National Parks & Legendary Rivers

Pre-Cruise

Excursions & Entertainment

• 1-Night Complimentary Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay
  1-Night Complimentary Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay

  Each Columbia and Snake Rivers itinerary comes complete with a Complimentary Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay, providing you with a seamless way to board the ship and explore the local area. Arrive the day before your scheduled cruise date and American Cruise Lines will handle the rest.

  The package includes a premium hotel stay, where you can enjoy the city at your leisure. On the morning of the cruise, meet in the hotel lobby after breakfast and we will transport you to the ship to begin your cruise. All luggage will be brought directly from the hotel and placed in your stateroom aboard the ship.

  Guests have the option of purchasing our Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure which takes place the morning of embarkation.

  Pre-Cruise Hotel Stays must be reserved at least 30 days before your cruise date. Please call (800) 460-4518 to reserve your space.

   

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• Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure (Brand New)
  Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure (Brand New)

  Enjoy our Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure over, through, and around the Nez Perce's "land of the winding rivers." On this unforgettable narrated experience, soar over scenic rolling hills, crystal clear rivers, and abounding timbered wilderness as you learn about the region’s spectacular ecology, geology, and history.

  This is a Signature shore excursion and should be reserved in advance. Please call (800) 894-8570 for information.

  https://aclmedia.azureedge.net/cmsmedia/libraries/acl/images/excursions/columbia-snake-rivers/clarkston,%20wa/220421-flightseeing-excursion.jpg?ext=.jpg

Day 1 - Portland, OR

Excursions & Entertainment

• Welcome Aboard
  Welcome Aboard

  As you embark upon your journey, enjoy a Welcome Aboard Reception with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. Meet the crew, your onboard experts, and fellow guests. Learn more about the wonderful adventure ahead of you.

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Day 2 - Astoria, OR

Excursions & Entertainment

• Columbia River Maritime Museum - Complimentary Excursion
  Columbia River Maritime Museum - Complimentary Excursion

  Experience the Columbia River Maritime Museum on a self-guided excursion. The Columbia River Maritime Museum is the official maritime museum of the state of Oregon and also prides itself as being one of the finest maritime museums on the West Coast. 

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Fort Clatsop Experience
  Fort Clatsop Experience

  On this excursion, you will learn the history of the area while visiting Fort Clatsop, the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered in 1806.  Explore the Visitor Center and take a walk outside to view the Fort that was built during this famous expedition. 

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Cape Disappointment State Park
  Cape Disappointment State Park

  Enjoy a scenic journey to Cape Disappointment State Park and visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, situated high on the cliffs 200 feet above the pounding Pacific surf.  A series of mural-sized “timeline” panels guide visitors through the westward journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition using sketches, paintings, photographs, and the words of Corps members themselves. 

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Astoria Local Loop - Complimentary Excursion
  Astoria Local Loop - Complimentary Excursion

  Explore downtown Astoria on your own aboard this convenient shuttle which makes several stops on a continuous loop throughout the day including:

  - Downtown Astoria - for shopping and exploring

  - Heritage Museum - featuring Clatsop County’s rich and exciting history in permanent and changing exhibit galleries

  - Astoria Column - a tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River, from which you can enjoy the majestic views of the countryside from land

  - Flavel House Museum - once the home of Captain George Flavel, this 1885 Queen Anne home features original Eastlake influenced woodwork, period furnishings, and exotic hardwood

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Astoria Walking Exploration
  Astoria Walking Exploration

  Your knowledgeable guide will greet you at the dock to begin your exploration along Astoria's Riverwalk. Enjoy views of the majestic Columbia River with cargo ships at anchor and constant river traffic. Continue along the main downtown street and view several excellent examples of early 20th-century commercial architecture, including the towering Astor Hotel and the highly ornate, terra-cotta clad Liberty Theater. Stroll along city sidewalks to the Garden of the Surging Waves, which celebrates the town’s Chinese history. Enjoy the Beaux Arts-style Clatsop County Courthouse and the former Clatsop County Jail, which is now the Oregon Film Museum. The jail, used from 1914 to 1976 is not only noted for being the longest used, freestanding jail in Oregon, but also seen in the many movies filmed here, most famously, The Goonies. Your excursion will end at the well-known Flavel House. Completed in 1886, it is considered one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Stick style architecture in the Pacific Northwest.

