Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Alaska Hula Hula River Rafting Adventure
Day 1 Arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska
Arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska to check-in for your pre-trip meeting and welcome dinner. Meet the group and have all your questions answered by the guides prior to departing the next day. It'll be an early night to prepare for tomorrow's adventure.
Accommodation: Bridgewater Hotel, Fairbanks
(D)
Day 2 Travel to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
5-hour scenic bush flight
Rise to embark on a spectacular 300-mile bush plane flight over the Yukon River Flats to Arctic Village. Here switch to a smaller plane and continue north over the Brooks Range and to the upper Hula Hula River, located in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) — a land of majestic mountains and rolling tundra. The plane will land on a small gravel bar near the river's headwaters — the site of the first camp.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp—Hula Hula River
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Launch Down the Hula Hula River
4 hours/16 miles rafting
On the first full day on the river, take time to become acquainted with the pace of this legendary river and the expansive tundra landscape that flanks its banks deep within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Make camp along the riverside and enjoy the sounds of the wilderness and the babbling river.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp—Hula Hula River
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Raft Below Towering Peaks
5 hours/18 miles rafting on Class II rapids
The scenery is breathtaking as the river flows between the highest peaks in the Brooks Range — Mount Ishto, Chamberlain, and Michelson — all towering at 9,000 feet above sea level. Pull into camp for the night and enjoy a delicious meal prepared by the guides. You'll understand why food tastes so much better in the wilderness after an adventurous day.
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Hike Up Esetuk Creek
4 hours/4–6 miles hiking with 1,000' elevation gain & loss
After a relaxed breakfast, grab your daypack for a day of hiking alongside Esetuk Creek, where you'll see the first evidence of glacial runoff, as the waters run grey and cloudy with glacial silt from the Brooks Range above you. See the flora and fauna start to change as you explore this landscape by foot today.
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Raft “The Gorge”
4 hours/11 miles rafting; 2 hour/2 miles hiking with 400' elevation gain & loss
Make your way through the journey's swiftest and rockiest stretch of the river. Under the helm of expert guides, navigate this dynamic section with three distinct unnamed rapids. Then take a short walk through the tundra, taking in superb views of the rapids and the Kikiktat Mountains in the distance.
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Navigate the Boulder Gardens
5 hours/14 miles rafting on Class II rapids
As you proceed down the river, notice the gradient continue to become steeper as you leave the mountains. That speeds up the river momentum — and provides for a scenic day as you move through the vast Arctic landscape, over and around boulders that make for fun rapids.
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Hike the Foothills of the Brooks Range
4 hours/4–6 miles hiking with 1,200' elevation gain & loss
Enjoy the summertime sun, which has barely dimmed overnight, for a bright and leisurely morning. With a packed lunch, set out on a hike that captures a majestic view of the Brooks Range unnamed mountains and dazzling landscape descending into the horizon. Look hard enough and you may just see the ocean.
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Descend into the Coastal Plains
5 hours/15 miles rafting on Class II rapids
Keep your eyes wide open for the abundant wildlife that roams this spectacular open landscape. The vastness and lack of large brush assist in making this region prime for wildlife spotting, featuring species such as herds of porcupine caribou, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, and possibly musk ox.
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Spend the Day Unwinding by the River
Optional 4 hours/4–6 miles hiking with 1,200' elevation gain & loss
Relax into one of your few remaining days in the depths of the Alaskan wilderness. Stay in camp for reading, wildlife spotting, or other leisurely activities. There will be optional group hiking, with lengths and distances depending on the weather.
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Float through Open Fields
6 hours/13 miles rafting
Today, discover the Arctic coastal plain — low relief tundra comprised of alluvial channels, estuaries, and innumerable lakes where unparalleled grand vistas stretch for miles. The mellow river lends way to a day filled with world-famous birding, fishing for Arctic char or grayling, and paddling.
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Reach the Beaufort Sea
5 hours/12 miles rafting
The sounds of ocean birds and the smell of salt water indicate you've almost reached the Beaufort Sea. Once again you will be stunned by the vastly changing landscape. This evening, watch the floating ice packs on the horizon from your riverside camp.
(B, L, D)
Day 13 Return to Fairbanks
3-hour bush flight
Break camp and await the arrival of bush planes for the flight to Kaktovik — home of the Inupiat Peoples, followed by a flight back to Fairbanks. After checking into the hotel, enjoy a farewell dinner in Fairbanks with your guide.
Accommodation: Bridgewater Hotel, Fairbanks
(B, L, D)
Day 14 Depart Home
Depart Fairbanks at your leisure.
Accommodation: Bridgewater Hotel, Fairbanks
(B)
