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 Âthe free side take-out.
Take-Out
Bravo Bridge on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
A Recreational Access Pass from the Military is required to float this stretch. The requirements for access can be found on the following website:
https://jber.isportsman.net/Access.aspx.
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.