Ketchikan Backcountry Jeep & Canoe Safari

Fill your senses with adventure and excitement as you take control of a 4-wheel drive Jeep Wrangler and wind your way through the rugged back roads of Revillagigedo Island. Then grab a paddle and join your companions in a 37-foot, 20-passenger native-style canoe to navigate your way across a mountain lake, where a hearty snack and nature hike await.

To kick off your adventure tour, you'll begin with a guided scenic drive in your Jeep where you'll be paired with traveling companions in groups of four. Your journey through Ketchikan starts by heading into the mountainous roads of the Tongass National Forest. The route takes you through the lush rainforest, and up mountain roads to view the magnificent scenery.

By means of two-way radio, your group leader and guide will provide you with interesting and informative commentary along the way. You'll be fascinated by the area's natural history as you pass through old-growth and new-growth forests. Learn about the timber industry's reforestation methods while you stop for some fantastic views and photo opportunities. Along the route, there will be an opportunity to change drivers.

The Jeep portion of your tour concludes with your arrival at Lake Harriet Hunt. Here, you'll experience a unique ecosystem from the vantage point of a large, easy-to-paddle, guided canoe.

On the other side of the lake, your expert safari guide will lead a nature hike through an old-growth forest. A remote camp is a base for an Alaskan snack. Enjoy a short narrated transfer back to the safari base camp and your ship.

Included: Life jacket and rain gear if needed. A snack consisting of clam chowder, smoked salmon, rolls, jam, crackers, mints, juice, hot chocolate, coffee, and water.

Please note: Drivers must be 25 years of age with a valid driver's license. The minimum age and weight are 5 years old and 40 lbs. Children from 5-8 will require a booster seat which is available upon request and subject to availability

Duration: 4 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal.)

Inclusions:

  • Roundtrip transportation
  • Life jacket, rain gear (poncho)
  • Snacks and beverages including clam chowder, smoked salmon, rolls, jam, crackers, mints, juice, hot chocolate, coffee, and water
  • Souvenir button to take home

Requirements:

  • Moderate physical activity is required
  • Drivers must be at least 25 years old with a valid license and current insurance
  • The minimum age and weight are 5 years old and 50lbs. Children from 5-8 will require a booster seat which is available upon request and subject to availability

Duration: 4 hours. Tour times below are approximate:

  • 40 minutes - roundtrip narrated transfer to base camp
  • 10 minutes - orientation, risk acknowledgment forms
  • 80 minutes - follow guide on Jeep® trails to Lake Harriet Hunt
  • 10 minutes - outfit for canoe portion of the tour
  • 80 minutes - canoe across Lake Harriet Hunt, nature walk, snack and return
  • 20 minutes - transfer from Lake Harriet Hunt to base camp

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets at the Liquid Sunshine Rain Gauge. If your ship docks at Ward Cove, you will be picked up there and you do not need to take the shuttle. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

  • This tour is not wheelchair or limited mobility accessible.

How many passengers are in each Jeep?

Each Jeep can hold a maximum of 4 passengers.

Do the Jeeps have manual or automatic transmissions?

All Jeeps are equipped with automatic transmissions.

Are the Jeeps 2 or 4 doors?

All Jeeps are 2 door. Something you should keep in mind when booking the tour is that they can be challenging to climb in/out of if you are in the back seat.

Does everyone get to drive the Jeep?

Yes! There are several photo stops along the way for all qualified drivers to swap so everyone that wants to will get a turn.

How do I communicate with the guides?

All Jeeps are equipped with 2-way CB radios that will allow the guide to communicate with you and vice versa.

Will I see any wildlife or bears on this tour?

Bald eagles and their nests, herons, shorebirds, and waterfowl are all common sights. Porpoises and even humpback whales occasionally surface for air, however, this is not a designated wildlife tour and nothing can be guaranteed.

Can I bring a backpack?

Yes, small bags and backpacks are allowed. 

Can I bring my own food or drink?

Food and drink are not allowed during this tour.

Are food and drink included?

Yes, a snack and beverage including clam chowder, smoked salmon, rolls, jam, crackers, mints, juice, hot chocolate, coffee, and water is provided.

Are there any physical requirements for this tour?

Moderate physical activity is required, and there is a minimum age and weight of 5 years old and 40 lbs. Children from 5-8 will require a booster seat which is available upon request and subject to availability. 

What type of clothing should I wear?

Ponchos and lifejackets are provided. We recommend you bring your own raingear for inclement weather days.

Not seeing answers to your questions?

Check out other frequently asked questions here!

Customer Reviews
Sep 2023 - Sylvia F.

So much fun, we really enjoyed this tour.

Aug 2022 - Tammy W.

Had an absolute blast! Would do it again in a heartbeat. It was fun and thrilling. The calmness of the canoe ride afterward was wonderful as was the food!

