Choose Your Float Trip
The same commitment to professional guiding, quality equipment, and safety across all three programs. Choose the camp support, group size, and river experience that best suit your trip.
A fourth crew member handles camp support from a separate gear boat, while three fishing guides work with a maximum of six guests. Camp is prepared ahead of your arrival, with showers and private facilities. Spend more time fishing and less time on camp chores.
The same quality of guiding, the same Alaska-made tent camp, and the same hearty riverside meals — with guests taking part in daily camp routines. Typically six guests, with up to eight traveling together. The most popular program for serious anglers who want a complete wilderness experience at the best per-person value.
A smaller-group expedition experience on the Arolik and other select remote waters. On the Arolik, a maximum of four guests travel with two guides. Streamlined expedition camps use Arctic Oven or Katabatic tents. The same commitment to professional guiding and safety applies. Available by request.
“Tell Paul your target species, preferred dates, and group size — he will give you a straight answer on which program makes the most sense for your situation. He responds to every inquiry personally.”
Programs Compared
All programs share our standards for professional guiding, equipment, and safety. Camp support, group size, and available rivers vary by program.
| Intimate Rivers | Standard Style | Fisherman’s Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Support | Working camp — guests participate in daily routines | Guests assist with camp setup & breakdown | Dedicated camp hand — camp set before you arrive each evening |
| Tents | 8x8 Arctic Oven (shared) or Katabatic tents (solo) | Expedition-quality tents with cots & camp chairs | Expedition-quality tents with cots & camp chairs |
| Private Facilities | Not available | Showers & private facilities included | Showers & private facilities included |
| Group Size | Arolik: up to 4 guests / 2 guides | Typically 6; up to 8 together | Limited to 6 guests |
| Guide Ratio | Arolik: 2 guests per guide | 2:1 guest-to-guide in rafts | 2:1 guest-to-guide; rotate guides daily |
| Gear Boat | No | No | Yes — separate gear boat with camp hand |
| Meals | Substantial meals — guides cook | Hearty riverside meals — guides cook | Hearty riverside meals — served family style |
| Fishing Pressure | Remote; varies by river and season | Remote; varies by river and season | Remote; varies by river and season |
| Safety Gear | Garmin inReach, bear safety — full standard | Garmin inReach, bear safety — full standard | Garmin inReach, bear safety — full standard |
| Booking | By request — contact Paul directly | Scheduled trips — see schedule page | Scheduled trips — see schedule page |
All programs include: arranged bush-flight access as specified for your trip, all meals and non-alcoholic beverages, professional guides, and expedition-quality rafts. Not included: airfare to Anchorage, commercial air to access point, Alaska fishing license, personal gear, flies and tackle, gratuities, alcoholic beverages. Travel insurance is required for all trips.
The Rivers
Explore six distinct Southwest Alaska river systems. Activities on federally managed refuge lands are conducted under applicable USFWS authorizations; Alagnak River and Moraine Creek trips operate under applicable NPS authorizations. Each destination has its own fishing character and seasonal windows.
Wild and Scenic designated. All five Pacific salmon species, large wild Rainbow Trout, and exceptional dry-fly opportunities. Fisherman’s Deluxe and Standard Style. Learn more →
Remote, rarely visited drainage with exceptional Rainbow Trout and Arctic Char. Primary river for the Intimate Rivers program. Available by request. Learn more →
Clear-water river with all five Pacific salmon species and excellent Rainbow Trout fishing. Fisherman’s Deluxe and Standard Style. Learn more →
90-mile wilderness float with world-class Rainbow Trout and prime mouse fishing in July. Five scheduled July trips, plus late-August and September departures for Coho. Fisherman’s Deluxe and Standard Style. Learn more →
Intimate, short-float water in Katmai known for dense salmon runs and exceptional Rainbow Trout that follow them. Standard Style. Learn more →
Large river system with excellent Chum Salmon, Coho, and Rainbow Trout. Dedicated Togiak wilderness float program. Learn more →
USFWS Special Use Permits (SUPs) apply to certain activities on refuge-managed lands. NPS Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs) apply to our Alagnak River and Moraine Creek operations in Katmai National Preserve. Alaska DNR also has responsibilities for state-managed lands and waters; any state authorization requirements depend on the specific activities involved. These are distinct agency processes, not a single permit covering every river.
How the Float Trips Work
No road access. No lodges on the river. You fly in, float out, and fish water most people will never see.
The Trip from Start to Finish
Every Alaska Rainbow Adventures trip begins with a commercial flight to the access city — Bethel for Kanektok and Goodnews trips, Dillingham for Togiak trips, and the appropriate regional access point for Katmai trips — where floatplane transportation is arranged to the put-in. From there, the river takes over.
- Day 1: Fly into the river. Camp is set at the put-in or nearby. Guides orient the group, equipment is rigged, and if conditions allow, the afternoon is for fishing.
- Days 2–6: Float downstream, fishing as you go. New water every day. Camp moves with the group. Guides manage the rafts, read water, and put you on fish.
- Final day (depending on trip length): Your trip ends at the designated takeout. Return arrangements depend on the river and may involve local air service, charter transport, or other prearranged connections. Your trip guide will explain the specific itinerary.
- Guide ratio: 2 guests per guide raft on all programs. You are fishing with a guide — not watching one from a distance.
- Communication: Garmin inReach satellite communicator in case of emergency on every trip. Satellite communication helps guides request assistance, but emergency response can be delayed by weather and distance.
- Bear safety: Bear protection equipment standard on all trips. Your guides are experienced in bear country protocols.
The specific logistical details — access city, floatplane operator, gear lists, fly or spin recommendations — are covered in depth when you book. Paul will walk you through everything before your trip departs.
Trips generally run 7, 8, or 10 days, depending on the itinerary. Spaces fill in the order deposits are received. Scheduling is published on the schedule page for Deluxe and Standard Style programs. Intimate Rivers trips are arranged by direct conversation with Paul. Travel insurance is required for all Alaska Rainbow Adventures trips.
About Paul Hansen
Thirty-plus years on these rivers. The same standards. The same commitment to doing it right.
One Operation. Six Rivers. Three Programs.
I founded Alaska Rainbow Adventures in 1993. For more than 30 years, we’ve operated wilderness fishing trips on remote Alaska rivers, with applicable USFWS refuge-land authorizations for activities in Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and NPS authorizations for the Alagnak River and Moraine Creek in Katmai National Preserve. The three programs — Fisherman’s Deluxe, Standard Style, and Intimate Rivers — were built around a simple premise: not every angler wants the same thing, but every angler deserves the same standard of guiding and safety.
I am not a large operation with revolving staff. The guides who float these rivers with my clients know this water. I know what’s fishing well and when, which program fits which group, and what to expect on any given week of the season. When you send an inquiry, I respond personally — not an office assistant, not an automated reply.
If you are trying to decide between programs, between rivers, or between timing windows, let’s talk. Tell me what you’re after and I will give you a straight answer. I have been asked every question there is about these trips — I am happy to answer yours.
Paul Hansen — Owner/Operator, Alaska Rainbow Adventures
info@akrainbow.com · (907) 357-0251 Voice Only
Ready to Book a Float Trip?
Three programs, six rivers, 30-plus years of experience. Tell Paul your dates, group size, and target species — he takes it from there.