  Activity Level: Moderate | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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Day 3 - Kalama, WA

Excursions & Entertainment

• Mount St. Helens Experience - Complimentary Excursion
  Mount St. Helens Experience - Complimentary Excursion

  May 18, 1980 is a day etched into the history of the United States, as the powerful eruption of Mount St. Helens drastically changed the landscape of what is now referred to as the National Volcanic Monument. On your scenic journey to the Mount St. Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory, learn about the eruption, how it affected the landscape and surrounding communities, and how the environment has responded naturally to the disturbance. The Observatory itself sits on a bluff near the crater, offering spectacular views of the pumice plain and blast site.

  Activity Level: Moderate | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Port of Kalama Interpretive Center- Complimentary Excursion
  Port of Kalama Interpretive Center- Complimentary Excursion

  Just a short walk from the ship, explore this new facility that celebrates Kalama’s unique place in Pacific Northwest history as a transportation and commercial hub, and is designed to replicate a traditional waterfront warehouse of the 1800s. Exhibits track Kalama’s first inhabitants, the Cowlitz Tribe, and the settlers that followed over the next hundred years, including renowned Oregon Trail writer Ezra Meeker. Displays illustrate how Kalama’s particular landscape gave birth to a booming transportation system, impacting the area both culturally and economically.

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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Day 4 - Cruising the Columbia River Gorge

Excursions & Entertainment

• A Day of Cruising
  A Day of Cruising

  There are a variety of activities scheduled on board when the ship is underway, which vary depending on the itinerary and scheduled date. Enjoy destination-focused enrichment programs with special guest speakers who present topics related to the region and ports of call, including Art Classes, App-titude Classes (Tech Made Easy), Cooking Demonstrations, Mixology (practice of making great cocktails,) Trivia, Game Shows, and more.

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Day 5 - Stevenson, WA

Excursions & Entertainment

• Multnomah Falls - Complimentary Excursion
  Multnomah Falls - Complimentary Excursion

  Plummeting 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation. Experience the sights and sounds of this magnificent waterfall, fed by rain, snow-melt, and underground springs on Larch Mountain.

  Admire the falls from the Visitor Center or take a short hike to Benson Bridge, one of the most photographed pieces of architecture in Oregon, to feel its misty spray and get a great photo.

  Multnomah Falls also offers one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to view the basalt rock formations exposed by Ice Age Floods.

  Activity Level: Moderate | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center - Complimentary Excursion
  Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center - Complimentary Excursion

  Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center, which showcases the area's unique history and cultural diversity. From the Native American tribes that inhabited the gorge to the expedition of Lewis and Clark and 19th-century loggers, learn of the bountiful life on the gorge as you explore this amazing museum.

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Bonneville Dam - Complimentary Excursion
  Bonneville Dam - Complimentary Excursion

  Throughout your journey on the Columbia River, you will transit 8 locks, lifting the ship more than 700 feet vertically. Building upon the lectures of our onboard experts throughout the week, this excursion provides guests with an in-depth understanding of and appreciation for the engineering that enables the Dam to generate enough hydroelectric power to provide nearly 500,000 homes with electricity.

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Guided Gorge Kayak Excursion
  Guided Gorge Kayak Excursion

  Experience this amazing guided excursion along a local river fed by blue aquifer melt from Mount Adams. Along the way, view eagles, herons, ospreys, ducks, fish, and occasional otters. Paddle up the mellow river, taking a break to swim and take photos. Gently float back down stream trying to spot as many fish as possible, finishing your journey with a scenic look down the Gorge. 

