Skagway shore excursion - Eagle Preserve Float

[ute_fan]

Who's done this excursion?  Takes out of Skagway and goes to Haines.  Drive up to the Chiltak Bald Eagle preserve and float down the river.

This will be our 5th time in Skagway.  We've done the train ride, driven up the Yukon Highway (twice), and did the Davidson Glacier float trip.  Wondering if this would be a good option to try.

Edited March 31, 2019 by ute_fan

[oaktreerb]

We did the excursion in August several years ago.  We took the ferry to Haines as part of the excursion.  We transferred to a school bus for our ride out to the preserve.  There wasn’t much water in the braided river but we rafted (five of us) with our very local leader and saw a couple of eagles, got hung up on a sandbar and had a lot of laughs.  We remember it well.   The leader brought sandwiches and drinks and we ate lunch sitting on the river bank.  We took the school bus back to Haines, got on the ferry and returned to Skagway.  We kind of floated around the river.

 

We have also done a hike excursion out of Skagway that was a Chilkoot Hike and Float.  The tour leader took us out past Dyea to the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail and we walked the trail to a point in the river where we boarded a raft and floated back to Skagway.  We have now been on both ends of the Chilkoot trail, having been previously to Bennett Lake!

 

 

 

 

[sherryf]

We did this excursion.  It rained most of the time, but we had a fun bunch of people on our raft and we had a great time anyway.  When we got back to shore, it was still raining hard, so instead of eating sandwiches on the riverbank, we ate on the crowded bus full of wet people.  It was quite an adventure, and still one of the most memorable excursions we have done.

[BullyLvr]

I also did this excursion.  So while we did have a great time,  IMO the best part of it was the ferry to Haines. Just gorgeous scenery. It was late May.  River we rafted on was a bit low and we may have seen 1 eagle. No other wildlife. Just hit or miss I guess. We did have an enjoyable time though.

[jtdlmc]

I have this booked for early May.  Was hoping to see some eagles and wildlife but maybe not?  

[ute_fan]

19 minutes ago, jtdlmc said:

I have this booked for early May.  Was hoping to see some eagles and wildlife but maybe not?  

If you do it will you report back?  I'm going in mid-June.

[jtdlmc]

31 minutes ago, ute_fan said:

If you do it will you report back?  I'm going in mid-June.

 

Sure.  I’m second thinking it now though.  

[bottom-dragger]

The photos you see of the thousands of eagles perched along the Chilkat River near Haines occurs during a late run of chum and coho salmon in November.

 

Other times you'll see the normal distribution of eagles along a fish stream. No food/fish, no eagles.

[ute_fan]

3 hours ago, bottom-dragger said:

The photos you see of the thousands of eagles perched along the Chilkat River near Haines occurs during a late run of chum and coho salmon in November.

 

Other times you'll see the normal distribution of eagles along a fish stream. No food/fish, no eagles.

Thanks for the info!

[jtdlmc]

On 4/2/2019 at 9:31 AM, ute_fan said:

If you do it will you report back?  I'm going in mid-June.

 

Sorry for the late reply but I just remembered about this thread.  I kept the booking for this excursion but it was cancelled due to wind so we didn’t get to go 😩

[ute_fan]

33 minutes ago, jtdlmc said:

 

Sorry for the late reply but I just remembered about this thread.  I kept the booking for this excursion but it was cancelled due to wind so we didn’t get to go 😩

Thanks anyway.  We decided to go a different route anyway.

[tetleytea]

I've done the Eagle Preserve Float Trip in Haines, and it was a good trip.   Especially if this is your fifth time to Skagway already.   The ferry ride over to Haines is part of the fun.   Just don't expect too much out of the town of Haines, unless "real Alaska" is your thing.

[D&J38]

We did this one in June four years ago.  Because it was too early for the salmon to be running, there were no eagles.  It also was very cold and windy.  Our poor guide worked her tail off rowing that inflatable boat against the wind.  I've never seen my husband so miserable!  Plus it's no fun using outhouses at the beginning and end of the river trip when you're bundled up in all your warm clothes and you're a middle-aged woman with urgency issues.  :)  Not good memories of this one for us!  If anyone's going, definitely do it later in the season.

Edited June 5, 2019 by D&J38
Was two years earlier than I originally posted.