Wildlife Safari (from Haines)

What your day looks like

Haines is home to magnificent wildlife and breathtaking views of the natural world! With an experienced naturalist as your guide, you will see and learn about the plants and animals that make up the ‘wilds’ of Alaska. We'll start with a narrated driving tour through historic Fort Seward, the first military base in Alaska. Leaving town, we will journey through the amazing Chilkoot Valley. On our journey to the Chilkoot River corridor, we take in coastal views along the longest fjord in North America, we may spot seals, sea lions, porpoise and whales feeding in these rich waters. The Chilkoot River is home to some of the best bear viewing in Alaska! The river’s huge salmon runs bring good numbers of bears every year. Situated among rugged glaciated peaks, it is home to numerous brown bears, mountain goats, salmon, river otters, and innumerable bald eagles. This area is a birdwatchers paradise with abundant local and migratory birds. Powerful spotting scopes or binoculars will often allow close-range views of mountain goats grazing in high alpine meadows and nesting eagles on this tour. After capturing images and experiencing the incredible natural beauty and wildlife of the Chilkoot River corridor, we’ll enjoy a seaside picnic of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and cookies. Following lunch, we will head to the mouth of the Chilkat River, home to the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world. Our final stop of the tour is habitat to all five species of wild Pacific salmon, drawing all of Alaska’s predators to its shores. The four ice-capped mountain ranges that surround the Chilkat River provide unparalleled photography opportunities.