From Glacier to Sea: A Journey Down the Susitna

In 2012, Chris Dunn set out to do something no one had done before—float the entire 310-mile length of the Susitna River, from its glaciated headwaters in the Alaska Range all the way to Cook Inlet. What started as a wild idea became an ambitious “glaciers to the sea” expedition that took him through tundra, canyons, and boreal forest, tracing the full course of one of Alaska’s great rivers.

At the time, the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project was gaining momentum, and Chris wanted to see firsthand what might be lost if the river were dammed. His journey helped him witness the river as a living, connected system from source to sea.

Chris Dunn is a former Alaska resident who has explored thousands of miles in the state from the Barter Island to Caines Head. After leaving Alaska in 2015, he completed a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder,…