  Activity Level: High | ADA ACCESSIBLE: No

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Day 6 - Richland, WA

Excursions & Entertainment

• The REACH Museum
  The REACH Museum

  Visit the REACH Museum and discover Eastern Washington’s rich landscape and history, from the Ice Age to the Atomic Age. Explore the featured galleries and rotating exhibits inside, as well as the amazing outdoor area with breathtaking views of the majestic Columbia River and surrounding scenery. Discover the geological impact of the Ice Age floods and basalt lava flows to the area. Learn about the Manhattan Project at Hanford and its continuous influence on the region. Continue to the 9-11 Memorial in Kennewick which is home to a 30 foot 6,000 pound steel column recovered from the World Trade Center Twin Towers, a sobering reminder of the tragic events of the day.

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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• Sacajawea Interpretive Center - Complimentary Excursion
  Sacajawea Interpretive Center - Complimentary Excursion

  Explore this fascinating destination, located at the very place where Lewis and Clark Expedition camped for two nights, amidst a thriving community of Native Americans. Learn about the activities that took place at the site through interactive exhibits about the Corps of Discovery and Sacagawea, woman known for her helping the Lewis and Clark Expedition Team. Stroll the green, tree-shaded grounds, and read the seven story circle installations by internationally known artist Maya Lin.

  Activity Level: Low | ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

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Day 7 - Cruising the Snake River/Clarkston, WA

Excursions & Entertainment

• Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure (Brand New)
  Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure (Brand New)

  Enjoy our Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure over, through, and around the Nez Perce's "land of the winding rivers." On this unforgettable narrated experience, soar over scenic rolling hills, crystal clear rivers, and abounding timbered wilderness as you learn about the region’s spectacular ecology, geology, and history.

  This is a Signature shore excursion and should be reserved in advance. Please call (800) 894-8570 for information.

  https://aclmedia.azureedge.net/cmsmedia/libraries/acl/images/excursions/columbia-snake-rivers/clarkston,%20wa/220421-flightseeing-excursion.jpg?ext=.jpg
• Hells Canyon Boat Adventure
  Hells Canyon Boat Adventure

  Explore the deepest canyon in North America and admire breathtaking scenery, including bighorn sheep, ancient rock formations, and Native American pictographs. Along the way, be treated to lunch at a private ranch within the canyon. 

  Activity Level: Moderate | ADA ACCESSIBLE: No

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Day 8 - National Parks Adventure Begins

Excursions & Entertainment

Day 9 - Glacier National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• Going-To-The-Sun Road
  Going-To-The-Sun Road

  Spanning 50 miles and crossing the Continental Divide, the main road through Glacier National Park is one of the top scenic drives in the United States. Along your journey, view impressive glaciers, beautiful valleys, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains and colorful wildflowers.  

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• Apgar Visitor Center
  Apgar Visitor Center

  Apgar is a village located in Glacier National Park at the lower end of Lake McDonald and two miles from the West Glacier entrance. Upon arrival at the Visitor Center, check out the onsite bookstore and enjoy a short “ranger talk.” Enjoy featured exhibits about the park’s native plants and animals.  

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Day 10 - Travel Toward Yellowstone National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• A Scenic Drive through Montana
  A Scenic Drive through Montana

  Delight in a stunning drive through the beautiful landscapes of Montana. Travel from a land of high mountains, deep valleys, and green forests to the plains, a vast horizontal sweep of yellow rangeland, golden grain fields, and brown harrowed strips.

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Day 11 - Explore Yellowstone National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• Mammoth Hot Springs
  Mammoth Hot Springs

  Terrace Mountain at Mammoth Hot Springs is the largest known carbonate-depositing spring in the world. From an easily walkable boardwalk trail, view this large complex of approximately 50 hot springs on a hill of travertine. Colors range from a pristine white to pink to dark red.

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• Norris Geyser Basin
  Norris Geyser Basin

  Explore Yellowstone National Park’s hottest and most changeable thermal area, making it one of the most extreme environments on the face of the Earth. Thanks to a combination of minerals and life forms, the colors are impressive too, ranging from milky blue to reddish orange. The views of this geological phenomena demonstrate the power of the Yellowstone Caldera and provide endless photo opportunities.

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• Tower Fall
  Tower Fall

  The drive to this amazing fall offers the opportunity to catch a glimpse of park wildlife, including as buffalo, elk, and black bear. Upon arrival, admire its magnificence and feel the misty spray as the fall plunges 132 feet to the rocks below.

