Begin in Skagway as we drive, by van, 10 scenic coastal miles to the head of the famous Chilkoot Trail in Dyea valley, which was a Gold Rush town, now returned to nature and part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Along the drive, watch for Bald Eagles and seals. Your knowledgeable guide will share with you fascinating Gold Rush and natural history of the area as you drive to Dyea and throughout the tour.

On the 2-mile moderately strenuous hike, retrace the steps of the Gold Rush stampeeders through a green moss-covered northern temperate rainforest.  Learn about native plants along the trail and the struggles of those who hiked before you. You will have time for taking photos as well.

At the end of the one-way hike we meet with the raft and suit up with lifejackets and rubber boots for a relaxing river float on the tranquil Taiya River. As you float down the gentle river, your guide will point out potential wildlife (Bald Eagles are common, bears are possible-usually late summer-though wildlife sightings are not guaranteed) while you enjoy the gorgeous river and mountain views. The river is a peaceful place to reflect on the natural beauty of Alaska. Enjoy a small riverside snack after the float.

This is an ACTIVE tour and the hike is moderate to strenuous (depending on your fitness) and is on an uneven dirt trail with some steep portions and hilly terrain (elevation gain 300 feet), with rocks and roots to navigate around for the first mile. The second mile is mostly flat ground for the remainder of the hike.

Wear sturdy walking shoes with good traction. Hiking poles are available for the hiking portion. For the Float portion we have lifejackets, rubber boots to wear instead of your shoes, and long rain ponchos. Tour goes rain or shine so please come prepared to hike in the rain with rainjackets and/or pants if needed.

Please note that the hike portion of this trip is moderate to strenuous. Please be in good physical condition. Those with back, knee, hip, or balance issues should consider their participation in this activity. There is an alternate arrangement in place of the Chilkoot trail hike available (a short walk or drive with our staff and some behind the scenes set up before joining the group with the raft-it is not really meant to be a replacement for the hike and is not an equal experience but a backup in case needed for accommodation) You will meet up with the group for the float portion. Please advise us in the Special Instructions section when booking if you may need this service. Due to safety reasons and keeping our tour schedule, our guides will strongly advise you to do the alternate option at the start of the hike if they feel your participation in the Chilkoot trail hike to be too strenuous for your ability level.

This tour is 4-4.25 hours including 1 ½-2 hours hiking and about 35-45 minutes on the river (depending on water levels). We operate tours in rainy weather so please dress in layers for your comfort and a waterproof rain jacket is suggested.

We do offer ship pier pickup and dropoff. We meet outside the security area (where ship tours meet) and have a representative holding a Skagway Float Tours sign. Your ticket will have more details.

Suitable for active children 5 and up. Ask about younger participants by emailing skagwayfloat@gmail.com.

Maximum group size is 11. For larger groups we divide out to a second group for the hike and the float portions. The groups will depart at the same time but will not be following too closely along the route in order to comply with our National Park permit regulations. We would also divide into 2 rafts. (The rafts may have additional guests up to 11 depending on how you divide your group).

If you are ready to book, please submit your reservation. It will be a pending order until we review your details and confirm it to you. For payment there are 2 options: You can enter your credit card in the booking form to be charged through our booking software payment system called RezdyPay. The card will be charged an initial $5 deposit fee and the remainder of the total will be charged on the day of the tour. Alternatively, you can choose pay by PayPal and the $5 deposit will be charged at booking and we will send you a payment link to complete the rest of the payment in full through PayPal. For the White Pass and Rafting combo tour we will send a link for the payment in full at the time of booking.

If your tour time and date is not available, we will email or call you with alternate times available or to notify you that we are not able to accept your booking request.

If you need to cancel, just give us 24 hours notice (see our policy). If you cancel prior to the 24-hour period, we will refund any amount you have already paid.
For additional information see https://skagwayfloat.com/#faqs

The Calendar shows live availability, however, if you don’t see the date and time available that you want, please send us an email at skagwayfloat@gmail.com and we can double check options for you. Thank you!