Stikine River, British Columbia, Canada; Canoeing, Wildlife Viewing

The coastal Tlingit people called this waterway the “Stikine” River, or “great river”. Although the Stikine River lies south of the 60th parallel and is (theoretically) accessible by road, it represents one of the most diverse and dramatic “canoeable” rivers on the West Coast of the continent.

Upper Stikine River
Issuing forth from the glaciers of the Spatsizi Plateau, glacial meltwater becomes the genesis of the Stikine River as it pools in the crystalline waters of Tuaton Lake. It is in these upper reaches of the massive 19,227 square miles (49,800 sq km) watershed that the Stikine River subtly begins its course. As the birthplace of the Stikine, the Spatsizi Plateau has much to recommend it and is a pristine wilderness treasure. Nestled behind the Coast Mountains to the west, the region is in a precipitation shadow. At 4970 ft (1,600 m), the plateau is a spectacular alpine region that includes the stark cinder cones of the Mount Edziza volcanoes. These little-known volcanoes were active 10,000 years ago. Few Canadians realize that the northwest corner of British Columbia is dominated by volcanic peaks and ancient lava beds! And the shallow snowpack of the winter provides ideal alpine wintering grounds for many species. The Osborne mountain caribou herd of approximately 3,000 animals shares the range with Dall’s sheep and mountain goats.

The Stikine departs the lake as a small stream and descends a broad, glacial-carved valley. Here lively rapids are interspersed with long stretches of flat swift water. The extensive forests of the valley bottom are home to moose, grizzly, and black bears. The river cuts through the center of the forested valley, a long way from the overlooking alpine slopes. In these upper reaches, the vegetation remains that of the boreal forest; the thick growth of the coastal rain forest waits below.

“The Stickeen [sic] was, perhaps, the best known of the rivers that cross the Coast Range, because it was the best way to the Mackenzie River Cassiar gold-mines. It is about three hundred and fifty miles long, and is navigable for small steamers, a hundred and fifty miles to Glenora, and sometimes to Telegraph Creek, fifteen miles further. It first pursues a westerly course through grassy plains darkened here and there with groves of spruce and pine; then, curving southward and receiving numerous tributaries from the north, it enters the Coast Range and sweeps it through a magnificent canon three thousand to five thousand feet deep, and more than a hundred miles long. The majestic cliffs and mountains forming the canon walls display endless variety of form and sculpture, and are wonderfully adorned and enlivened with glaciers and waterfalls, while throughout almost its whole extent the floor is a flowery landscape garden, like Yosemite. The most striking features are the glaciers, hanging over the cliffs, descending the side canons and pushing forward to the river, greatly enhancing the wild beauty of all the others.”
-- John Muir, traveling up the Stikine from it’s mouth in 1879 from Travels in Alaska, by John Muir, published in 1915

Nearly 60 feeding tributaries ensure that the Stikine swells in size and speed as it reaches the edge of the plateau. In an abrupt gash in the land, the river drops 930 feet (300 m) into the maw of a narrow chasm -– the Grand Canyon of the Stikine. For the middle one-third of its journey, the river is a tumultuous cataract that defies navigation. Negotiated by only a handful of paddlers to date, this part of the Stikine was slated to be dammed for electrical power in the 1980s. Fortunately, however, this did not happen. Today it is home to 300 – 400 mountain goats. These goats, whose white coats take on a red color from the iron oxide dust in the rock, are the namesakes of the region. Spatsizi is a Tahltan word, which means “land of the red goat.”

Before leaving this cleft in the earth’s crust, some of it so narrow that it never receives direct sunlight -- the course of the Stikine is directed by a 10,000-year-old lava flow. The volcanic rock is the product of the last eruption of Mt. Edziza.

Within a few miles of the lower breech of the canyon, the river smoothes and its vast volume and speed takes on a surprising peacefulness. The confluence with the Tahltan River is a traditional fishing ground of the Tahltan people and a site of trading with the coastal Tlingit. For centuries the river has provided a route for these two cultures to trade goods, which have included eulachon oil, herring eggs, dried salmon, copper, and furs as well as articles obtained from Russian traders on the coast.

The Lower Stikine River - Telegraph Creek to Wrangel on Alaska’s Inside Passage
Not far downstream from the un-navigable Grand Canyon of the Stikine lies the picturesque gold-rush town of Telegraph Creek. The village is now accessible by a precarious road but formerly could only be reached by river steamer from the coast. At times in its history it has served as a Hudson’s Bay post, a mission, a jumping-off place for more than 10,000 gold-rush stampeeders and as a Thaltan First Nations community. The “lower level” of town, along the riverbank, is relegated to the church and commerce, while the Tahltan village is spread out on the plateau above.