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Day 12 - Experience Yellowstone National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• Upper Falls of Yellowstone
  Upper Falls of Yellowstone

  The awesome sight of this 109-foot cascade of surging water demonstrates its power and how the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was created. The Upper Falls has stood the test of time as it flows over rocks, which are remnants of a lava flow and are resistant to erosion.

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• Fishing Bridge Museum & Visitor Center
  Fishing Bridge Museum & Visitor Center

  Completed in 1931, The Fishing Bridge Museum was built to reflect the beauty of nature itself and with a structure that appears to rise out of a rock outcrop. Known for its "parkitecture," stone-and-log architecture, the museum became the prototype for park buildings around the country.  

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• West Thumb Geyser Basin
  West Thumb Geyser Basin

  Discover the largest geyser area on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Here, you can view Potts Basin, a very dynamic area, with dozens of geysers of all sizes. Abyss Pool is a hot spring in the basin, known for its impressive deepness and Fishing Cone a geyser that was named after nineteenth-century visitors would boil their freshly caught fish right in its center, a practice that is no longer allowed.

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Day 13 - Explore Yellowstone and Travel to Grand Teton National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• Fountain Paint Pot Trail
  Fountain Paint Pot Trail

  As you follow this half-mile long boardwalk loop, witness all four of the hydrothermal features found in the park, including, mud pots, geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles. The many Fountain Paint Pot Area geysers erupt so frequently that you are almost guaranteed a great show on your short hike.

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• Old Faithful
  Old Faithful

  Sixty-percent of the world’s geysers are found in Yellowstone National Park, but none more famous than Old Faithful. With soaring bursts that erupt about every 90 minutes, it is one of the parks most predictable geysers. In 1870, members of an expedition team led by General Washburn were so amazed by its predictability they named it Old Faithful.

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• The Colter Bay Visitor Center
  The Colter Bay Visitor Center

  Located on the shore of Jackson Lake, the visitor center is now home to the David T. Vernon Indian artifacts collection. This exhibit celebrates Indian artwork and educates visitors on the long history of humans in Jackson Hole.

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Day 14 - Grand Teton National Park

Excursions & Entertainment

• Craig Thomas Discovery Center
  Craig Thomas Discovery Center

  Stop at this visitor center, with the Teton Mountain Range providing a beautiful backdrop. Enjoy a variety of exhibits and artwork with the interwoven themes of place, people, preservation, and mountaineering, including a collection of Native American Indian artifacts. A raised relief map of the park provides a birds-eye-view of the valley, canyons, lakes and peaks. Attend a Ranger Talk, during which you can learn more about the region and even get some stargazing tips.

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• Jenny Lake Visitors Center
  Jenny Lake Visitors Center

  This remarkable Visitor Center is housed in the historic Crandall Studio, built in the late 1920s, serving as Harrison Crandall's photography studio. Here, he sold photographs and postcards of the Teton Range as park mementos and was the park’s official photographer. Capturing the spirit of Crandall, today the Jenny Lake Visitor Center serves as an art gallery and museum, illustrating the role that art has played in the conservation of the Teton Range.

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• National Museum of Wildlife Art
  National Museum of Wildlife Art

  Built on the hillside overlooking the National Elk Refuge, the museum holdings a collection of over 5,000 artworks representing wild animals from around the world. Featuring work by prominent artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, and John James Audubon, the museum’s unsurpassed permanent collection chronicles much of the history of wildlife in art from 2500 B.C.E. to the present.

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• Jackson Lake Lodge
  Jackson Lake Lodge

  Come relax in this comfortable lodge boasting incredible views. Here, the 60-foot floor to ceiling windows frame pristine Jackson Lake and the majestic Teton Range with breathtaking vistas as far as the eye can see. The view alone is worth the visit.

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Day 15 - Jackson, WY

Excursions & Entertainment

• Continue the Journey
  Continue the Journey

  Why not stay an extra night or two to immerse yourself in the spirit of this vibrant city? Ask your onboard Hotel Manager for recommendations on area hotels, attractions, and more.

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