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The Preserve is open year round. The field office in Eagle is open 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., from mid-May to mid-September. From mid-September to mid-May the Eagle field office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Fairbanks office is open all year, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Visitor Center at the Eagle Field Office offers exhibits depicting the area, history, and ecology of Yukon-Charley Rivers. Visitors can enjoy a short video presentation on the preserve as well as area specific videos during normal visitor hours. Scheduled nature hikes, talks, and campfire programs are posted at the Visitor Center.

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is located on the US-Canadian border and comprises 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of Alaskan wilderness. The preserve includes nearly 160 miles of the Yukon River and the entire 1.1 million acres (0.45 hectares) of the Charley River drainage.

In Alaskan and Yukon history, the best known period of mining history is the great Klondike Gold Rush which took place in 1898. By the time the thousands of prospectors landed at Dawson City in the Yukon Territory they found all the valuable ground staked. Consequently, many of them either returned to their homes empty-handed or fanned out into the surrounding country hoping to find new areas where they could make their fortunes. Many continued down the Yukon River to the already established Fortymile mining district and some further on to the Eagle district. Approximately 150 miles further down the river lay the town of Circle, the heart of the Circle district.

Although the strikes in the Klondike are the best known, previous discoveries were made and production began in tributaries along the upper Yukon in the mid-1880s with discoveries along the Fortymile River. Following these, in 1893, two Creoles, named Pitka and Sorresca made additional discoveries in what later became the Circle Mining District. Their initial discoveries were somewhere on Birch Creek. News of the discovery started an influx of prospectors into the area and in the following spring (1894) discovery of the placers on Mastodon Creek. As prospectors continued to probe the drainages surrounding Birch and Mastodon Creeks, gold was also discovered on Independence, Miller, Deadwood, and Boulder Creeks all within what eventually became the Circle mining district.

In 1895, gold was found on Eagle Creek with discoveries made on Harrison and Porcupine Creeks later that winter. By 1896, active mining was taking place on all the principle streams in the Circle District. Although many other streams in the District would be mined as commercial placers, it is an interesting fact to realize that the Birch Creek and Mastodon Creek discoveries occurred well before those of the Canadian Yukon that sparked the great Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.

Mining activity within Yukon-Charley Rivers primarily focused on Coal Creek, Woodchopper Creek, Ben and Sam Creeks, Fourth of July Creek. The Seventymile River, just outside the preserve’s eastern and southern boundaries also saw significant mining activity. A number of individuals are significant in the history of mining within Yukon-Charley National Preserve. Among them are Samuel Downs Harvey, John Holmstrum, Frank Rossbach, Jack and Kate Welch, Frank Slaven, Martin Adamik, and Phil Berail. It is also a common misconception that mining is a male oriented and dominated industry. That was not the case for Yukon-Charley Rivers. The role played by women on the creeks is fascinating. Some actually had a more significant part than did the men. Some of their backgrounds are quite surprising as well.

Gold mining continued to develop throughout the region between Circle and Dawson. Three main areas within the Circle District account for the vast majority of gold produced here. Among these were Mastodon Creek, Deadwood Creek, along with the combined drainages of Woodchopper Creek and Coal Creek (each in addition to the various tributaries and minor streams in their general vicinity). The Coal Creek area includes Ben Creek, Sam Creek and Woodchopper Creek as well as their tributaries.

The earliest claims in the vicinity date to November 1901 when D.T. Noonan staked claim to the Gertrude Bench on Coal Creek. Two weeks later, ten additional claims were staked on both Coal Creek and Woodchopper Creek by men including a Swede by the name of John Holmstrum who first came to Alaska in 1898. Over the next 50 years, 565 claims would be staked or re-staked between the two creeks.

For thirty five years, following the first claims, the placers on Coal Creek and Woodchopper were mined by hand, using simple techniques shafts and drifts outlined above. In 1934 however, things changed dramatically when General Alexander Duncan McRae and Dr. Ernest Patty organized Gold Placers Incorporated and began developing the properties on Coal Creek for a dredging operation. In 1935, the Coal Creek Dredge was assembled, going into production in July. Also in 1935, upon Patty’s recommendation, the operation expanded into Woodchopper Creek with the organization of Alluvial Golds Incorporated, also owned by McRae and managed by Patty. The Woodchopper Dredge went into operation in 1936. Over the next 25 years, the two dredges recovered $6,335,190.93 in gold and silver from the two creeks. Gold Placers Inc. shut down their operations on Coal Creek in 1957 focusing their attention on Woodchopper Creek until 1960 when that dredge shut down effectively ending the dredging era in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. The shut down of the Woodchopper dredge brought a close to the significant mining era in Yukon-Charley.

