paddling.Jimstrutz.com © 2008
After you pass the glacier, you will be traveling with a lot of recently liberated ice, some of which comes in large chunks. There is a certain fascination having an iceberg bobbing under your cataraft. You can reach right down & knock off a piece for your cooler. However, the larger pieces ground out as the river gradually shallows. Then they roll over and rise straight out of the water. Just watching one get upended forces you to realize that you need to steer clear of the big pieces.
After you pass the glacier you need to keep your boat river right. The river starts to form its delta and spreads out into dozens of small rivers. Take all the channels that lead to the right. Some of them may reunite with a more direct, and left channel, but most don’t. Your goal from here on out is to end up on the right bank of the far right channel. There is a decent place to take out on the upstream side of the Flag Point Bridge, also called 27 Mile. There is also a parking lot and driveway leading up to the road. Cordova is 27 miles west.
A flood in 2006 changed the river flow, directing far more water to the left bank, and now the Flag Point Channel has far less water than before. Still, we found the current to average about 4 mph from the glacier to Flag Point. About 2 miles before the take out you will be tempted to take a very small/slow channel to the right, so as not to miss the far right bridge. Don’t bother. There is a channel immediately above the bridges connecting the channels.
Camping on Native Lands
Much of the land that the Copper River runs through is owned by Alaska native regional corporations. In order to legally camp on their land, you need to get permission first. Some of the native corporations have rather stiff fees for this. Always check first, and camp accordingly. It is always permissible to camp below the high water line and on the old railroad right of way. There are also numerous state right of ways that terminate on the river, and these are marked with small white signs. Camping is permitted on these. Also many islands have good camping areas. Wherever you camp, make sure that you are far enough up from the river to deal with rising water.
How to get there
Chitina is over 250 miles from Anchorage on mostly good roads. Head out the Glenn Highway and just past Glennallen turn right on the Richardson highway for about 60 miles. Then turn left on the Edgerton Cutoff Highway and drive 20 miles to Chitina. Most services are available, but may not be open late or every day.
The put in is a mile or two past the town of Chitina. Drive through town and out towards the McCarthy Road. Most people launch across the Copper River Bridge on the upstream side of the road. There is adequate parking and camping areas, but some of this area floods in high water. The Chitina River enters on river left just below the bridge.
Alternatively, you can drive south along the river’s right bank to O'Brien Creek and put in there. You're likely to encounter numerous fishermen at both places.
Take out is at Flag Point at the far west side of the river, where it crosses the gravel road going out to Childs Glacier and the Million Dollar Bridge. It's about 27 miles west to Cordova. The airport is a few miles closer. From the airport into town the road is paved. Shuttle service is available from Flag Point to Cordova. Alternately, you can take out just above the Million Dollar Bridge and avoid drifting in front of the active glacier. Another possible takeout is at the 37 mile bridge, but figuring out how to find it, and how to stop once you do, is your problem.
Logistics of Shuttle
Almost all of the road to Chitina is paved. Plan on five hours of driving time.
There are several ways to do the travel & shuttle logistics. I’ve done these three:
1) Shuttle vehicles to Valdez, take the shuttle service from Flag Point to Cordova and the ferry back to Valdez..
2) Same as above but have someone drop you at Chitina and pick you up five days later in Wittier.
3) Same as above but have someone drop you at Chitina and pick you up four days later in Cordova.
For the first trip we used Becky Chapek’s local shuttle service (907.424.5356) who charged us $25 per head and they carried all of our gear and boats in a rather interesting bus. For our large group she dropped us off at the hotel, held our gear for the night, and picked us up the next day to deliver us to the ferry terminal. Call Copper Rivers/Northwest Tours for more information: (907) 424-5356. Or look at http://www.cdvcoastal.com/Shuttle.htm for a different service from Cordova Coastal Outfitters. There may be other locals willing to do this as well.
