visit to Haines. And how special that you got to see a moose! Moose are much less predictable than bear because they love to willows, and willows are found throughout the valley. Bear prefer salmon, and salmon concentrate in the Chilkoot River in August and September, so the Chilkoot tends to be a reliable place to see them that time of the summer. But every trip is different. These are wild animals and that what makes it so thrilling to see one, whatever the species!
Burke_N, Jun 2024
Saw 3 Bald Eagles and 2 brownies playing in the flats. What an experience. Chad was a wealth of information about the area and its environmental diversity.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed your wildlife tour to Haines with us. You were early in the season for reliable bear viewing but it sounds like you got lucky. Chad has a master's degree in fisheries biology and a lifetime of experience in the field. He is an amazing guide.
Cathy_M, Aug 2023
Did not stop at the Chilkat Eagle Preserve and we were very disappointed. Paul did well however the drive was not too interesting.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thanks for the feedback. Our tour description does not state that we visit the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. This is a Chilkoot Tour and you did visit the Chilkoot Wildlife Corridor. Our rafting tour goes to the Bald Eagle Preserve.
Kimberly_K, Jun 2023
This excursion was very flexible and helpful as we were coming from a cruise ship with bad weather .
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Thanks for this review. We don't control the weather but do our best to provide the best experience possible. Because we cater to small groups, we have more flexibility than other companies.
BERTHA_V, Jul 2022
Our tour guide did an amazing job. She definitely knows the place very well, is very polite and is very patient.
In the other hand, we expected to see some grizzly bears as advertised in the tour description but were told when we were there that you can't during the month of July.
Response from Host, Jul 2022
I am glad you enjoyed our tour guide. I'm not sure which tour description you are referring to because we clearly state that the chances of seeing bear are low until August when the pink salmon start running.
Tom_L, Jun 2022
Kate was a wonderful guide with personal service with a smile. She took us on short hikes that were very easy with plenty of photo options.
Response from Host, Jul 2022
I'm so happy to see this positive review for our tour and for our guide, Kate. Kate is new to our company this year and brings enthusiasm along with a commitment to learning and sharing. Kate is studying pre-law at Loyola University and speaks fluent French. She has a passion for Alaska and its natural history and we are glad to have her join our team.
Irene_H, Sep 2025
Nice experience, driving around in an old bus and multiple stops aimed at seeing wildlife. Especially Chilkoot river & lake I found beautiful places and very nice to see brown bears in the wild.
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