Several individuals from the Fairbanks area acquired the claims on Coal Creek and Woodchopper Creek in the mid-1960s. These included Dan Coben and Dr. Ernest Wolff who purchased the Coal Creek claims subsequently selling them to William Lomerson of Texas. Under Lomerson’s management, the Coal Creek Dredge was operated to a very limited degree and shut down for the last time in 1977. Lomerson in turn sold the claims to the National Parks Conservation Association in the early 1980s. The NPCA then donated the land to the National Park Service.

In the early 1970s, Joe Vogler, an active personality on the Alaska political scene, bought the Woodchopper claims from Alluvial Golds. Following his murder in 1993, the claims are now controlled by the Vogler Estate.

Today, the villages of Eagle and Circle lie just outside the preserve boundaries on either end of the Yukon. Both communities figured prominently in early Alaska history as focuses of major gold mining activities. In fact, the Circle City Rush predates the Klondike Gold Rush by nearly five years and at one time, Circle City was known as the “Paris of the North” and held the prestige of being the largest log cabin town in the world. Although the strikes in the Klondike are the best known, previous discoveries were made and production began in tributaries along the upper Yukon in the mid-1880s with discoveries along the Fortymile River. Following these, in 1893, two Creoles, named Pitka and Sorresca made additional discoveries in what later became the Circle Mining District. Their initial discoveries were somewhere on Birch Creek. News of the discovery started an influx of prospectors into the area and in the following spring (1894) discovery of the placers on Mastodon Creek. As prospectors continued to probe the drainages surrounding Birch and Mastodon Creeks, gold was also discovered on Independence, Miller, Deadwood, and Boulder Creeks all within what eventually became the Circle mining district. In 1895, gold was found on Eagle Creek with discoveries made on Harrison and Porcupine Creeks later that winter. By 1896, active mining was taking place on all the principle streams in the Circle District. The streams on the south side of the Yukon are also the source of a great deal of placer deposited gold. Creeks such as Coal Creek, Woodchopper Creek, Ben Creek, Sam Creek and Fourth of July Creek all supported gold mining efforts in the early- to mid-twentieth centuries.

Eagle, Alaska was founded in 1897, reportedly by a disgruntled prospector from Dawson in an attempt to break way from the law abiding atmosphere maintained by the Northwest Canadian Mounted Police (now called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or “Mounties”). Today, Eagle boasts a population of around 125 people. It has several small stores, a restaurant, a motel and a number of bed-and-breakfasts. The Eagle Historical Society and Museums Association maintain the largest museum (based on actual area covered) in the state. It is housed in five separate buildings. Eagle, Alaska was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Eagle is reached via the Taylor Highway 165 miles from Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway or via a combination of the Top of the World Highway to the Taylor Highway if you are coming from Dawson City in the Yukon.

Millions of years ago, two crustal plates shifted along the Tintina Fault causing super-heated water to carry readily soluble mineral, including gold and silica, toward the surface. As the water cooled in a myriad of cracks formed in the fault zone, silica precipitated out forming quartz. Impurities such as gold trapped in the quartz concentrated as well.

Pockets of gold existed in the rock around the fault zone until erosional forces tore the gold from the quartz’ grip and sent it tumbling down mountain streams. As the gold churned with other rocks it gradually settled to the bottom. Placer mining has been the method used for recovering this gold since prior to the Klondike Gold Rush.

The Tintina Fault divides the preserve into two distinct geologic areas. The Tintina Fault is a strike-slip fault that runs parallel to the Yukon River corridor six to twelve miles south of the river. This fault is one of the great fault systems in western North America, extending 600 miles from northeastern British Columbia into Alaska.

Northeast of the Tintina Fault, the greatest bedrock diversity occurs in a triangle formed by the Nation and Yukon Rivers and the Canadian border. This triangular area is the only portion of east-central Alaska thought to be part of the original North American plate and it comprises a sequence of unmetamorphosed sediments (Precambrian, Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and Mississippian periods). These sedimentary rocks were once part of a continental margin and contain an outstanding record of marine faunal evolution that includes ammonites, trilobites, brachiopods, and corals. The oldest known microfossils from northwestern North America are also found in this triangular area.

