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HIGHLIGHTS

A quick look about this trip!

DURATION

12 DAYS

COMFORT

LANGUAGE

RATING

Rafting at Kongakut River
Hiking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Witness Caribou, polar bears, grizzlies and muskoxen wander the north slope.

ACTIVITIES ON THIS TRIP

Primary:	Hiking
Other:	Small Aircraft Touring, Local Culture & Cuisine, Photography, Kayaking, Wildlife, Camping

$4450USD

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TRIP MAP

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Kongakut River - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Rafting and hiking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is simply a trip of a lifetime. ANWR is one of the least visited and remote areas left in North America, and, despite the media attention it receives, it offers the opportunity for unparalleled exploratory adventure.

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TRIP OVERVIEW
TRIP ITINERARY
NUTS & BOLTS
REVIEWS

Though the exact number is unknown, it is estimated that the 19 million acre refuge – an area the size of South Carolina – receives approximately 1500 recreational visitors a year. It is this type of trip in this type of wilderness that inspires Alaska Alpine Adventures, and we will visit the refuge again in 2012 to lead this spectacular trip down ANWR’s Kongakut River. ANWR lives up to its description as "America’s Serengeti" and this vast area supports more species and habitat diversity than any conservation area in the northern hemisphere. The US Fish and Wildlife Service calls the refuge, "The only conservation system unit that protects, in an undisturbed condition, a complete spectrum of the arctic ecosystems in North America." Caribou, polar bears, grizzlies and muskoxen wander the north slope of the Brooks Range and the highest concentration of nesting golden eagles in Alaska make the Kongakut River corridor their summer home. Humans also have a long history in the Arctic and the Gwich’in people of northeast Alaska and northwest Canada have depended on this vast area and its porcupine caribou herd for thousands of generations.

Our schedule on the Kongakut and our ten full days in the refuge will allow us ample opportunities to hike, fish, photograph, and savor this phenomenal ecosystem. Using inflatable canoes called SOARs, we’ll paddle the 75 miles of the Kongakut at a fairly leisurely pace, taking time at the put-in and along the river itself for day hikes and exploration. The river is mainly class II with short sections of class III whitewater. As we float and paddle our way down toward the Beaufort Sea, breathtaking scenery will accompany us. This interactive visit to one of Earth’s most spectacular conservation areas will allow you the opportunity to contemplate the inherent value of wilderness in your own life and those of future generations.

Day 1: Fairbanks

Today you are free to arrive in Fairbanks on your own. We’ll be staying at Pikes Waterfront Lodge, which is located near the airport on the banks of the Chena River. After checking into the hotel, you’ll meet our guides by early afternoon in the hotel lobby. Tonight we’ll do an orientation dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant in Fairbanks and upon returning to our hotel, we’ll pour over maps and discuss the route. Dinner included.

Day 2: Kongakut River

After an early breakfast, we’ll drive to the airport and board planes for our 300 mile journey over the Yukon flats to the native community of Arctic Village. We’ll then transfer to smaller aircraft for our flight into ANWR. This spectacular flight will take us ten miles above the Arctic divide to the headwaters of the Kongakut River. Our skilled bush pilots will drop us off on a gravel bar along the river where we’ll set up our first camp. All meals included.

Day 3: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

We’ll spend today in the high country hiking, exploring, admiring the vistas and looking for dall sheep, wolves and grizzlies. The hiking in the Refuge is simply outstanding. Wide open tundra expanses, alpine ridges, and open gravel bars beg to be explored on foot. You’ll quickly understand why our adventure is 12-days in duration – you just have to hike in ANWR! All meals included.

Day 4-11: Brooks Range

Since we’ll have near 24 hours of daylight, our schedule on the river will be flexible and we’ll take six to seven days to float the 55 miles of river to our pick-up at Caribou Pass. The river itself is spectacular as it carves its way through mountain gorges of rock and tundra. The water runs fast, clear and cold from its headwaters on the north slope of the Brooks Range to the Beaufort Sea. We’ll camp on river bars and spend our layover days (four in all) hiking, wildlife viewing, exploring, photographing, relaxing and digesting the solitude in this vast and remote wilderness. All meals included.

