Arctic Coast Kayaking

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its coastline are the focus of this ABEC Alaska Arctic OceanKayaking and Hiking trip. We kayak sheltered waters along the inside of the barrier islands between Demarcation Bayand Beaufort Lagoon near the Canadian border. Camping on the sandy beaches of the islands provides a stark contrast between the protected waters of the lagoons and the blue waters of the iceberg choked Arctic Ocean. The fantastic shapes of the icebergs are a delight to watch as they float by, resembling familiar shapes in their ice blue colors. "There goes a Viking ship. That one looks like a swan." And every once in awhile the dark shape lounging on top of the ice really is what it seems, a seal.

The beaches of Icy Reef are a treasure trove of ocean artifacts and provide hints of life within the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean; whales, seals, krill and arctic char. With some luck we may catch a char for dinner or spot the elusive polar bear that inhabit this coastal area. Driftwood, including huge weathered logs carried from forests hundreds of miles to the south, lays scattered along the beaches. Eiders use these lines of drift for their nests, well camouflaged from the marauding jaegers hovering in wait for an unprotected egg.

All travel in this northern climate is subject to weather; thus our day's activities may vary according to the winds and conditions. If we find a day too windy to kayak, we'll hike inland along the paths made by the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The caribou migrate from west to east along the coastline at this time of the summer. We may get lucky and see thousands of caribou as they move from their calving grounds back into Canada's Yukon. Follow the herd's movements on the interesting Porcupine caribou herd website. Abundant wildlife frequents ANWR's coastal plain undisturbed. Besides caribou, we often see wolves, bears, arctic fox and musk ox. The arctic coast is also rich in bird life; loons, eiders, snow geese, trumpeter swans, and snowy owls. It is a great place to employ a good set of binoculars.

We only offer this as a custom trip. Please inquire for possible dates and trip prices.

Included in the price of the trip: All air transportation beyond Fairbanks; camp food and cooking gear; boating gear; safety & repair gear; and trip leaders.

For more river and backpack trips in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

ABEC's Alaska Adventures, LLC
PO Box 10791 | Fairbanks, Alaska 99710
Toll Free: (877) 424-8907 | Fax and Local Phone: (907) 457-8907
abec@abecalaska.com