The area southwest of the Tintina Fault is a sequence of complex igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic rocks. These were probably metamorphosed and reformed when several small plates collided to form Alaska during the Cretaceous period.

The rocks north of the Yukon and overlying the Tintina Fault record in almost unbroken succession the history of the area from about 800 million years ago to the Cenozoic Era – about 40 million years ago – an incredible and perhaps unparalleled 760 million years.

The two most striking features of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve are its two namesakes, the Yukon and Charley Rivers. The Yukon River traverses the preserve from east to west for approximately 145 miles of the river’s total 1800 mile length between Eagle on the eastern end and Circle on the western. Historically the river served as a transportation corridor for indigenous peoples, and later, into the nineteenth century for sternwheelers carrying the hopeful gold seekers first to the Klondike, then down river to Nome, and later throughout interior Alaska. Heading at approximately 4,000 feet elevation, the Charley River empties into the Yukon at only 700 feet above sea level. The preserve encompasses not only the entire 106 river miles of the Charley, but also its entire 1.1 million acre watershed. The preserve is bounded on the south by the Mertie Mountains with the Ogilvie Mountains in Canada to the northeast.

Other significant rivers within the preserve include the Tatonduk, Nation and Kandik Rivers all entering the Yukon from the north while the Charley enters from the south. The streams on the south side of the Yukon are also the source of a great deal of placer deposited gold. Creeks such as Coal Creek, Woodchopper Creek, Ben Creek, Sam Creek and Fourth of July Creek all supported gold mining efforts in the early- to mid-twentieth centuries.

Taiga, or boreal forest, reaches it’s northern limit at about latitude 67° 30′ N, which is just north of Yukon-Charley. This extensive forest thins into scattered stands of spruce mixed with hardwoods that follow the river valleys into the mountains to an elevation of about 2,100 feet. This spruce-hardwood forest takes two forms. White spruce usually in association with scattered birch or aspen is commonly found on moderate south-facing slopes. Heaths, such as bearberry, crowberry, Labrador tea, blueberry and cranberry are common as are willows. Lichens and mosses cover the forest floor along with a variety of herbs. Some large, pure stands of white spruce occur along rivers such as the Kandik, Nation and Charley.

Alpine tundra communities occur in mountainous areas and along well-drained rocky ridges. The soils tend to be coarse, rocky and dry. A community of low, mat-forming heather vegetation is characteristic of much of the area. Exposed outcrops of talus sustain sparse islands of cushion plants, such as moss campion and saxifrage, interspersed with lichens. The low-growth forms of these plants protect them from snow and sand abrasion in the windswept environment. Other important plants include dryas, willows, heather, lichens and especially reindeer lichens. Grasses, sedges and herbs are also present.

Moist tundra is found in the foothills and in pockets of moderately drained soils on hillsides and along river valleys. Cotton grass tussocks, 6-10 inches high, predominate in these areas. Tussocks form as a cotton grass clump, which grows, then dies back each year, accumulating dead leaves that decompose slowly in cold temperatures. Moses and lichens grow in the moist channels between the tussocks. Other plants include grasses, small shrubs (dwarf birch, willow and Labrador tea).

A number of species of fish are found within the preserve. These include arctic grayling, northern pike, and several species of salmon that make their annual migration up the Yukon River to spawn. Fishing is relatively poor on the Yukon due to the very silty water. The Yukon River is a brown, silt-laden river in the summer. Therefore, anglers will find the best fishing areas are at the mouths of or up the clear-flowing tributaries of the Yukon. Tributaries are good sources for arctic grayling, northern pike, sheefish, burbot, and whitefish. Other species found in this area, but rarely caught are arctic lamprey, least cisco, arctic cisco, Dolly Varden, lake chub, longnose suckers, and slimy sculpin.

Historically the Yukon River has been used as a major transportation route in both summer and winter. Today, rafting, kayaking and canoeing are popular on the Yukon River. The river is silt laden in summer due to glacial runoff, and it is completely clear in winter when glaciers are frozen. As the river enters the preserve near Eagle, it flows across a narrow floodplain flanked by high bluffs and heavily forested hills. The bluffs become less prominent as the river leaves the preserve near Circle. Many people start in Eagle and end in Circle, either arranging to be picked up, or to be flown back to Eagle. Longer trips, from Dawson or Whitehorse to the lower Yukon or even the Bering Sea, are also popular ways of traveling the Yukon through the preserve.

