|
Wilderness Canoe Trips
|
The Yukon is a paddler’s paradise with a great selection of canoeing rivers. Whether you are a beginner or experienced paddler, traveling alone or with a
group, we have a river trip to suit your skills and schedules
The Peel River watershed’s five tributaries – the Wind, the Snake, the Hart, the Blackstone and the Bonnet Plume – are our specialty. Flowing through one
of the largest roadless areas in the Yukon, these remote mountain rivers offer spectacular scenery, great canoeing and hiking, and abundant wildlife viewing. See our
Peel River watershed page for special stories and photos from the region.
The Yukon River and its tributaries, the Teslin and Big Salmon, are best known for their important role in the territory’s goldrush history. They are a good
choice for first-time adventurers and early- season travellers.
Rounding out our selection is the seldom-travelled Beaver River, tucked away in the territory’s southeast corner, with its brilliant fall colours, scenic
canyons and steaming hotsprings.
Guided Canoe Trips in 2008 (River Map)
For more information about what to expect on our trips, what you'll need to bring and how to book a trip, please see:
| Wind River - 12 days
|
Dates: July 18 - 29, 2008
Price per person: $4,350 (CDN)
After more than 15 years of canoeing this river, we are delighted to find it still harbours a few secrets such fossils, quartz crystals and a pool drop waterfall
with flat stone steps leading up to it like some grand Egyptian pyramid. The historic site of Wind City continues to elude us but the chance to see grizzlies, moose,
caribou, sheep and wolves in addition to great paddling and hiking more than makes up for it. A fast-moving, braided Class 2 river.
Day 1: Drive to Mayo.
Day 2: Fly by floatplane into McLuskey Lake. Begin canoe trip
Day 3-11: Canoe the Wind River.
Day 12: Fly by floatplane from Peel River to Mayo. Drive to Whitehorse.
“Ghosts haunt the 200-kilometre long swath of mountains, tundra and taiga that is bisected by the opalescent-blue waters of the Wind River. Listen hard and you can hear
them whispering from the canyons, cliffs and beaches as you paddle down this tributary of the fabled Peel: Native people hunting for fish, game and furs; European explorers
seeking the Northwest Passage; stampeders heading for the Klondike, Mounties praying for deliverance from hunger and cold.”
Three Rivers, The Yukon’s Great Boreal Wilderness
|
| Snake River - 12 days
|
Dates: July 2 - 13, 2008
Price per person: $4,650 (CDN)
It’s the only snake in the Yukon. Nestled next to the magnificent Mackenzie Mountain Range, the Class 2 and 3 waters of the Snake makes it more challenging the Wind. But
it boasts the massive Mount MacDonald, named after a grizzly local prospector. Canoeing experience is necessary for this intermediate river.
Day 1: Drive from Whitehorse to Mayo.
Day 2: Fly into Duo Lakes by floatplane. Portage to Snake River.
Day 3-11: Canoe the length of Snake River.
Day 12: Fly back to Mayo. Drive to Whitehorse.
|
| Blackstone River - 12 days
|
Dates: TBA
Price per person: $3,950 (CDN)
Our first trip down the Blackstone River in 2005 was full of discoveries, not the least of which were two huge mammoth tusks believed to be 25,000 to 40,000 years old.
From its humble beginnings in Tombstone Territorial Park, the Blackstone grows into a challenging Class Two river, with rocks and sweepers to dodge, rushing north to its
eventual meeting with the mighty Peel. Canoeing experience required.
Day 1: Drive to Tombstone Territorial Park and camp.
Day 2: Drive up the Dempster Highway to put-in.
Day 3 - 11: Canoe the Blackstone and Peel Rivers.
Day 12: Fly by floatplane to Mayo. Drive to Whitehorse.
“As expected we did not encounter another person in our 12 days on the river, but we saw many signs of bears and moose.”
Canoe & Kayak magazine, March 2006.
|
| Hart River - 12 days
|
Dates: August 3 - 14, 2008
Price per person: $4,650 (CDN)
You won’t find the Hart River in any paddling guide book. Since we ran our first trip on this river in 1999, it has grown to become one of our favourites. Still
seldom travelled, the Hart’s runable rapids make it a great river to improve your whitewater skills. The river-wide ledges of the Peel on the final day top off a first-class adventure.
Day 1: Drive from Whitehorse to Mayo.
Day 2: Fly by floatplane into Elliot Lake. Helicopter portage to Hart River.
Day 3 - 11: Canoe the Hart River
Day 12: Fly by floatplane back to Mayo. Drive to Whitehorse.
"We had travelled 120 miles over eight days and hadn't seen a single footprint. We counted 12 sheep on a slope near river level and realized it was a mineral
lick just beyond, two rams lounged on a cliff high above, keeping survey of their harem below."
