Adventure 16: Outdoor and Travel Outfitters - Since 1963

< Back to Search Results

Coppermine River Rafting

Whitewater Rafting in Canada with Canadian River Expeditions / Nahanni River Expeditions

Highlights

  • Raft the Coppermine River and cross the Arctic Circle
  • Hike the Coppermine Mountains, abundant with wildflowers
  • Immerse yourself in an amazing wilderness experience

Full Description

Flowing to the Arctic Ocean and near the Arctic Circle, the Coppermine River is famous for its nesting raptors including gyrfalcons, peregrine falcons, rough-legged hawks and golden and bald eagles.

Follow Franklin's Footsteps to the 'Polar Sea' and experience the wildlife and the unequalled beauty of the "Land of the Midnight Sun." On our Coppermine rafting or canoeing trip, we will cross the Arctic Circle and paddle to Franklin's "Polar Sea." Names like Bloody Falls and Rocky Defile foreshadow the adventure that awaits and contrast the abundance of showy Arctic flowers. The Coppermine River features spectacular fishing for arctic grayling and char! Rafting or canoeing (in 2-person canoes), we paddle the Coppermine over 12 river days, from Big Bend to the hamlet of Kugluktuk (formerly Coppermine) traveling approximately 215 kilometres (135 miles) with an elevation drop of 280 metres (900 feet).

Craft Description: Raft or 2-person canoe

Prerequisites: For rafting, none, beginners welcome! For canoeists, class III whitewater skills.

Includes:

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner as noted in the itinerary
  • Top-quality tents, river gear or sea kayaks
  • Kitchen and camping equipment
  • Bush plane transportation

Excludes:

  • Personal items such as sleeping bag, clothing, etc.
  • River footwear, rain jacket and pants (available for rent)

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 0: Yellowknife

Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold.You should plan to arrive in Yellowknife, NWT for our pre-trip orientation meeting which will be held in the Explorer Hotel at 8:00 pm. Please note that hotel costs and meals while in Yellowknife are not included in the trip fee.

Day 1: Tundra Flight

8am: meet in the hotel lobby after breakfast, (not included). Weather permitting, we will take an early morning flight into the river. After setting up camp and lunch, there will be plenty of time for our first hike in the surrounding hills to look at the wildflowers and wildlife of the area. (L/D)

Day 2-3: Big Bend

We inflate and rig the rafts and start downstream. This is moose country and we keep a watch on the shore for these magnificent mammals. Tundra swans and many shorebirds and ducks can be seen in this section. As we approach "Big Bend" the river narrows in width and speeds up. We pass the Hook River and an old portage to Great Bear Lake. It was here that Franklin had arranged with the local Indians to be resupplied on his 1821 expedition down the river. The absence of these supplies created his desperate bid for survival later that fall. (B/L/D)

Day 4-5: Rocky Defile

Back into the rafts to Rocky Defile Rapids. This rapid runs through a 500m (1, 640 ft) long , 60m (197 ft) high canyon. We stop here for the day. This is the start of some of the finest Arctic Char fishing found anywhere. (B/L/D)

Day 6: September Mountains

Back on the river, we drift down past the Kendall River where the Coppermine widens into several boulder flats and islands. This area is locally known as "the Splits."From here, we get our first glance at the Coppermine and September Mountains. Our destination for the night is Stoney Creek where there is a small permanent ice field. (B/L/D)

Day 7: Seeking Copper

A day to look for copper in the Coppermine Mountains on a hike that will follow the footsteps of Franklin's party. You may decide to stay closer to camp to photograph and enjoy some of the many patches of abundant wildflowers. (B/L/D)

Day 8-9: Muskox Rapids

We start a long section that is sandwiched between the terraced hillsides of the Coppermine Mountains on one side and the barren sloping banks of the September Mountains on the other. At the Melville River, the Coppermine makes its final turn northward. It is here that the river makes its greatest drop, falling 152 metres (460 ft) in 72 kilometres (50 miles) over 30 sets of rapids. The thin cover of spruce that has been following the river finally dwindles away to be replaced by tundra vegetation. Steep cliffs and rock dominate the region making excellent breeding grounds for hawks, falcons and eagles. We drift down through Muskox and Sandstone Rapids. (B/L/D)

Day 10-11: Bloody Falls

We drift downstream to Escape Rapids. Here the river flows through a high winding 50 metre (150 ft) gorge.The next 16 kilometres (10 miles) to Bloody Falls takes us through both marked and unmarked rapids on a fast down river run to the boulder fan above the falls. Bloody Falls was named for the massacre of an Inuit camp by the Indians that were guiding Samuel Hearne in 1771. A hiking day will be spent around the falls and the portage will begin.You will get a chance for close up pictures of the golden eagles that nest here as well as hike to a local peak for our first look at the "Polar Sea." (B/L/D)

