White water rafting in Denali

We are also on the Radiance Land/Cruise Tour and interested in this excursion. We've never been rafting before. Do you think you have to be experienced to do this? We would take the one where we don't do the paddling. Thanks in advance.

When are you going? If it is before July 15, please come back to this thread and give us a review afterwards.

When are you going? If it is before July 15, please come back to this thread and give us a review afterwards.

We are on the 5B tour starting in Anchorage on June 18, 2017. We would take the tour through RCI and I'm assuming we will get more information once we get there. (I hope it is an option).

When are you going? If it is before July 15, please come back to this thread and give us a review afterwards.

Cruise/land tour with Norwegian is from July 6 - 17. I will absolutely come back to this thread with a full review of my experience :)

We did this 4 years ago - it was AWESOME! We used Denali Raft Adventures and did the "Canyon Run" (the tour guide did the paddling). Chicago was our tour guide and he was wonderful. He even made sure my 13yo (at the time) was able to participate despite his broken foot! I wore some rubber gloves to try and keep my hands from getting too cold, because once my hands get cold, the rest of me just gets freezing too. My now ex and my sons didn't have gloves on and their hands were a little red from the cold water at the end. Totally loved the "Glacial Facial"! It really was a great trip! We used a coupon from one of the coupon books for additional savings, so you might want to look in to that also.

Thanks for all the info. When you say "rubber gloves"...can you be more specific?

We are on the 5B tour starting in Anchorage on June 18, 2017. We would take the tour through RCI and I'm assuming we will get more information once we get there. (I hope it is an option).

Cruise/land tour with Norwegian is from July 6 - 17. I will absolutely come back to this thread with a full review of my experience :)

Great! I look forward to both reports!

We are also on the Radiance Land/Cruise Tour and interested in this excursion. We've never been rafting before. Do you think you have to be experienced to do this? We would take the one where we don't do the paddling. Thanks in advance.

Hi from Pembroke Pines, Fl!! We have white water rafted about 5 times and loved it. We were living almost a year in the Co mountains and went for it- about 8 years ago. On our first attempt we did the III to V's and did the paddling. They gave great instructions and was alot of fun. I recommend it highly. I would not miss this experience in Denali.

Fran

We are on the 5B tour starting in Anchorage on June 18, 2017. We would take the tour through RCI and I'm assuming we will get more information once we get there. (I hope it is an option).

Hi Rhona,

Check on your online booking page where it says trip itinerary and it should detail your excursion- we are on a 6B in late July and it is an option in Denali.

Fran

Hi from Pembroke Pines, Fl!! We have white water rafted about 5 times and loved it. We were living almost a year in the Co mountains and went for it- about 8 years ago. On our first attempt we did the III to V's and did the paddling. They gave great instructions and was alot of fun. I recommend it highly. I would not miss this experience in Denali.

Fran

Thanks for your input Fran :). How did you find the difficulty of classy 3 and 4 Rapids? Not hard at all?

Thanks for your input Fran :). How did you find the difficulty of classy 3 and 4 Rapids? Not hard at all?

It was but they did not last all that long- you listen to the guide and do what he says- and celebrate with a "paddle high five" when you complete the area. Really alot of fun. We are not super athletic and in the senior classification age wise- and did great!

Fran

It was but they did not last all that long- you listen to the guide and do what he says- and celebrate with a "paddle high five" when you complete the area. Really alot of fun. We are not super athletic and in the senior classification age wise- and did great!

Fran

Thanks Fran, ya to me this is an opportunity of a lifetime! I cannot wait to write my review of this :)

It was but they did not last all that long- you listen to the guide and do what he says- and celebrate with a "paddle high five" when you complete the area. Really alot of fun. We are not super athletic and in the senior classification age wise- and did great!

Fran

Thanks so much Fran. We're in FL too, (not incredibly athletic and in our 60's) and appreciate all your information. All these posts have given me the courage to do this! Very excited. Thanks everyone! Can't wait.

Thanks so much Fran. We're in FL too, (not incredibly athletic and in our 60's) and appreciate all your information. All these posts have given me the courage to do this! Very excited. Thanks everyone! Can't wait.

Sameeee herrreee! It's given me

The courage I needed to just do this! So so glad I started this thread! I can't believe I started this thread back in march and it's still alive lol

Sameeee herrreee! It's given me

The courage I needed to just do this! So so glad I started this thread! I can't believe I started this thread back in march and it's still alive lol

I had to laugh when I read your post....thinking...I hope I'm still alive AFTER my white water rafting excursion! ;p

I had to laugh when I read your post....thinking...I hope I'm still alive AFTER my white water rafting excursion! ;p

We will definitely live to tell the tale ;) hahaha. Can't wait for your detailed review ;)

Do the dry suits go over your regular clothes? Do the items in your pockets (phone, wallet, etc) stay completely dry or do you need to put those items in some sort of other protection inside the dry suit?

Do the dry suits go over your regular clothes? Do the items in your pockets (phone, wallet, etc) stay completely dry or do you need to put those items in some sort of other protection inside the dry suit?