Day 12: Fairbanks

Today we’ll break camp and await our pick-up. Once again, our bush pilot will use his skills to negotiate the terrain. If the weather conditions cooperate, we’ll return to Fairbanks by 7pm. If you are leaving Alaska on this day, please schedule flights home from Fairbanks for after 9pm. Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overall Rating	Guide Rating	Accommodation Rating	Itinerary Rating	Value Rating

Paul Roundy

"It was amazing. My impressions of ANWR defy description. I want to go back!"

Overall Rating	Guide Rating	Accommodation Rating	Itinerary Rating	Value Rating

TRIP INCLUDES

All group gear (tents, inflatable canoes, stoves, fuel, dry bags, etc.) and safety equipment.
Trekking poles.
Roundtrip air transportation from Fairbanks to Arctic Village.
Roundtrip air transportation from Arctic Village into the wilderness.
Lodging on night one in Fairbanks.
Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio.
All meals from dinner on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary.

TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE

Lodging in Fairbanks prior to and after your adventure.
Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.).
Trip cancellation insurance.
Additional room nights in Fairbanks due to weather delays.
Alcoholic beverages.
Guide gratuities.

CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

Did you know that you can customize this trip?

Customizing a trip is a great way to:

Change anything about the itinerary you don't like.
Change the size of the group or make this a private tour.
Change the duration or departure date of the trip.
Because we use the local operator, this customization usually won't cost you extra!

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<center>
        <h1 style="margin: 0px; font-family: 'philosopher'; font-weight: bold; font-size: 22px; color: #604c3d;">Kongakut River - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</h1>
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    <div style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; color: #928164;">Rafting and hiking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is simply a trip of a lifetime. ANWR is one of the least visited and remote areas left in North America, and, despite the media attention it receives, it offers the opportunity for unparalleled exploratory adventure.</div>

<div style="margin-top: 10px;border-radius: 5px; 	
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                                    <div style="font-family: 'philosopher'; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; color: #907878; padding-top: 5px;">DURATION</div>
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                        <div style="font-family: 'sorts mill'; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; margin-top: 20px;" id="Div1">
                            <ul><li>Rafting at Kongakut River<li>Hiking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge<li>Witness Caribou, polar bears, grizzlies and muskoxen wander the north slope.</li></li></li></ul>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                    <div style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 10px;border-radius: 5px; 	
	-moz-border-radius: 5px; 
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px; 
	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
	background-image: linear-gradient(bottom, #F3F3F3 2%, #FEFEFE 81%);
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background-image: -webkit-gradient(
		linear,
		left bottom,
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		color-stop(0.2, #F3F3F3),
		color-stop(0.81, #FEFEFE)
	);
	background-color: #FEFEFE;">
                        <div style="font-family: 'philosopher'; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px; color: #604c3d; text-align: center;">ACTIVITIES ON THIS TRIP</div>
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                                <td><span style="color: #544741;">Primary:</span></td>
                                <td><a href="/search/for/Hiking/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Hiking</a></td>
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                                <td><span style="color: #544741;">Other:</span></td>
                                <td><a href="/search/for/Small%20Aircraft%20Touring/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Small Aircraft Touring</a>, <a href="/search/for/Local%20Culture%20%20Cuisine/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Local Culture & Cuisine</a>, <a href="/search/for/Photography/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Photography</a>, <a href="/search/for/Kayaking/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Kayaking</a>, <a href="/search/for/Wildlife/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Wildlife</a>, <a href="/search/for/Camping/in/Anywhere%20in%20the%20World/any-travel-style">Camping</a></td>
                            </tr>
                            
                        </table>
                    </div>

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	background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(bottom, #F3F3F3 2%, #FEFEFE 81%);
	background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, #F3F3F3 2%, #FEFEFE 81%);
	background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(bottom, #F3F3F3 2%, #FEFEFE 81%);

background-image: -webkit-gradient(
		linear,
		left bottom,
		left top,
		color-stop(0.2, #F3F3F3),
		color-stop(0.81, #FEFEFE)
	);
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                                        Day 1: Fairbanks
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                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; line-height: 20px;">
                                        Today you are free to arrive in Fairbanks on your own. We’ll be staying at Pikes Waterfront Lodge, which is located near the airport on the banks of the Chena River. After checking into the hotel, you’ll meet our guides by early afternoon in the hotel lobby. Tonight we’ll do an orientation dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant in Fairbanks and upon returning to our hotel, we’ll pour over maps and discuss the route. Dinner included.
                                    </div>
                                    
