Sea Kayaking in Alaska: Tongass Rainforest Kayak Tour
Alaska Sea Kayaking
WHY CHOOSE SEA QUEST FOR YOUR TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST KAYAK TOUR IN ALASKA?
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Experienced Guides: Our experienced guides are knowledgeable about the area and are passionate about sharing the beauty of Tongass National Forest with our guests. They will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable tour.
Small Group Sizes: We keep our group sizes small to ensure that each guest receives personalized attention and has ample time to explore the stunning scenery.
High-Quality Equipment: We use only the best kayaking equipment to ensure your comfort and safety during the tour.
Customizable Itineraries: We offer a variety of tours that can be customized to your interests and skill level, ensuring that you have the best possible experience.
Sustainable Practices: We are committed to sustainable tourism practices and strive to minimize our impact on the environment while maximizing our guests’ experience.
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Ready to Start Your Adventure?
Sea Kayaking in Alaska: Tongass Rainforest Kayak Tour
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You might call the Tongass Rainforest Alaska kayak tour our “best of both worlds” trip as it features two incredible locations on the same adventure. This kayak trip splits time between two very distinctive Alaskan habitats, both encompassed within the vast Tongass Rainforest, the largest temperate rain forest in the world. Part of this kayak tour explores the frigid realm of a tidewater glacier and its countless icebergs. The other part vists the warmer waters of Frederick Sound known for great humpback whale watching.
The first part of this Alaska kayak tour visits LeConte Bay and LeConte Glacier, the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America. During its long, slow course through the millennia, it has ground its way down from the mountain peaks to carve a deep fjord. Thick green rainforest of hemlock and spruce line the fjord except where 3,000-foot polished cliffs prevent their growth. Gorgeous waterfalls cascade down, emerging from “hanging glaciers” perched high on the ridges. The LeConte Glacier terminates in the 12-mile long bay where it constantly fractures with loud cracking reports and calves off icebergs with thunderous effect. The bay’s waters are clogged with blue and white icebergs ranging in size from baseballs to buildings. LeConte Glacier is an excellent place to observe the immense power of glacial forces and observe unique geological phenomena.
After three days at this dynamic location we take a charter boat to re-locate to Big Creek on Kupreanof Island. Our kayaking basecamp is nestled in the ancient Tongass rainforest near an old trapper’s cabin by a salmon-spawning stream. Wildlife abounds, from mink and chickarees up to moose, bear and wolves. Rewarding hikes are found in the rainforest, up the foothills, and along the deserted beaches. Of course, the sea kayaking is great, as is humpback whale watching and encounters with porpoises, sea lions, and seals. Frederick Sound harbors the largest summer population of humpback whales in the world, up to 500 individuals, so our chances of seeing these massive animals is excellent. A unique combination of oceanographic features make the waters off the mouth of Big Creek very attractive to herring and other prey species that humpback whales prefer to feed on.
Tongass Rainforest Alaska Kayak Tour Itinerary
If you don’t have enough time for the full Tongass Rainforest Alaska kayak adventure, you can choose to visit just one of the basecamps for three nights. This shortens the tour to five days, including staging time in Petersburg. Call us about this option if it works better for your Alaska vacation plans!
- Day 1: Fly or ferry into Petersburg, Alaska. Enjoy this quaint little town after settling into your hotel. Meet the group and kayak guides at 7:30pm for a briefing and final check of everyone’s personal equipment.
- Day 2: Board a float plane or charter boat to LeConte Bay kayak basecamp with its constantly changing view of countless icebergs and smaller bergy bits that rapidly move in and out of the bay on the powerful tidal currents. We will listen to the rumbling and roar of the LeConte Glacier and the icebergs as they break apart. Afternoon sea kayaking skills and safety orientation. Later we’ll get to know each other around a beach campfire.
- Day 3 & 4: Explore the wonders of LeConte Bay and its tremendous glacial activity. We comb through various coves, beaches, waterfalls, and feeder streams that line the bay and keep our eyes out for abundant otter, harbor seals, eagles, and shoreside life. Daylight hours are quite long and there is time for photography, fishing, beachcombing, or just lounging around. Your expedition staff is available at all times to lead walks, identify flora and fauna, and discuss the natural history of the area.
- Day 5: Open morning for a short hike or relaxation before a float plane arrives to take us 55 miles west to Kupreanof Island and the Big Creek kayak basecamp on the shore of Frederick Sound. The flight is spectacularly scenic as we follow the Horn Cliffs, Thomas, and Portage bays. The Coast Range and icebergs are left behind, but the area we enter is richer in marine wildlife.
