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wildlife · Haines

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve: Expert-Led Rafting Expedition

Float through the world-renowned Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on a guided small-group raft, drifting silently past the greatest concentration of bald eagles on the planet. An awe-inspiring, bucket-list wildlife spectacle set against glacier-carved peaks.

What to expect

You launch onto the braided Chilkat River and glide through an ancient cottonwood floodplain where hundreds — sometimes thousands — of eagles perch, soar, and dive. Your guide reads the river and the wildlife with practiced instinct, pausing the raft at prime vantage points. Mountain reflections ripple in the current as eagles trade the fish they've caught just feet from your raft. The pace is deliberately slow, contemplative, and profoundly Alaskan.

Book it with
Haines Rafting Company
USD 125–149 per person (guided half-day float; confirm current rate at booking)
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Good to know

The put-in is a short drive from the Haines dock; the operator typically arranges transport. The float runs approximately 3–4 hours. Dress in warm, waterproof layers; the operator provides dry suits or splash gear. Pre-book directly — summer dates fill weeks in advance.

Sail there

Luxury cruises that call at Haines — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.

Azamara · Azamara Pursuit
10 nights · calls at Haines
from $1,449
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Oceania · Oceania Riviera
7 nights · calls at Haines
from $2,200
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Seabourn · Seabourn Encore
7 nights · calls at Haines
from $4,799
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Cunard · Queen Elizabeth
9 nights · calls at Haines
from $899
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See all cruises to Haines →
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