Jul 2022 - Jeannie K.

Loved this! So exciting and fun. We had an issue with our power steering and the walkie/talkie and the guide was so kind in helping us through this. We loved this excursion!

Jul 2022 - Gayle M.

What a fun excursion. Our guide was amazing. Would recommend this to anyone. The Jeep ride was a little more rough and tumble than we thought it would be, but we still loved it!

Jul 2022 - Helen C.

Quite a fun excursion, enjoyed the canoe trip and nature walk but jeep safari was not as exciting . Staff was very helpful and friendly!

Jun 2022 - Charles C.

The guides are a hoot and the puddles are deep! Be ready to put your oar in the water....otherwise stay on the cruise ship if you refuse to paddle! More fun than a lake full of salmon!

Jun 2022 - Michele C.

We had so much fun doing the canoe ride, the hike through the woods, eating the tasty food and then the jeep ride through the woods! It was just a perfect excursion for us. Thank you for your wonderful staff. They were the best!

Jun 2022 - Patricia A.

Great excursion. Tons of fun. Great people running the excursion.

Sep 2019 - Gloria L.

If you want a really bumpy experience--this is it. Thoroughly enjoyed the jeep ride and the calm canoe ride came at the right time. Loved the clam chowder and other refreshments.

Aug 2019 - Christopher B.

This was an awesome excursion. Ketchikan was our first stop and this was a great way to get off and enjoy Alaska after being stuck on the ship for 2 days. There is an assortment of 2 door and 4 door Jeeps and depending on how many people are there you will be put together in the jeeps. So if you re going as a couple you will probably ride with another couple you don t know. Everyone in the Jeep gets an opportunity to drive. The lead jeep will be your guides who communicate via radios regarding where to go and what to look out for. Chris and Mike were our guides and they were awesome. Very knowledgeable and made the trip fun. The off-roading was not super technical just very bumpy. If you have back problems beware of sitting in the backseat of the Jeep as the ride is very jostling. Most of the driving is between 10-20mph on the 4WD areas, and 45mph on the 2WD dirt roads. Anyone with a drivers license can successfully drive the off-road trails they are not advanced. The boat ride was very enjoyable. The lake is so peaceful. You do get a little tired from rowing though. The nature walk was nice. It was only 10-15 mins but Chris our guide was very knowledgeable in letting us know about the plants and trees in the area. After the walk we enjoyed snacks and coffee. We had coffee, clam chowder, salmon dip and raspberry jam and bread. You then row back to the other side of the lake get back in the jeeps and drive home. If you ve never off-roaded before and are looking to experience the wilderness in Alaska this is a great excursion for you!! Thank you again Chris and Mike for a fun excursion!

Aug 2019 - Micheal B.

Great time with Mike and Chris, they made this one of our favorite excursions of our time in Alaska, loads of fun!

Aug 2019 - Kristopher O.

Much better than expected. Would have liked more time on the canoe. The jeeping was better than I thought on 2 main trails with lots of puddles and fun sections.

Jul 2019 - Daniel R.

The scenery on the canoe safari was gorgeous! the food was delicious and the nature walk was very informative. The backcountry jeep tour was also a lit of fun. The guides said they'd keep it to 10-15 MPH on the trails then went 20 to 25+ MPH which was a bit scary at times. Overall had a blast on this excursion and would highly recommend it.

Jul 2019 - Kingman L.

Great experience. Our guide was great and kept us informed about the area, history and stories. Our canoe ride was peaceful. The walk through the forest was inspiring. The Jeep ride was fun. Our guide showed us where the mid point was so we could change drivers, so we could all share in the experience of driving a Jeep in the mountains. Our guide had great enthusiasm and made our excursion memorable. I would highly recommend this trip. K and R Lou from California

Jul 2019 - Brian M.

Lots of fun driving your own Jeep, just wish we had longer off road trip but otherwise the staff was great.

Jun 2019 - Julianna C.

Beautiful scenery, fun trails

Jun 2019 - Karen W.

It was beautiful where we were. We got such a beautiful site canoeing over this lake and then having a small meal with our tour guides. The jeeps were great and took us to such beautiful views. The only downside was our bus late on picking us up, but it all worked out. Great excursion.

Jun 2019 - HEATHER F.

Tim was a terrific guide. Enjoyed all aspects of this excursion. There was a 4 door jeep so we were able to fit our family of 5 in one vehicle, and not have to split up. The forest is beautiful, the lake serene. My husband enjoyed driving the jeep while the rest of us bounced around.

Jun 2019 - Denenne B.

We had a very enjoyable experience driving up through the mountain to a magestic view point. Later we all paddled in a canoe across the lake for a short informative bushwalk.

Aug 2018 - Richard A.