Paddler Magazine, Canoeing the Hart of the Yukon
|
| Teslin River - 7 days |
Dates: June 1 - 7 and June 17 - 23, 2008
Price per person: $2,250 (CDN),
When summer arrives in the Yukon, one of the first rivers that opens itself to travelers is the Teslin. A classic wilderness canoe trip that gently takes paddlers back
in time, it comes with abandoned homesteads, deserted villages and creeks still hiding specks of gold in its blacksands. This season-opener is a great choice for first-time
adventurers.
Day 1: Drive Whitehorse - Johnson's Crossing. Begin canoe trip.
Day 2-6: Canoe the Teslin and Yukon rivers.
Day 7: Canoe to take out. Drive to Whitehorse.
|
| Yukon River - 5 days
|
Dates: June 10 - 14 and June 26 - 30, 2008
Price per person: $1,550 (CDN)
Imagine 7,000 homemade boats, of all make and manner, crossing the legendary Lake Laberge, longing to reach the north end where they can benefit from the Yukon River
current once again. That was 1897. Today this section of the Yukon, from Lake Laberge to Little Salmon, it has been designated as a Canadian Heritage River. We think it’s
the most scenic stretch of this great waterway that flows all the way to the Bering Sea. No experience necessary.
*Nine-day trips on the Yukon from Carmacks to Dawson City are also available.
Day 1: Drive to Lake Laberge. Boat to end of lake.
Day 2-4: Canoe the Yukon River.
Day 5: Canoe to take out. Drive to Whitehorse.
|
| Big Salmon River - 10 days
|
Dates: July 4 - 13, 2008
Price per person: $2,350 (CDN)
Fish camps dot the lower limits of the Big Salmon River, but no longer does anyone make this valley their permanent home. Except the salmon who swim several thousand miles
to return to their spawning grounds and the bears, moose and wolves who roam the rich river valley. We cross three lakes to get to the start of the river that then flows
through the picturesque Pelly Mountains to the Yukon River. Basic canoeing skills on moving water an asset.
Day 1: Drive from Whitehorse to Quiet Lake. Begin canoe trip.
Day 2 – 9: Canoe Big Salmon and Yukon Rivers.
Day 10: Canoe to take-out near Little Salmon village. Drive to Whitehorse.
"As we gazed out on a land unchanged by time, a member of our group broke the silence to share a thought about the real world. After a pause, Blaine replied:
'This is the real world.' Soon it was so still the only sound was the rhythm of our breathing."
River Magazine
|
| Beaver River - 12 days
|
Dates: September 2 - 13, 2008
Price per person: $4,450 (CDN)
Four days into the trip, when you find yourself soaking in the most luxurious warm flowing springs, surrounded by a lush green meadow of ferns and grasses, you’ll have
to pinch yourself to make sure it’s for real. The river’s two canyons and its unique ecosystem simply add to the allure of this remote boreal river. Paddlers should have
canoeing experience and be in good physical condition to deal with the portages.
Day 1: Drive from Whitehorse to Watson Lake.
Day 2: Fly by floatplane into Hugo Lake. Portage to river.
Days 3 - 11: Canoe the Beaver River to the Liard River.
Day 12: Fly back to Watson Lake. Drive to Whitehorse.
"The Beaver River begins its journey high in the Logan Mountains in the southeast Yukon. It travels through the oldest and richest boreal forest in the territory, carving
through two canyons, picking up the warmth of hot springs, feeding large wetland complexes and then emptying into the Liard River. Setting off into the Beaver River during one of the
wettest spells in the Yukon is intimidating. But all the rivers that guide Blaine Walden has paddled this summer have been in flood. Blaine beams to his group of paddlers and says
"It'll be fine." It's reassuring to know about his 20 years of guiding on rivers this wild and remote."
Yukon News
|
| Bonnet Plume River - 14 days |
Dates: TBA
Price per person: $4,650 (CDN)
Recognized for its high wilderness values and cultural history, the Bonnet Plume has been designated a Canadian Heritage River. Its challenging whitewater makes this expedition suitable for experienced paddlers.
Itinerary
Day 1: Drive from Whitehorse to Mayo.
Day 2: Fly into Bonnet Plume Lake.
Day 3 – 13: Canoe the Bonnet Plume and Peel Rivers.
Day 14: Fly from Taco Bar on Peel to Mayo. Drive to Whitehorse.
|
| Custom Trips
|
|
We can customize a trip to suit your skills, schedule and special requirements on these and other northern rivers.
|
*Price per person includes all meals, transportation, accommodation, guiding services and equipment for canoeing/camping, Whitehorse to Whitehorse. Prices does not include 6% federal government’s Goods and Services Tax.
|
Walden's Guiding & Outfitting
Box 10402
Whitehorse, YT
Canada Y1A 7A1
Phone 1-867-667-7040
Fax 1-867-668-3073
Toll-free 1-877-WALDENS (North America Only)
Email info@waldensguiding.com
|
