Permits and reservations

Visitors are able to obtain overnight backcountry permits for rafting the section of the Alsek River within Kluane National Park and Reserve. Registration and de-registration is mandatory. To learn more about the registration process, please visit Overnight registration. To save time during registration and limit the number of people at the front desk, we encourage you to use the Pre-registration form. A park staff member will contact you to complete the registration process.

An aircraft access permit is required for a Lowell Glacier take-out and you must fly with a company licensed to land in Kluane National Park and Reserve. Aircraft landings at Lowell Lake are limited to one group per day every other day. Aircraft access permits can be obtained when you pick up your Kluane overnight backcountry permit.

Fees apply.

Trip scheduling

To schedule a rafting trip with the park, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your options. If you have made a reservation with a commercial operator please contact them directly for information about your booking. For those traveling to Turnback Canyon a permit is not required to travel through Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, but provincial park use fees apply. Contact BC Parks.

Commercial operators

Commercial operators will need a Parks Canada Business License and Kluane guide licenses. Guides will need to present their Kluane license card when registering.

In order to ensure a wilderness experience and protect natural and cultural resources, the number and frequency of rafting trips on the Alsek River are controlled by a permit system. The Alsek River flows through Kluane National Park & Reserve in the Yukon, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia and Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Separate fees apply to each of the three parks. Be sure you have the latest information on fees and registration procedures by contacting each agency directly.