                                    </div>
                            
                                <div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 5px; 	
	-moz-border-radius: 5px; 
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px; 
	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
	background-color: White;
	padding: 10px;
	margin-left: 10px;
	margin-right: 10px;
	margin-top: 15px;">
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'sorts mill'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #604C3D;">
                                        Day 2: Kongakut River
                                    </div>
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; line-height: 20px;">
                                        After an early breakfast, we’ll drive to the airport and board planes for our 300 mile journey over the Yukon flats to the native community of Arctic Village. We’ll then transfer to smaller aircraft for our flight into ANWR. This spectacular flight will take us ten miles above the Arctic divide to the headwaters of the Kongakut River. Our skilled bush pilots will drop us off on a gravel bar along the river where we’ll set up our first camp. All meals included.
                                    </div>
                                    
                                    </div>
                            
                                <div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 5px; 	
	-moz-border-radius: 5px; 
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px; 
	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
	background-color: White;
	padding: 10px;
	margin-left: 10px;
	margin-right: 10px;
	margin-top: 15px;">
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'sorts mill'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #604C3D;">
                                        Day 3: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
                                    </div>
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; line-height: 20px;">
                                        We’ll spend today in the high country hiking, exploring, admiring the vistas and looking for dall sheep, wolves and grizzlies. The hiking in the Refuge is simply outstanding. Wide open tundra expanses, alpine ridges, and open gravel bars beg to be explored on foot. You’ll quickly understand why our adventure
is 12-days in duration – you just have to hike in ANWR! All meals included.
                                    </div>
                                    
                                    </div>
                            
                                <div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 5px; 	
	-moz-border-radius: 5px; 
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px; 
	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
	background-color: White;
	padding: 10px;
	margin-left: 10px;
	margin-right: 10px;
	margin-top: 15px;">
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'sorts mill'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #604C3D;">
                                        Day 4-11: Brooks Range
                                    </div>
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; line-height: 20px;">
                                        Since we’ll have near 24 hours of daylight, our schedule on the river will be flexible and we’ll take six to seven days to float the 55 miles of river to our pick-up at Caribou Pass. The river itself is spectacular as it carves its way through mountain gorges of rock and tundra. The water runs fast, clear and
cold from its headwaters on the north slope of the Brooks Range to the Beaufort Sea. We’ll camp on river bars and spend our layover days (four in all) hiking, wildlife viewing, exploring, photographing, relaxing and
digesting the solitude in this vast and remote wilderness. All meals included.
                                    </div>
                                    
                                    </div>
                            
                                <div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius: 5px; 	
	-moz-border-radius: 5px; 
	-webkit-border-radius: 5px; 
	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
	background-color: White;
	padding: 10px;
	margin-left: 10px;
	margin-right: 10px;
	margin-top: 15px;">
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'sorts mill'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #604C3D;">
                                        Day 12: Fairbanks
                                    </div>
                                    <div style="margin-top: 5px; font-family: 'Futura Bold', 'Gill Sans', Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #544741; line-height: 20px;">
                                        Today we’ll break camp and await our pick-up. Once again, our bush pilot will use his skills to negotiate the terrain. If the weather conditions cooperate, we’ll return to Fairbanks by 7pm. If you are leaving Alaska on this day, please schedule flights home from Fairbanks for after 9pm.  Breakfast & Lunch included.
                                    </div>
                                    
                                    </div>
                            
	                </div>
                    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/815511a5-fb8a-4abc-b840-e6924cbed56e.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/bba29457-6b92-4d62-90cf-b898378023b9.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/3d2c6f7d-58f1-4847-8755-5d86022bb299.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/ab309c30-08f5-4810-84f3-79e78ad27da2.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/e5679463-7606-421a-a0d8-51aea5611142.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/9ba84017-e56d-4345-a9f0-ac8c517fec45.jpg" />
    
                <img style="width: 660px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin: 10px;" src="https://d35b54kuuvhi57.cloudfront.net/86871549-7f0a-42b5-9717-da65d6b57da3.jpg" />

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