In any case, you will have to take the ferry from Cordova to Valdez or Whittier. The Alaska Ferry Service requires all gear to be on a truck or trailer. However, we discovered that you can usually find empty trucks waiting in line for the ferry, who are willing to haul your stuff if you offer them money. In fact, the bus driver may even find the empty trucks for you. Ours did.
After you pass the glacier you need to keep your boat river right. The river starts to form its delta and spreads out into dozens of small rivers. Take all the channels that lead to the right. Some of them may reunite with a more direct, and left channel, but most don’t. Your goal from here on out is to end up on the right bank of the far right channel. There is a decent place to take out on the upstream side of the Flag Point Bridge, also called 27 Mile. There is also a parking lot and driveway leading up to the road. Cordova is 27 miles west.
A flood in 2006 changed the river flow, directing far more water to the left bank, and now the Flag Point Channel has far less water than before. Still, we found the current to average about 4 mph from the glacier to Flag Point. About 2 miles before the take out you will be tempted to take a very small/slow channel to the right, so as not to miss the far right bridge. Don’t bother. There is a channel immediately above the bridges connecting the channels.
Camping on Native Lands
Much of the land that the Copper River runs through is owned by Alaska native regional corporations. In order to legally camp on their land, you need to get permission first. Some of the native corporations have rather stiff fees for this. Always check first, and camp accordingly. It is always permissible to camp below the high water line and on the old railroad right of way. There are also numerous state right of ways that terminate on the river, and these are marked with small white signs. Camping is permitted on these. Also many islands have good camping areas. Wherever you camp, make sure that you are far enough up from the river to deal with rising water.
How to get there
Chitina is over 250 miles from Anchorage on mostly good roads. Head out the Glenn Highway and just past Glennallen turn right on the Richardson highway for about 60 miles. Then turn left on the Edgerton Cutoff Highway and drive 20 miles to Chitina. Most services are available, but may not be open late or every day.
The put in is a mile or two past the town of Chitina. Drive through town and out towards the McCarthy Road. Most people launch across the Copper River Bridge on the upstream side of the road. There is adequate parking and camping areas, but some of this area floods in high water. The Chitina River enters on river left just below the bridge.
Alternatively, you can drive south along the river’s right bank to O'Brien Creek and put in there. You're likely to encounter numerous fishermen at both places.
Take out is at Flag Point at the far west side of the river, where it crosses the gravel road going out to Childs Glacier and the Million Dollar Bridge. It's about 27 miles west to Cordova. The airport is a few miles closer. From the airport into town the road is paved. Shuttle service is available from Flag Point to Cordova. Alternately, you can take out just above the Million Dollar Bridge and avoid drifting in front of the active glacier. Another possible takeout is at the 37 mile bridge, but figuring out how to find it, and how to stop once you do, is your problem.
Logistics of Shuttle
Almost all of the road to Chitina is paved. Plan on five hours of driving time.
There are several ways to do the travel & shuttle logistics. I’ve done these three:
1) Shuttle vehicles to Valdez, take the shuttle service from Flag Point to Cordova and the ferry back to Valdez..
2) Same as above but have someone drop you at Chitina and pick you up five days later in Wittier.
3) Same as above but have someone drop you at Chitina and pick you up four days later in Cordova.
For the first trip we used Becky Chapek’s local shuttle service (907.424.5356) who charged us $25 per head and they carried all of our gear and boats in a rather interesting bus. For our large group she dropped us off at the hotel, held our gear for the night, and picked us up the next day to deliver us to the ferry terminal. Call Copper Rivers/Northwest Tours for more information: (907) 424-
In any case, you will have to take the ferry from Cordova to Valdez or Whittier. The Alaska Ferry Service requires all gear to be on a truck or trailer. However, we discovered that you can usually find empty trucks waiting in line for the ferry, who are willing to haul your stuff if you offer them money. In fact, the bus driver may even find the empty trucks for you. Ours did.
River ice - Don’t get behind it
Take out at Flag Point