Looking to the west from Telegraph Creek, one sees the telltale white snowcaps of the coastal mountain to the west, foreshadowing the massive sprawling glaciers ahead. Here the cottonwoods and fir of the valley bottom seem to swell in diameter with each passingmile. The understory vegetation becomes lush and begins to include flora found in moist climes. The beautiful peaks on either side of the river are alluring but the thick vegetation, complete with spiny devil’s club, repels the hiker except at strategic trails.

As the vegetation thickens to rain-forest lushness, the valley glaciers grow in number and size. These majestic ice sheets crawl toward the river. The tributary valleys are rugged and active, with glacial activity sometimes blocking off stream flow and creating lakes. This can lead to a Jokulhlaup, an Icelandic term for a glacial lake outburst which temporarily floods the valley. The main channel of the Stikine is littered with trunks of massive trees, eroded from the river banks. These pile up in the countless logjams that seem to mark every bend in the river. While posing a very real hazard to river travelers, the strainer effect of the logjams, serves to create eddies downstream which aids the upstream travel of the spawning salmon, headed for the tributaries of their birth.

Downriver, a chilled stream, tumbling through a rocky bed on river right, provides a signal to travelers that they have arrived in the vicinity of Great Glacier Lake. A short hike through the lush overhanging moss of the cathedral-like forest brings one to the breath-taking beautiful lake. It was formed when the Great Glacier has carved a massive basin, which filled with wateras the glacier receded. Those who portage their canoe the short distance across the old terminal moraine to the lake will be rewarded by the opportunity to paddle among the massive icebergs calved from the face of the Great Glacier. The sight of these icebergs, becomes all the more awe-inspiring when one learns that only one-tenth of each berg is visible above the water!

Below the lake, the river flows toward the boundary of Alaska. It emerges from the Coast Mountains and crosses the Alaska Panhandle to empty into the Pacific Ocean. First it passes the confluence with its largest tributary, the Iskut River. A commercial salmon fishery exists here on the Stikine. Like most, it is in a troubled state with numbers dwindling.

An ancient and abandoned customs house stands at the U.S. - Canada border and serves as a reminder of the riverboat traffic at a time when the Stikine was truly viewed as a highway into the northern interior of the continent.

Tongass National Forest begins at the American border. Not far downstream, the savvy paddler can follow a series of channels that yield a sweet reward – Chief Shakes Hotsprings. The U.S. Forest Service has modestly developed these natural sources of hot water with a boardwalk and cedar hot tubs. On a clear day, the view from the springs is stunning.

Downstream the river begins to widen around islands that guard the Stikine estuary. Millennia of deposition of river sediments have created a fertile oasis. Here, the Pacific Coast’s migratory flyway finds a focal point. The rich biotic conditions also provide a fertile environment for countless species of fish and shellfish.

On an island out in the delta of the Stikine lies the small town of Wrangell, Alaska, formerly the site of a Tlingit village. It was first settled by Russian traders in 1834 and called Fort Dionysius. The name was changed to Fort Stikine in 1840 when the Alaska Panhandle was leased to the Hudson’s Bay Company. When the Panhandle was sold to the United States in 1867, the name was finally changed to Fort Wrangell. Both a fishing and logging community and small a port, the community is charting its way through the challenges of the 21st century. River travelers receive a warm welcome, but it doesn’t take much to rouse a stirring debate among locals about the future as it relates to resource-based economies and the security of the community. Hopefully they will find a way to continue living in harmony with the Stikine –- the great river.

Nahanni River Adventures, Nahanni offers exceptional expeditions by raft and canoe on the great rivers from Alaska to Nunavut including: South Nahanni River, Tatshenshini River, Alsek River, Firth River, Snake River, Wind River, Stikine River, Burnside River, Coppermine River, Horton River, Mountain River, Yukon River, Taku River, Gataga River and Sea Kayaking and whale watching at Point Adolphus, Alaska, over-looking Glacier Bay National Park.

Our expeditions encompass Nahanni National Park (South Nahanni River), Kluane National Park (Alsek River), Ivvavik National Park (Firth River), Glacier Bay National Park (Alsek River), Herschel Island Territorial Park (Firth River).

Nahanni River Adventures operates in Alaska (United States of America), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia (Canada).

Nahanni.com is the online presence of the company, Nahanni River Adventures Ltd.

Nahanni River Adventures works with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to ensure the environmental integrity of our wild places.

Neil Hartling, founder of Nahanni River Adventures, is also the author of: Nahanni, River of Gold...River of Dreams. Alaska to Nunavut - The Great Rivers. Nahanni River Guide. These books may all be purchased through Nahanni.com.

Common misspellings of the name are Nahani, Nahannie, Nahanie, Nahoni, Nahonni.
Nahanni River Adventures.