Keystone Canyon - Lowe River

Quick Facts:

• Drive time from Valdez: 20 minutes

• Activity: Whitewater rafting

• River distance: 5 miles

• Difficulty: Class III

This is a great stretch of river that is popular among local boaters because of its accessibility, fun whitewater, and gorgeous views. It’s a fairly straightforward run with a variety of large wave trains and compression features that keep it interesting and fun. Don’t sleep on this Class III as there are some mixed in holes around tight corners that definitely keep you on your toes with plenty of splashes. This is an extremely cold, glacier-fed river, so be sure to wear drysuits.

Along the way you will see dramatic walls coming out of the river with waterfalls seemingly around every corner. The crown jewel is Bridal Veil Falls which I recommend hopping out and taking a quick shower under!

Put in: There are a couple options above the canyon just off the Richardson highway (about 20 miles from Valdez). There is a long stretch you can pull out into just south of the first bridge out of the canyon, but you will have to cross the highway, so we elected to turn in just north of the bridge where there are small cabins. We saw no private property signs, but this might be where commercial trips put in (they were not running in 2022).

Picture from the takeout

Take-out: just as the road turns East towards town by the Lowe River Access Trail. A small road is located here with limited parking. As you approach the river, you'll notice the canyon opening up and the river starting to braid. Remember to stay on the right side of the river and exit before reaching a small bridge crossing it.

For shuttle: you can leave a car at the take out if there’s room, bike or jog the canyon on the Goat Trail, or hitchhike and likely get picked up by a local boater.