- Day 6 & 7: The Big Creek area is a vitally important summer feeding area for humpback whales, Stellar sea lions, porpoises, harbor seals, river otters, and other marine life. The upland habitats support black bears, deer, moose, and even timber wolves. A hike in the muskeg habitat reveals an amazing array of unique flora, including carnivorous plants. At some point, we will hop in a charter boat for close encounters with the whales and porpoises and to explore areas too far to reach with the kayaks.
- Day 8: Last chance to explore the miles of pristine beach and old-growth Tongass rainforest before the float plane or charter boat arrives to return us to Petersburg this afternoon. The last night of our Alaska kayak tour will be at a hotel. The no-host dinner is a fine time to share our vacation stories and bid each other farewell.
- Day 9: Off to your next adventure!
Quick Alaska Kayak Trip Facts
Meeting Location: Petersburg, Alaska.
Kayak Trip Fee: 9 days/8 nights, $2999 per person for large groups (~10pax). 4 days/3 nights, $1499 per person for large groups. Small group surcharges apply.
Kayak Tour Dates: Available on a custom trip basis only, please provide us with your requested dates and group size.
Duration
4 Days
Group Size
All Group Sizes
Age Range
All Ages
Activity Level
Beginner Friendly
Starting From
$1499
Departures
May-Sept.
Custom
Location
Alaska
Rated 4.6 / 5
(421 Reviews)
Frequently Asked Questions​
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How do I access the Tongass rain forest to go kayaking?
Fly to Petersburg, Alaska and then use charter a boat or float plane to LeConte Bay.
What sort of wildlife can I see on a Tongass rain forestkayak tour?
There are many forms of wildlife you can see in the Tongass rain forest. They include but are not limited to:
- Marine Ecosystem
- porpoises
- herring
- humpback whales
- seals
- sea lions
- inter-tidal life
- Terrestrial Ecosystem
- mink
- chickarees
- moose
- bear
- wolves
- spruce trees
- hemlock trees
How long is the day light on a kayaking trip in the Tongass?
Night only lasts in Alaska about 2 hours on average between mid May and late July. This makes an excellent opportunity for exploring or relaxing after a day of paddling on a kayak tour in the Tongass rain forest.
GEAR LIST
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We provide the following:
Sea kayaks, all related sea kayaking tour gear, safety & communication gear, tents, cooking equipment, all meals at basecamps, kayak lessons, and expert guides.
What you need to bring:
Outdoor clothing, a sleeping bag & pad (we have rentals available).
MAPS & ROUTES
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PLEASE NOTE:
We partner with a sister company in Alaska. Based off our availability we may refer you to them. Our prices and itineraries are similar but not identical.
Please note that itineraries of Alaska kayak trips may change spontaneously due to Mother Nature’s whims!
Trip fee does not include charter boats/flights.
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Sea Quest Kayak Tours is on ABC News! See us Kayaking with Orca Whales in the San Juan Islands.
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REVIEWS
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He is living his passion and it was an inspiration to listen, learn and experience all that he has to offer. His knowledge of kayaking, camping, and his love of the San Juan Islands was so apparent to us. His level of species identification in both flora and fauna is impeccable. His appreciation and depth of knowledge on the ocean environment and sustainability was endless. We felt safe with his directions in the water and had a great time camping. He and Paige were great hosts.
One tip would be to not pack too much at this time of the year. One water resistant top for the campground will do. Booties are advisable. Rocks under your feet and toes getting in and out are not very comfortable and limits your ability to move your boat, etc. Sunscreen for sure and lightweight wool socks are GREAT! Sandals for the campground are fine. Binoculars are definitely a plus, unless you have 20/15 eyesight like Caleb. Ha!
He is also something of a "Whale Whisperer" as we called him. His pinpoint sense of where whales, dolphins and other sea life may be was always right on. On our second day we were lucky enough to see a transient pod/family trolling the waters in the late morning. In the evening, we camped on Turn Island and I truly believe it was because Caleb had an idea that the same pod might be headed in that direction.
After dinner, the same pod was seen coming toward the island and a strait where they were hunting seals. To ultimately see nature in a purest sense taking place from the island and anywhere from 100- 1000 feet away was amazing. The breaching, dorsal fins, herding mannerisms of the whales was riveting. It can't happen like that on every trip, but being with Caleb you knew it wasn't because he wasn't trying.
Even if we hadn't been so lucky to see the whales, the kayaking was blissful and it was just astounding that Caleb had an answer for virtually every question we had. Toward the end, we joked while paddling through a few afternoon choppy seas "We must be able to come up with a question!" "What doesn't he know?" And then, we just laughed.
It was a perfect trip! I would recommend the three-day kayaking trip to anyone with reasonable kayaking skills. And being that we were in tandems, that makes the trip that much more enjoyable. Teamwork Rules!!! Thanks to Sea Quest for answering pre-trip questions and special thanks to the incredible Caleb and Paige.
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