Day 12: Kugluktuk

Only 16 kilometres (10 miles) of the Coppermine remain until it reaches the ocean. After finishing the portage around the falls, we will complete this remaining section of the river. We reach the town of Kugluktuk in the late afternoon and the rest of the day is yours to explore the town. (B/L/D)

Day 13: Homeward Bound

You have the morning to pick up any last minute momentoes of Kugluktuk before boarding the scheduled airline flight south to Yellowknife and home (note -scheduled airlines service Coppermine - this flight from Coppermine to Yellowknife is not included in the cost of your trip and should be included with your airline tickets to and from home). (B/L)

About The Operator:

Canadian River Expeditions / Nahanni River Expeditions

Headquarters:

Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

With over 30 unique canoeing, rafting, hiking and kayaking adventure travel trips-from 5 to 21 days-on 20 northern rivers, Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions have been the leaders in river adventure for northern Canada and Alaska since 1972.

An Alaska and Canada adventure vacation with Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions is much more than the typical river trip. Our Alaskan and Canadian wilderness expeditions are adventure travel explorations of entire regions, using the river as a conduit to travel through the land, taking time to hike, explore, learn and savor the beauty of these last wild places in North America.

A Unique Destination

We believe we offer you the opportunity to not only embrace adventure in a unique destination, but on a river trip which is truly of the highest quality in every respect, honed from our years of experience in the adventure travel business. We deliver our trips with an authenticity which mirrors the last natural, unspoiled wilderness we travel through in North America.

If you haven't rafted, canoed or kayaked in Alaska and northern Canada, seen the Northern Lights or paddled under a midnight sun, then put this on your list of "must do" trips in your lifetime. Northern Canada and Alaska are North America's last great wilderness rivaling Africa in its inspiring collage of nature, wildlife, ecosystems and adventure. With migrating herds of caribou and birds, waterfalls twice the height of Niagara and Canada's deepest river canyons, hotsprings and glaciers, a rich history of Klondike pioneers and a thriving First Nation culture, this is a vibrant world which will fascinate you.

An Experienced Leader

At Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions, we helped pioneer the sport of whitewater padding in the early seventies. From the iconic Nahanni River to the high Arctics' Soper, from Alaska to Nunavut, we know all of our 20 rivers well-from their campsites to their eddies to their rapids to their wildlife, geology and history. We have in depth knowledge guiding multi-day wilderness trips from contingency planning to operational logistics to how to bake cinnamon buns for breakfast over a camp fire. We make it a point to stay on the cutting edge of land and water use legislation to ensure that our river gear and equipment is of the highest quality and our guide skills incorporate the latest in whitewater safety standards. We have taken over 10,000 paddlers downriver since 1972 and our guest repeat rate of over 40% speaks for itself.

While others have left the business, we decided to stay the course ... it's that important to us. In 2006, we merged the two leading outfitters in the North, Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions and we continue our strong involvement at the national level to preserve our great northern rivers and further environmental protection of this important wilderness resource. Our memberships in the Wilderness Tourism Association of the Yukon (WTAY), Yukon Wild, Nahanni River Outfitters Association, Alsek Tatshenshini Outfitters Association, Tourism Association of Canada, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association and participation in the Canadian Tourism Commission is testament to our longstanding commitment to protecting the environment in Northern Canada and Alaska.

Extraordinary Guides

We believe extraordinary guests should have extraordinary guides. We handpick our guides all of whom are unique individuals, empowered and encouraged to share their tremendous local knowledge with you. Their deep experience living, learning and teaching about regional geology, wildlife and history is matched only by their passion for adventure, technical whitewater skills and leadership acumen. We ensure a guest to guide ratio of four (maximum) on our trips so that you get lots of time to get to know these fun, friendly and fascinating folks!

A Premium Experience

You expect more on your adventure-and so do we. We give you ultimate choice-20 rivers and 30+ unique itineraries so that you can take on as much adventure or as much relaxation, as you like. The small groups on our trips accommodate much more personalized service and our attention to detail begins long before our rivers start running in the spring. We work with you closely to plan your holiday so that you get maximum adventure during your precious vacation time off. From the comfortable tents we use at night to your own private river bag for your personal gear, from fresh fish, baked goods, fruit and produce to that delicious lasagna accompanied by a fine red wine at dinner, our trips deliver quality every step of the way.

Authentically Us

We are heartened that being "green" is so in vogue ... although frankly, we've been green since 1972! Our longstanding commitment to the environment is one of our most important values and one which we are exceedingly proud of. You might hear talk of "ecotourism"...at Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions, you will find the very definition of this - in practice. We decided many years ago to make the environment a priority and have been an active political advocate in support of this objective. We donate hundreds of hours to environmental causes every year.