Alsek River, Kluane National
Park Reserve, Yukon
River of Rock and Ice
Designated 1986

Flowing amid the highest mountains in Canada, past the world's largest and longest mountain glaciers, under the gaze of grizzly bears, the Alsek rises in the mountains of Kluane National Park Reserve – a World Heritage Site. Its braided upper reaches nestle in a broad valley, providing an oasis for mountain goats, Dall's sheep and other wildlife. Downstream, rivers of ice flow into the Alsek's silt-laden waters, calving huge icebergs into the river. The Alsek's remoteness, beauty, and wild rapids tug at the heartstrings of adventurous river travellers. But be prepared to portage Turnback Canyon! The Alsek – a river locked in the Ice Age.