The journey from Eagle to Circle is 158 miles long with most visitors traveling from late May through September. The Yukon River flows at an average speed of 5 to 8 miles per hour. Trip length varies depending on weather conditions, type of boat, and whether visitors continually float during long daylight hours or if they stop to camp and explore. Visitors who float approximately 30 miles a day and camp each night usually take around 5 days to reach Circle. Extra supplies should always be taken in case trip time is extended due to weather or other unplanned events.

The Charley River is a cold, clear, intermediate free-flowing stream. Maximum stream flow occurs in late May and early June. The boating season usually begins in June, and there are generally sufficient flows to accommodate small boats through August. During periods of low water, it may be necessary to drag or portage a raft or kayak over shallow riffles and exposed rocks or gravel bars. The Charley River flows from its headwaters at approximately 4,000 feet elevation to its confluence with the Yukon at about 700 feet. With an average gradient of 31 feet per mile, the upper two-thirds of the river provides a challenging white water experience. When water levels are lower, maneuvering becomes a constant necessity, and some rapids require scouting to determine the best channel. Most of the Charley is rated as class II (intermediate) water on the international scale of river difficulty, with limited areas rated as class III (more difficult). During periods of high water on the upper sections of the Charley, boaters can encounter class IV rapids. Extra caution should always be exercised during these less common conditions. Inflatable rafts are recommended due to the difficulty maneuvering through boulder laden areas and because they are easily transported by air. Kayaks, open canoes or other vessels are not recommended. Visitors are urged to evaluate their level of experience before considering vessels other than rafts.

Most visitors to the Charley River charter a flight from Fairbanks, Circle, or Tok to the headwaters of the Charley, float downriver to the Yukon, and take out at Circle. Average float time from the headwaters of the Charley at Gelvin’s airstrip to the Yukon River (approximately 75 miles) is six days. An additional two days are needed to float the Yukon River to Circle (a distance of 70 miles). There are no rapids on this section of the Yukon. The Charley River basin (designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic River system) is managed as a wilderness area. The 1.1 million acres encompassed by this region are representative of un-disturbed ecosystems of Interior Alaska.

The Fortymile River, although not within Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. The river is well-known for excellent whitewater boating opportunities and good road access. The Fortymile and its many branches run across land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), through the Yukon Territory and into the Yukon River upstream from Eagle. Popular trips begin at any of the Fortymile crossings of the Taylor Highway and end at Eagle.

There are no roads into the preserve and most trails are used only in the winter. There are no maintained trails in the preserve. Game trails and some old mining trails provide limited hiking opportunities. Most people find summer hiking best above timberline (3000′ – 3500′) because of fewer insects, less brush, improved vistas and less chance of surprising bears.

Hunting is permitted in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. However, you must follow state and federal hunting regulations. Yukon-Charley contains three game management subunits, 20E, 25B, and 25C. Each game management subunit could have different season lengths and bag limits, so it is important to be familiar with the regulations for the species that you are pursuing. The preserve contains areas of private land and Native corporation land where hunting is only allowed with the permission of the land owner. Hunters must also be careful not to inadvertently cross the international border between the United States and Canada. Contact Yukon-Charley staff for land status and boundary questions. Most hunters access the Yukon-Charley by driving to Eagle or Circle and boating into the preserve on the Yukon River. The majority of hunting camps are along the Yukon River where access is easier and visibility along the river is less restrictive. A few hunters fly and land in the preserve, and some float the Charley River by raft.

Jet boats have been the preferred mode of transportation by many hunters accessing the Kandik, Nation, Tatonduk, and lower Charley Rivers. Water levels on all of these rivers are extremely variable from year to year, but they are usually quite low by September. Water levels on the smaller rivers can drop quickly as the temperatures in the higher elevations of the drainage approach freezing. Traveling by jet boat on these narrow and winding rivers can be extremely challenging even for the seasoned veteran.

