Stikine River

The Stikine River is one of the fastest-flowing navigable rivers in North America and one of Wrangell's greatest attractions — not a sight in the conventional sense but a gateway to extraordinary wilderness. The river empties into the sea just north of town and can be explored by jet boat from Wrangell. Trips upriver pass through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, past hot springs, bear habitat, and into British Columbia's interior.

LeConte Glacier, the southernmost active tidewater glacier in North America, sits in LeConte Bay just south of the Stikine mouth and is accessible by boat from Wrangell in calm conditions. Watching icebergs calve into the bay or seeing the brilliant blue of the glacier face is genuinely spectacular, and the journey through the fjord-like bay is among the finest short boat trips in Southeast Alaska. Wrangell outfitters run combined Stikine river and LeConte Bay tours in summer.

things to do sight wildlife
A story
The Stikine River was the route into the Cassiar goldfields during the 1860s gold rush, and Wrangell grew up as the supply point for the rush upriver. The same canyon geography that made it attractive to gold-seekers — fast current, navigable depth, access to the interior — also makes it extraordinary for wildlife. The spring migration of shorebirds on the Stikine flats near its mouth is one of the largest in North America, with millions of birds stopping over during peak weeks in late April and early May.