From what I understand and have read from others is that the dry suits do go over your clothing and they keep you super dry! Like absolutely nothing gets in. I even read of people jumping in the water at the end of the rafting and they come back in the boat completely dry underneath:). I might consider this...why not right? Haha

Hi from Pembroke Pines, Fl!! We have white water rafted about 5 times and loved it. We were living almost a year in the Co mountains and went for it- about 8 years ago. On our first attempt we did the III to V's and did the paddling. They gave great instructions and was alot of fun. I recommend it highly. I would not miss this experience in Denali.

Fran

So we are on a Celebrity Land/Cruse tour 5B, trust it will be the same as RCI.

What river outfitter did you go with? Seems I can find about 5 of them in that neck of the woods and one does not have many reviews so I've got concerns.

Did you get overnighted in Denali Parke Village? How do you get around?

Thanks much!

LOVED the white water rafting. It was the best part of our two week trip....and I think we did it all!. I was one who jumped out an swam for a portion of the trip. I did get wet inside my suit. They pulled the suit aside to check it after they saw my pants after the trip.

Still a little ice along the edge. Water temp was 38 I think. It was fantastic!

Also did the snorkeling in Ketchican. Not nearly as enthusiastic about that one.

So we are on a Celebrity Land/Cruse tour 5B, trust it will be the same as RCI.

What river outfitter did you go with? Seems I can find about 5 of them in that neck of the woods and one does not have many reviews so I've got concerns.

Did you get overnighted in Denali Parke Village? How do you get around?

Thanks much!

Awesome always enthusiastic! I will most likely jump out of the raft also :).

I did get over nighted at Denali Park Villiage. Really looking forward to it. Someone told me that there aren't any restaurants that are in walking distance from the Villiage. Which is ok I think I'll be fine with just eating in the lodge grounds :). I called the tour company, they said that they use a number of different rafting companies. I hope I get to go with Denali raft adventures. They have all positive reviews on trip advisor :).

JP

Awesome always enthusiastic! I will most likely jump out of the raft also :).

 

I did get over nighted at Denali Park Villiage. Really looking forward to it. Someone told me that there aren't any restaurants that are in walking distance from the Villiage. Which is ok I think I'll be fine with just eating in the lodge grounds :). I called the tour company, they said that they use a number of different rafting companies. I hope I get to go with Denali raft adventures. They have all positive reviews on trip advisor :).

 

JP

Yep a lot of good reviews, so many more TripAdvisor reviews above the next contractor. Thus I'm concerned my land/cruse package trip would be with Denali Park Village (bottom of the list). I've boated rivers a long time so little thing make big deal for me. What is causing me issue with going direct with this tour: I don't know when we get to the village and thus it seems I have to book a very late canyon trip. Don't see dinner that night I guess. I'm guessing the "package" trips will be done by a contractor during that time before they do the late canyon trips at set for 6:30 PM. They may get chance to make dinner at the village? Can anyone advise when package tours run?

Thanks

Yep a lot of good reviews, so many more TripAdvisor reviews above the next contractor. Thus I'm concerned my land/cruse package trip would be with Denali Park Village (bottom of the list). I've boated rivers a long time so little thing make big deal for me. What is causing me issue with going direct with this tour: I don't know when we get to the village and thus it seems I have to book a very late canyon trip. Don't see dinner that night I guess. I'm guessing the "package" trips will be done by a contractor during that time before they do the late canyon trips at set for 6:30 PM. They may get chance to make dinner at the village? Can anyone advise when package tours run?

Thanks

I know I totally understand your concern. Like for me I will be arriving at the Denali park village at 3:00pm. And on their website it under the rafting tours it says the latest rafting is at 6:00pm. So of course I'll have to take that one. It's gonna be weird at first for me with the sun setting at 11:30pm lol. I'm from Canada.

I'll check out more of the rafting contractors on tripadvisor

I'm back from our Alaska trip- absolutely incredible and breathtaking experience. We did not get to do the White Watwr Rafting (big disappointment). The weather forecast was strong Thunderstorms- so we didn't sign up for the Excursion. The next day- the weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful.

I have two nights in Denali. Not sure when we arrive the first day but I assume it will be late in the afternoon. The next day we are on the TWT and the following morning we leave for Fairbanks.

Will there be time for a rafting trip?

I'm back from our Alaska trip- absolutely incredible and breathtaking experience. We did not get to do the White Watwr Rafting (big disappointment). The weather forecast was strong Thunderstorms- so we didn't sign up for the Excursion. The next day- the weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful. ��

Bummer! Did they not offer it? Or did they offer it but you decided not to sign up due to weather?

Thanks for info!

Bummer! Did they not offer it? Or did they offer it but you decided not to sign up due to weather?

 

Thanks for info!

We arrived around 4:00 in the afternoon and they did offer it at 6:00 p.m. (We had the Wilderness Tour for 8 hours the following day). We didn't sign up for it because the forecast was for strong thunderstorms (not just rain). We had to sign up for it the previous day, so with that forecast, we didn't sign up. I was disappointed, but other than that (and our tour guide for the land portion) our trip was amazing.