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Tongass Home » Recreation » Boating » Kayaking
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Kayaking and Canoeing
Kayak or canoe almost anywhere around Southeast Alaska in saltwater or fresh. Trips can be from half a day to over a month. Just be aware of the conditions you'll find here and plan accordingly for a safe and anjoyable trip.
Wilderness
You can be paddling in the wilds of Southeast Alaska, surrounded by incredible beauty, in minutes after putting you kayak in the water. As you get away from civilization, help is not necessarily just around the corner. Be prepared with skills and supplies to handle emergencies by yourself and for extended periods of time. Extra clothes, extra food, repair kits, signaling devices and first aid kits are a must.
Weather
Plan for rain. It rains most in the fall and least in late spring and early summer, but rain is likely anytime. Summer air temperatures run from the 40s to the 70s Fahrenheit. Water temperatures average 47°F! If you end up in the water without a wet suit or dry suit, you'll have only a few minutes or less to get back into your kayak. Don't push situations. If sea conditions are above your comfort level, take a break and enjoy the beach. Also, know and practice rescues, stay together so help is available nearby, and dress for the water temperature (wet suit/dry suit).
Water
Tides can fluctuate from -4 to +25 feet in a 6-hour period. At low tides, large mud flats can be exposed, blocking routes and making access to or from shore impossible. Tides also create fast-moving currents, tide rips and standing waves in and out of bays and passages. Tide and wind can combine to cause nasty conditions for boating. Check weather and tide information before starting out, and where possible, check in on the National Weather Services VHF radio broadcasts.
Icebergs and glaciers
Icebergs add a whole new dimension to paddling. Treat them with respect. We see only about 15% of the iceberg, so if you see an iceberg the size of a car, there is a 2-car garage under it! Melting moves their center of gravity, making them prone to roll-over. Stay at least 2 boat lengths away, double that if the iceberg is taller than your kayak is long. Icebergs can lower air and water temperatures by more than 10° F.
The number, location and density of icebergs change dramatically day to day. Plan to start up a bay toward a glacier with a rising tide and paddle out with a falling tide. Ice chunks breaking off a glacier (calving) produce surge waves or swells which can be 6 inches to 10 feet high. They move the existing icebergs, often to the point of rolling, and can raise and lower the shoreline very quickly. When you hear the thunder of the glacier calving, get away from shore and into open water.
Glaciers calve from above and below the water. Large chunks of ice can break off underwater and surface several hundred feet away. These icebergs are called shooters for good reason. LeConte Glacier is famous for them. Stay at least ½ mile away from a glacier's face for safety.
Harbor seals give birth on the icebergs around glaciers in May and June. Use extra caution then. The young can be easily scared and separated from their mothers.
Recommended maps - USGS Quadrangles, at a 1:250,000 scale
USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest
Last Modified: June 06, 2006