CHILKOOT TRAIL HIKE & RIVER FLOAT NCL Excursion

[berryvillebomber]

Hello,

 

The wife and I are both 66 years old, and would like to do the CHILKOOT TRAIL HIKE & RIVER FLOAT excursion this summer (2024) on the NCL Jewel Alaska cruise.  How physically difficult is the hike and water rafting?  We are both in good shape. A little bit chunky but we walk and exercise regularly.
I would like to hear your reviews about this excursion.

Thank you.

Michael

[zqvol]

Your best bet is to either post this on the Alaska port of call forum or to google it. Better yet do both. 

[coolrider71]

Is this in Skagway?

[wolfie11]

I’ve done this excursion and I didn’t find it particularly difficult.  It’s not steep but a lot of ups and downs over rocky terrain with plenty of tree roots.  They give you hiking poles if you ask.

[berryvillebomber]

1 hour ago, wolfie11 said:

I’ve done this excursion and I didn’t find it particularly difficult.  It’s not steep but a lot of ups and downs over rocky terrain with plenty of tree roots.  They give you hiking poles if you ask.

Thank you.  I will be sure to ask for the hiking poles.

[gzmtlock]

We just did this last week, both in our early sixties. We loved it!  The hike is steep, but only about a mile. As a PP said, poles are available and I found it to be super helpful. The river float was just that-a calm float. We did have to duck down a few times to avoid overhanging branches, but that was easy. We enjoyed the float especially, being on the water was a real treat. The hike was good, too. We just hiked a total of four times, so the float was more special to us. 

[berryvillebomber]

1 hour ago, gzmtlock said:

We just did this last week, both in our early sixties. We loved it!  The hike is steep, but only about a mile. As a PP said, poles are available and I found it to be super helpful. The river float was just that-a calm float. We did have to duck down a few times to avoid overhanging branches, but that was easy. We enjoyed the float especially, being on the water was a real treat. The hike was good, too. We just hiked a total of four times, so the float was more special to us. 

Thank you.  We are looking forward to the rafting.

[berryvillebomber]

5 hours ago, coolrider71 said:

Is this in Skagway?

Yes.  It is in Skagway.

[coolrider71]

We did it a few years ago. The trail is gorgeous. Right off the bat though there is a huge incline, huge. After that its ups and downs. The guide that we had was terrible. He showed up in flip flops and a coffee mug like he was walking out to get the paper. He was very casual but would never stop so we could look at our surroundings. When your walking at a quick pace and watching the ground so you dont trip it's hard to take in the beauty of whats around you. My husband and I decided we would just stop when we wanted and take a few photos. The guide didnt care that we were all separated in the bear woods. I  enjoyed the hike but the float sucked. You are riding on an inflatable down a not so pretty river. I've done a lot of Alaska cruises, this is the one excursion I would not do again. Just saying.

[coolrider71]

BTW I wish it was rafting but it was just a very gentle float .

[YVRteacher]

I have done this excursion too. The main word I would use is “rigamarole.” The hike is gorgeous and was not difficult at all. There was a lot of chaos and disorganization for the raft part. They make you take off your own shoes and put them in a box with everyone else’s dirty hiking shoes just piled in there. They also make you gear up in way too much wet weather and safety gear. A lot of your time in Skagway is wasted as your group gears up and loads into the rafts. The float part is literally a float. You sit on a rubber raft and float. The guide has a paddle. You get a Costco granola bar at the end after extracting your shoes from the mud box.

 

You can go for a beautiful walk to Yakutania Point for free and no one makes you wear rubber pants that are two sizes too long.