Eagle,

4. Lower: Military Stretch

Usual Difficulty	II-III (may vary with level)
Length	4 Miles
Avg. Gradient	36 fpm

River Description

Put-In

Eagle River campground on river left, 100 yards above the Glenn Highway Bridge.
(Exit Glenn Highway at Hiland Road/Eagle River Loop Road, drive straight across the intersection, and follow the road 2 miles to the campground. Note that there is a day parking fee of $5 and that the gates close at 10pm.)
Or, ask a local about “the free side” take-out.

Take-Out

Bravo Bridge on Elmendorf Air Force Base.
Permits from the Military are required to float this stretch. The local paddling club, the Knik Canoers and Kayakers KCK works with the base to establish access. The requirements and type of permit changes yearly. As of 2004, you must be a KCK member to gain a permit. Pick up a road map when you pick up your permit.

Description

The Military section of Eagle River is a good after work option for Anchorage area boaters. It offers a long paddling season (from April to October), good on-the-fly surfing, and a good play hole. The rapids are more continuous than the 'Bridge to Bridge' stretch, but more mild than Campground. Wood is always an issue, and tends to accumulate around blind corners below islands and along the banks. High water makes for fun wave trains and some large scattered holes. At low water, more rocks appear, and the river slows down. Times down the river vary from less than 1.5 hours for rafts at high water to 4 hours for playing kayakers.

Passing under the Glenn Highway Bridge, the river takes a large curve to the right, leading to wave trains which continue for about 2 miles. Around a right hand corner (where the first bridge becomes visible), a series of large waves form at high water offering eddy service from the left side, and shallow beach service from the right. Just below this, under the bridge, the left side of the river is taken up by a good hole with good eddy service on the left. Between this bridge and the railroad bridge about 0.5 miles below, the rapids increase about ½ step in difficulty. The river then eases until a sign on the left bank announces the Bravo Bridge take out.

Additional Information

• A good description of Eagle River can be found online at TC's Alaska Whitewater Rafting.
• Slackerdom.com also has some good photos.