Alaska Riverboat Discovery

Welcome Aboard Photo #1 of 3 Welcome aboard! Your three hour cruise will take you into the heart of Alaska and the heart of a family who has made the rivers of Alaska a way of life for four generations. Photo copyright Alaska Riverboat Discovery.

Overview

You will see a bush floatplane taking off alongside a "bush" style runway, visit the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher, and gain insight into the ancient Athabascan Indian culture. Alaskan Native guides who have worked and lived in Alaska will take you on a personalized tour of the Chena Indian Village.

The highlight of the cruise is a one-hour stop at the Chena Indian Village, where Alaskan Native guides will take you on a guided tour. You'll see an Athabascan Indian village with cabins made of spruce logs, a cache used for storing supplies, and fur pelts. Our guides will explain how the wolf, fox, martin, and beaver were used to provide food and protection in the harsh Arctic climate.

Because of Alaska's vast remote areas, service by airplane was (and remains) essential to the timely delivery of supplies. When bush planes first entered the country, sternwheelers ruled the transportation business. It didn't take long for the bush plane to prove its utility and send the riverboats into retirement.

It is at the fish camp that they catch fish to feed their dogs and themselves throughout the winter. The fish are caught in a fishwheel, which scoops the fish from the river as it is turned by the current. Watch a native guide demonstrate how fish are cut and prepared for human and dog consumption.