River Discovery Boat Tours
River Discovery Tours
A new boat tour season is here!
Built in 1912 for beer tycoon Adolphus Busch, this electric-powered launch cruised Otsego Lake, the headwaters of the Susquehanna, for over a century. Today the Chief Uncas cruises the Susquehanna 400 miles downstream as the flagship for SNHA’s River Discovery Tours!
Our Boat Tour Team is looking forward to welcoming you aboard this Summer and Fall for a boat tour experience you will never forget! June through October, tours depart from the Zimmerman Center located at 1706 Long Level Road Wrightsville, PA 17368.
See below to view the River Discovery Tour Season Schedule and book your next adventure aboard the Chief Uncas!
Boat Tour Gift Cards
Reserve your seat on the Chief Uncas this summer by purchasing gift certificates!
Each gift card can be redeemed towards any trip on the Chief Uncas. Chief Uncas gift cards make the perfect gift for the ones you love! Give the gift of a boat tour experience they will never forget!
Boarding the Chief Uncas
Currently, to board the Chief Uncas passengers must navigate a staircase of 3 metal grated stairs with handrail to reach the height of the boat’s entrance. Then passengers must navigate the 3 step ladder into the boat with assistance of handrails. A crew member is outside the boat and explains how to board and is there to assist you and the captain is inside the boat doing the same. While our property is fully ADA accessible, our historic vessel is not, but we are working to increase accessibility in the future.
River Discovery Tour
SNHA staff guide 22 passengers on a 1-hour tour of the river, sharing the history of the Chief Uncas, stories of Lake Clarke’s special landscape, and the Susquehanna River’s lasting legacy! You will experience the joy of being on the water aboard a historic vessel, hear stories of the river, and view beautiful scenery and wildlife.
A great experience for all ages!
This 2024 season tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for youth (ages 5 to 17). If you are 65 or older take advantage of the senior discount by purchasing a senior ticket for $22. Children under 5 years old are $5.
Schedule your River Discovery Tour!
Sunset Cruise
Watch the Sunset over the Susquehanna!
Limited to 14 passengers, these 1.5 hour cruises offer you the chance to roam the historic Chief Uncas as it silently cruises the Susquehanna under the setting sun.
Use its original ice box to store your cold drinks and watch its vintage lights glow as evening begins aboard our elegant 110-year-old launch.
Bring aboard food and B.Y.O.B. alcoholic beverages and enjoy a relaxing evening cruise under the setting sun. Tickets cost $50 per person.
Special Themed Tours
Special Theme Tours allow you to experience different parts of the Susquehanna River and discover more stories of the region’s history and heritage! See below to view what Special Theme Tours we are offering this 2024 tour season!
Flames Across the Susquehanna Tour
Explore the Susquehanna’s Civil War history aboard the Chief Uncas! Join SNHA on a 1-hour tour of the river, learning the colorful story of the night that flames stretched across the Susquehanna as the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge burned on June 28, 1863.
Schedule your Flames Across the Susquehanna Tour!
Brews Cruise
Watch the sunset over the Susquehanna as you sample from Starview Brews local beer offerings. Each beer sample will be provided by Starview Brews. Sit back, relax, and roam the historic Chief Uncas on a 1.5 hour Brews Cruise. Choose to add one of Star Brews famous crab cakes to your experience! Tickets cost $50 per person.
Schedule your Brews Cruise Experience!
Wildlife on the Susquehanna Tour
SNHA staff guide passengers on a 1-hour tour of the river, sharing the history of the area’s natural landscape. Learn how the river and the surrounding terrain has changed over time while viewing local wildlife who call the Susquehanna home.
Crossing the Susquehanna Tour
SNHA staff guide passengers on a 1-hour tour of the river, sharing the history of how people have crossed the Susquehanna River for centuries. Learn about the Susquehannock people who crossed the river on foot and the ferry boats that took wagons of families across the river. Hear how people found freedom on the Underground railroad and the role the bridge connecting Columbia and Wrightsville played during the Civil War.
Schedule your Crossing the Susquehanna Tour!
Native Peoples of the Susquehanna Tour
Learn the Susquehanna’s Native American History! On this 1 – hour boat tour, SNHA staff will introduce you to the story of this area’s Native Peoples’ as you pass historic Native American sites.
Schedule your Native Peoples Tour!
Wild and Uncommon Susquehanna Tour
Celebrate the Horn Farm Center’s Wild & Uncommon Festival with SNHA! The Susquehanna River has been a place of sustenance for generations of local people. Fish, birds, mammals, and plants made it a great hunting spot for Native people and Europeans alike. Learn about the unique foods that have come from the river.
Schedule your Wild and Uncommon Tour!
Haunted Heritage Tour
Explore the Susquehanna’s haunted heritage aboard the Chief Uncas! SNHA staff guide passengers on a 1-hour tour of the river, sharing stories of the Susquehanna’s strange happenings, creature sightings, and wild tragedies.
Schedule your Haunted Heritage Tour!
Private Chief Uncas Experience
Request information about a Private Cruise. For more information on booking your private experience aboard the Chief Uncas please review and complete our request form so we can find the best experience for your interest and budget.
About the Chief Uncas
The Chief Uncas was built for Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the famous American beer company, to enjoy cruises at his summer estate on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY – the very headwaters of the Susquehanna River. After cruising those headwaters for 109 years, the Chief Uncas begins a new chapter in its life 400 miles downriver as Susquehanna National Heritage Area’s flagship tour boat! You can learn more about the history of the Chief Uncas here.
Support the Chief Uncas
Donations are essential to help SNHA provide boat tour experiences aboard the Chief Uncas for years to come. It is your continued interest and support that will make the Chief Uncas cruise the Susquehanna for another century! Your tax deductible donation to the Chief Uncas goes toward the maintenance, storage, and boat tour operations of our historic vessel.
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