An annual average of 20,000 acres burns each year at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, and nearly all fire ignition sources are natural starts. The preserve encompasses over 2.5 million acres, 95% of which is managed as a Limited Management Option. While human life and specific resources are protected, fires that start on these designated lands are not aggressively attacked but allowed to burn so that fire continues to play its natural role as a dynamic natural process within this fire dependent ecosystem.

Geographic and climatic factors at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve enable wildland fire to ignite and burn. The preserve lies within an interior basin, surrounded by mountains to the north and south. This area experiences high lightning occurrence, low precipitation and high temperatures in the summer months. Wildland fire has been an inextricable component of this ecosystem for thousands of years.

As visitors travel the Yukon and Charley Rivers, the two main thoroughfares, they witness a history of fire on the landscape, burned and unburned islands of vegetation, a fire mosaic. The aspen and birch reveal recent burns while spruce indicates a lack of fire activity for 200-300 years. Without the routine occurrence of fire, organic matter accumulates, the permafrost table rises, and ecosystem productivity declines. Vegetation communities, wildlife habitat, and wildlife become less diverse. Fire, the agent of change, removes some of the insulating organic matter, elicits a warming of the soil, and maintains and rejuvenates these systems.

Weather can often be extreme, with winter bringing temperatures to minus 60 degrees F, while summer can bring temperatures to 90 degrees F. Summer thunderstorms are common, and high winds can produce whitecaps on the Yukon. Self- sufficiency in all respects must be the guiding rule. Quality clothing that can be layered, sturdy camping and rain gear and good insect repellent are essential.

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There are no commercial facilities of any kind located within the preserve. Visitors should always carry all necessary supplies with them whether boating, camping or backpacking. Float times vary depending upon weather and water conditions. The Eagle Visitor Center personnel will be happy to file a backcountry hiking plan for you to help add to the level of security for your trip but, always remember that in the backcountry, you must be self sufficient. Carry plenty of water. Satellite phones and GPS units are often quite helpful in the backcountry. Safe storage of food supplies will deter wildlife advances and protect visitors from unnecessary loss of food and equipment. It is advisable for a good backpacking list to bring a tent with rainfly (if not staying in one of the cabins), repair kit, backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, compass, topographical map, signal mirror and/or whistle, water filtering system or tablets, collapsible water container, 1-2 quart water bottle, food, bear-proof container, flashlight with extra batteries and bulb, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, campstove, waterproof matches, magnesium fire starter, tightly sealed emergency rations, cooking pots and utensils, GPS, extra clothes and socks, garbage bags to carry out trash or protect your things from water, first aid kit and extra medications, two-way radio, and/or personal ELT.

The land on either side of the Yukon River between Calico Bluff, near Eagle, and just below the mouth of the Tatonduk River is privately owned. Hungwitchin Native Corporation asks that visitors refrain from camping along this 16 mile section of their lands.

Visitors are urged to exercise caution when floating the rivers in the preserve. Variable weather conditions and water levels can create unexpected hazards. Water temperatures are consistently low, even in the summer, posing a severe hazard of hypothermia. Life jackets are a minimum safety precaution and should be worn at all times while on the water. Helmets are recommended. Rivers are dynamic systems, and their routes may not always follow the course on river maps. Ranger patrols on the Charley River are infrequent at best. Visitors must be safety conscious, well prepared, and self-sufficient. Although permits are not required for floating the Charley River, it is strongly recommended that visitors file a voluntary float plan and notification of trip completion. To file a float plan, contact the Eagle field office or visitor center (907) 547-2233. Most visitors to the Charley River charter a flight from Fairbanks, Circle, or Tok to the headwaters of the Charley, float downriver to the Yukon, and take out at Circle. Average float time from the headwaters of the Charley at Gelvin’s airstrip to the Yukon River (approximately 75 miles) is six days. An additional two to three days are needed to float the Yukon River to Circle (a distance of 70 miles). There are no rapids on this section of the Yukon. Personal watercraft such as jet skis are not allowed.

There is no direct road access into the Charley River basin. The region surrounding the Charley River basin is accessible, however, by the Taylor and Steese highways, which terminate at Eagle and Circle respectively. Access to the river is gained either by boat (running and lining up-river from the Yukon) or by aircraft. Fixed wing aircraft with short takeoff and landing capabilities can land on primitive, unmaintained gravel airstrips at Gelvin’s, Three Fingers, or Joseph. The most popular airstrip is Gelvin’s, located in the upper portion of the Charley just above Copper Creek. Visitors beginning at Three Fingers or Joseph run a high risk of forced portaging or dragging boats.