Great family fun for us urban dwellers.

Aug 2018 - Joanne Z.

Off road jeep is so bumpy, my son enjoys it so much! Tour guide Conner is informative n responsible. Highly recommend!

Aug 2018 - David R.

Awesome guides and amazing experience. Kids loved it. Get ready for rugged ride.

Aug 2018 - Donna K.

was expecting the tour to take us to see points of interest and photo opps of Alaska, but instead was taken on bumpy trails through brush, and not what I expected for the price. The canoe ride was ok, but wasn't what I expected either. Wouldn't recommend this excursion if you want to see Alaska. Would have been better to rent a car and drive yourself around Ketcikan.

Aug 2018 - Denise P.

Professional quality tour!!!

Jul 2018 - Penelope R.

4x4 was more like rock climbing up a river bed to get to nowhere and back down again I thought it would be more on the flat like the picture!! canoe on lake,food and walk good

Jul 2018 - Attel M.

Fun excursion. The canoe trip across the lake was easy and it was beautiful. I wish the "back logging road" part of the trip was a bit longer and had batter views but all in all a decent way to spend some time in Ketchikan. Glad we booked thru Alaska Shore Excursions rather than paying cruise ship markup.

Jul 2018 - CHRISTINE W.

What a fun trip! The Jeep ride was much tougher than expected, but the kids (8-17yo) were howling with laughter. The canoe was on a gorgeous lake and the nature hike was very informative! Fantastic guides!

Jul 2018 - Lisa M.

The jeep tour was fun but a very bumpy ride! It was very peaceful out on the lake with the canoe.

Jul 2018 - Hemanth K.

Backcountry Jeep was great. Canoe was average.

Jul 2018 - Vance V.

Absolutely amazing! Our group consisted of 8 people from 17 to 50 years old and we all had a blast. Emily our tour guide made it fun and interesting. The canoeing was a lot of fun and scenic, and off-roading in the jeeps had us all in at the first climb. This was our favorite excursion while in Alaska.

Jun 2018 - Karen N.

was fun, the stop across the lake had nice snacks, homemade raspberry jam with breads, chowder, smoked salmon, hot chocolate and coffee. canoe trip was pretty but too many people in one canoe took away from the fun.

May 2018 - Steven M.

My wife and I loved this excursion and our guide Rose was the best. This tour is not for the fragile. The views were awesome and the base camp snack during the canoe trip was also very enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour.

Sep 2017 - Theresa M.

Wow, this was awesome! We went way up in the hills, up and down trails that barely were big enough. It wasn't just a pony ride in a circle. The canoeing was in a huge multi person canoe, just the entire process was wonderful! The guides were knowledgeable and very patient. A++

Jul 2017 - Aaron F.

Enjoyed this trip a great deal, it was fun driving on a very rough and bumpy road (not suitable for people that get car sick - ha ha), guide was great! Canoe trip was beautiful and relaxing! The nature hike was amazing! I do wish we had more time to relax enjoying our chef-prepared snack before nature walk! But overall great experience!

Jun 2017 - Kim K.

Fantastic adventure! We loved the beautiful canoe trip and nature hike. The Jeep portion was a blast. I felt that overall things could have been more organized. There was some major confusion over busing all of us back to our ships. Thankfully, we were returned on time but with not much time to spare. One large bus left the main shop area completely empty while we had to wait for another bus. We were told that our ship would not leave without us because "we booked through the ship" however we did not book through the ship and booked independently.

May 2017 - Daniel S.

Lots of fun!! Guide was very knowledgeable about the area and a lot of fun. Jeep ride was wonderful, driving was great. Homemade soup was delicious!!! A great in the tundra adventure!!

May 2017 - Michael D.

This was awesome! Probably my favorite excursion from the whole trip! It seemed like we had the mountain and lake all to ourselves and the lunch was so good. The guides were very clear and thorough, and we felt very well taken care of the entire time.

Aug 2016 - AMANDA H.

enjoyed this adventure. Really did this one for our 19 and 15 year old for the jeep riding. The canoe across the lake added another activity to the tour which was neat. The meal was delicious!!!! The nature walk was interesting. Our whole family enjoyed it!

Jun 2016 - Christine E.

This was fantastic! The jeep ride was one of my favorite Alaska excursions. Our guides were awesome and extremely knowledgeable of the area. You can't help but appreciate the area with all the guide's enthusiasm. This is one of the best tour groups. The jeep is easy to drive and loads of fun! The views are breathtaking!

Jun 2016 - Loyda M.

The staff was great! We enjoyed the canoe ride!

BEST PRICE Guarantee!

$209.00

BEST PRICE Guarantee!

Duration: 4 hours



Number of Passengers *

Adult: $209.00

Child (5-12): $159.00

Total
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