Choose Your Float Trip
Same guides. Same rivers. Same USFWS and NPS permits. Different levels of camp support and access. The right program depends on what you want your days to look like when you’re not fishing.
A dedicated camp hand travels with a separate gear boat, arriving ahead to have camp fully set before you pull in each evening. Private facilities, showers, and limited to 6 guests for maximum guide attention. You rotate guides daily. The logistics are invisible — your only job is to fish.
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. Up to 8 guests. The most popular program for serious anglers who want a complete wilderness experience at the best per-person value.
Smaller, less-traveled river systems that most operations can’t or won’t reach. The Arolik and other select remote waters — where you may not see another angler all week. Streamlined expedition camp with Arctic Oven 8x or Katabatic Mtn. tents. Same guide expertise and safety standards. 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
Every program uses the same guides, the same safety gear, and fishes the same quality of water. The differences are in camp support, group size, and which rivers each program accesses.
| 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) | Alaska-made tents with cots & camp chairs | Alaska-made tents with cots & camp chairs |
| Private Facilities | Not available | Showers & private facilities included | Showers & private facilities included |
| Group Size | Small groups — contact Paul | Up to 8 guests | Limited to 6 guests |
| Guide Ratio | Expert guides on remote water | 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 | Minimal — remote, rarely visited water | Low — USFWS/NPS permit controlled | Low — USFWS/NPS permit controlled |
| 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: round-trip floatplane transportation from the access point, 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
Alaska Rainbow Adventures holds commercial use permits on six rivers across the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and Katmai National Preserve. Each river has its own character, species mix, 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. 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. Standard Style. Learn more →
Commercial use permits are not universally available on these rivers — they are issued by the USFWS and NPS and represent Alaska Rainbow Adventures’ legal access to operate in wilderness areas that have strict controls on commercial fishing activity. When you book with us, you are fishing water that is protected and managed specifically to preserve the resource.
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 Togiak NWR rivers, King Salmon for Katmai rivers — 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.
- Day 7/8 or 10 (Depending on trip length): You’ll float all the way to the natural takeout for that river. At the end of the trip, pickup is arranged by floatplane, boat, or vehicle—each river has its own logistics. From there, you return to the same hub city where your trip started.
- 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. You are remote but never out of reach.
- 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 are 7, 8 or 10-day floats. 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 permits. The same commitment to doing it right.
One Operation. Six Rivers. Three Programs.
I started Alaska Rainbow Adventures in 1993. I hold USFWS commercial use permits for the Kanektok, Goodnews, and Togiak rivers in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, and NPS permits 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.