Mountain River Canoe Adventure
Canoe tour in Canada, our multi day canoe trip on the Athabasca River with three nights camping on islands in the wilderness of northern Alberta. A genuine Canadian outdoor canoe adventure.
On this overnight canoe tour in Alberta you learn to “read” the water and practice minimum impact wilderness camping. The selected stretch of the river can be mastered by novice paddlers, following the guide who knows the river. There are no towns, no houses along the route, just the wide river, islands and forests.
Tour Dates
- June 9th - 13th
- June 16th - 20th
- June 23rd - 27th
- June 30th - July 4th
- July 7th - 11th
- July 14th - 18th
- July 21st - 25th
- July 28th - August 1st
- August 4th - 8th
- August 11th - 15th
- August 18th - 22nd
- August 25th - 29th
- September 1st - 5th
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Tour K5, The Rocky Mountain Canoe Adventure Tour
For our fully outfitted Rocky Mountain canoe tour in Alberta we start with canoe training on a quiet lake in the foot hills, just east of Jasper National Park. The guide shows you the basic paddle strokes in a 2-person canoe to prepare you for the run down the wide Athabasca River.Next morning a short drive to the river, where the 2-person canoes are loaded. Finally the start of the canoe tour down the 160 km (100 mi) stretch between the towns of Hinton and Whitecourt. The forested shores are uninhabited, rarely does one meet other humans, much more likely are you to see the local wildlife. The current, some rapids, overhanging trees, driftwood and gravel bars demand constant vigilance and add excitement to this adventure. Experienced canoeists find plenty of challenge in this wilderness setting. You have three evenings to relax by the campfire and test your outdoor skills with primitive wilderness camping on islands in the river. A genuine Canadian outdoor adventure.
What’s Included:
transportation from and to Edmonton, Alberta, 4 nights accommodation in 2-pers. tents, welcome gift, all meals from lunch day 1 to lunch day 5, eating utensils, all camping equipment (except sleeping bag and self-inflating mattress), hard-foam mattress, camping fees, 2-pers. canoes, paddles, life vest, canoe bags in various sizes, canoe instructions, services of a knowledgeable Timberwolf Tours canoe guide.Not included:
alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, sleeping bag and Thermarest mattress.Demands:
this guided multi day canoe trip with wilderness camping is suitable for novice paddlers with at least some very basic paddling skills. International classification of difficulty (1 is lowest, 5 is highest) rates this stretch of the Athabasca River as Class I overall with several Class I and II rapids & one Class III rapid. The river is wide enough so that larger waves can be avoided.This is a wilderness canoe tour. The guide carries a satellite phone but, once started, it is difficult and expensive to interrupt the trip and will only be attempted in cases of emergency.
Extras:
hotel in Edmonton before or after the trip: $130.00/night single or twin, including breakfast.Building Blocks:
Tour P7, The Best of Banff and Jasper, our popular 7-day camping trip with great day hikes in the Rocky Mountain National Parks, fits all departures.You might consider:
Tour PK, Hiking and Canoe - Hotel and Camping Mix, the Jasper and Banff adventure tour, with hotels in the first week and wilderness camping during the canoe trip.Tour F, Rocky Mountain Parks and Canoe Tour, the 2-week hiking- camping and canoe tour in the Canadian Rockies.
Tour L, Canoe to your own island, Remote island camping on the Athabasca River.
Tour Itinerary
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, paddle training and preparations
You meet your guide early in the morning in Edmonton. An alternate pick up point is in the town of Hinton (near Jasper). After a 3-hour drive towards the west you pitch your tent by a lake and get ready for the canoe training. You learn the basic paddle strokes, emergency procedures and signals. You receive advice regarding camping in the wilderness, personal equipment and work sharing of the crews. The selected river stretches can be mastered by novices, but the current, some rapids and gravel bars demand constant vigilance. Tomorrow, on the river, training will continue. Safety and comfort of the participants are the primary concerns of the guide. Tonight’s dinner is steak from the grill.
On the Athabasca River
Not needed luggage may stay safely with the bus. For the next three nights you pitch your tent on sandy islands or comfortable spots along the shore. Your paddling speed depends a lot on the water level. The glacier fed Athabasca River is full of power in the early season, clear and quiet in the fall when even the glaciers in the mountains stop melting. The forested river valley is uninhabited. You have excellent chances to spot wild geese, beavers, eagles, elk, bear and moose. Five or six hours daily are spent on the river, at times leisurely drifting downstream, alert to the next rapid or obstacle. Sometimes you might have to drag the boat over shallow spots. There is time for swimming, exploring, fishing and big campfires under the northern lights. It is actually easy and satisfying to keep a clean camp. Minimum impact means that your group spends an afternoon and the night camping, cooking and playing on some island, not "improving" nature in any way, leaving no trace but footprints in the sand - which the next rain washes away.
End of the canoe trip, return to Edmonton
This afternoon you come to the end of your 160 km (100 mi) canoe trip. The bus is waiting near the town of Whitecourt, the first human settlement since the start of your tour. Time for a celebration. You are back in Edmonton by evening.
CDN $1,530 / person
Single tent: no charge
no mandatory single charge
First meeting: 8:00am in our hotel in Edmonton, or 11:00am in the town of Hinton
minimum age: 12 Book or Enquire