Stikine, the "Great River", is an international river which begins in British Columbia's Spatsizi Plateau and ends at the river's delta near Wrangell, Alaska. This area, the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, can be traversed by a wide variety of watercraft from Wrangell, Alaska to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
The first inhabitants of the Stikine were the Tahltan and Tlingit peoples. Natives utilized the river for transportation, trade, hunting, fishing and trapping. The Stikine was a major trading route connecting the coastal tribes with the interior of Canada. Russian fur traders established the first European presence in Alaska. The Tlingit actively traded along the Stikine, trading goods between the Tahltan and the Russian American Company, until 1839. The river was the center of a gold rush in the 1850's and soon brought added interest in the area from America. The Stikine also provided access for miners and their supplies during the Cassiar and Klondike Gold rushes. Trade along the river continues to support isolated interior settlements and mining projects within Canada.
Wildlife abounds in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. The river's delta hosts the largest springtime concentration of Bald Eagles in North America. This area's tidal and grass flats are an important migratory stopover for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes and shorebirds traveling the Pacific Flyway. The greatest abundance of birds are seen in the spring and fall. This river supports runs of sockeye, coho, and chinook salmon. Salmon are an important resource for local fishermen. Land mammals include brown (grizzly) bear, black bear, wolf, otter, mink, moose, martin and porcupine.
Alaska Vistas offers a number of unique ways to visit the Stikine River. They include:
Guided Raft Trips-
Alaska Vistas is an United States Forest Service guide/outfitter authorized to operate on the Tongass National Forest. We are able to arrange a number of unique float trips down the Stikine River. Areas of interest include Shakes Glacier, Andrews Clearwater Creek, Cottonwood Slough, Garnet Ledge and the Stikine delta tidal flats. Trips beginning in Telegraph Creek, British Columbia take five days to complete and trips on the American side of the border range from one to three days in length. Our rafting trips include a flightseeing trip that allows for an overview of the river valley and provides a special view of the Stikine Icefield. Visit the Season Schedule page for a complete itinerary and current cost.
Flightseeing-
Our friends at Sunrise Aviation offer a truly outstanding aerial tour of the Stikine River and its surrounding glaciers. LeConte Glacier, the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America, is the starting point of the trip. Your pilot will continue flying over this glacier, until it becomes Shakes
Glacier, which eventually drains into the Stikine River. The upper river valley is crisscrossed with many river channels, sand dunes, clear feeder streams, beaver pounds and lush meadows. The flat valley floor is hemmed in by nearly vertical, snow-capped mountains. The trip ends with you over the vast Stikine delta, with its numerous sloughs, pot holes and mud flats. While we at would be glad to arrange a flightseeing trip like this for you, remember it is included with every guided raft trip that we conduct upon the Stikine River!
Jetboat Charters-
Alaska Vistas Inc. P.O.ox 2245 Wrangell Alaska 99929 Toll Free 1-866-874-3006 Tek 1-907-874-3006 Fax 1-907-874-2997
An exciting alternative to drifting down the river is a jetboat trip. Running at high speed, in only inches of water, a jetboat can allow you to see a remarkable range of territory on a limited time budget. Combined with one of our fishing or camping trips, you can experince a vacation of a lifetime. In order to increase availability and maintain prices, Alaska Vistas jet boat trips are run in conjunction with our sister company Stickeen Wilderness Adventures .