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is one of those famous places that “you can’t drive there from here.” But you can get close. Two highways serve towns near the preserve boundaries. Driving to Eagle, Alaska along the 161-mile Taylor Highway begins at Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway and ends on the bank of the Yukon River, 10 miles upstream from the preserve. The Steese Highway begins in Fairbanks and travels 162 miles to Circle, 14 miles downstream from the preserve boundary. Check locally about road conditions before setting out and always bring sufficient emergency gear with you. It is recommended that you carry warm clothing, a first aid kit, food, water and two spare tires, just in case. No emergency kit is complete without the Alaskan’s favorite fix-all, a roll of duct tape.

Most visitors to the Charley River charter a flight from Fairbanks, Circle, or Tok to the headwaters of the Charley, float downriver to the Yukon, and take out at Circle. Average float time from the headwaters of the Charley at Gelvin’s airstrip to the Yukon River (approximately 75 miles) is six days. An additional two to three days are needed to float the Yukon River to Circle (a distance of 70 miles). There are no rapids on this section of the Yukon.

The Charley River basin (designated as a National Wild and Scenic River) is managed primarily as a wilderness area. The 1.1 million acres encompassed by this region are representative of some of the little-disturbed ecosystems of Interior Alaska. Local plants and wildlife are the full-time residents of this area and should be treated with respect. Peregrine falcon eyries may be encountered along the narrower sections of the river and should be avoided. Visitors are encouraged to practice minimum impact camping guidelines.

Due to low moose densities, the hunter success rate is usually less than 20%. Hunting regulations are enforced by National Park Service Rangers and Alaska Fish and Wildlife Protection Troopers. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also conduct hunting patrols along the international border. For more information contact: Alaska Department of Fish and Game (800) 478-2376; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (800) 478-1456; or Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (907) 547-2234.

Sport and subsistence fishing are permitted in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. However, you must follow state and federal fishing regulations. For regulation booklets and general information, visit, call, go online, or write to state and federal agency offices.

For state regulations, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game homepage at www.state.ak.us/adfg/adfghome.htm. Sport fishing licenses may be purchased at a local license vendor in Eagle, by mail from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, P.O. Box 25525, Juneau, AK 99802-5525, or online. For more information call toll free (877) 9FISHAK.

Alaska residents may subsistence fish in Yukon-Charley for customary and traditional uses. Salmon are primarily harvested using gillnets and fish wheels. Spawning populations of chinook (king) and chum salmon in the upper Yukon River have declined in recent years, and subsistence fishing was closed by emergency order for most of the 2000 season. A permit is required for subsistence fishing on this section of the Yukon River and must be obtained from and returned to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game with catch information after permit expiration. For a subsistence permit, write to Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries, 1300 College Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99701, or call (907) 459-7274. For federal subsistence fishery regulations visit their website, write to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, 3601 C Street, Suite 1030, Anchorage, AK 99503, or call (800) 478-1456.

Within Yukon-Charley National Preserve’s 2.5 million acres are many examples of Alaskan fauna. These run the gamut from microscopic invertebrates to charismatic mega fauna such as wolves, Grizzly and Black bears, sheep, caribou and moose. During the summer of 2000 even a solitary wayward muskox was spotted several times along the Yukon River hundreds of miles from its normal range. Yukon-Charley is home to a number of wolf packs. Although rarely seen, these beautiful animals range throughout the preserve and into the Fortymile area to the south. Moose populations in the eastern interior are considered by biologists to be low, approximately one moose per four square miles. Within the preserve there is the highest nesting density of peregrine falcons in North America. Many birds spend their summers in the area before flying south to winter in South America.

A number of species of fish are found within the preserve. These include arctic grayling, northern pike, and several species of salmon that make their annual migration up the Yukon River to spawn. Tributaries are good sources for arctic grayling, northern pike, sheefish, burbot, and whitefish. Other species found in this area, but rarely caught are arctic lamprey, least cisco, arctic cisco, Dolly Varden, lake chub, longnose suckers, and slimy sculpin.

There are black bears and grizzlies present as well as moose. See Wildlife Precautions page for further information on animal encounters.

There are no fees for this preserve.

Backcountry camping is permitted on any federally owned land within the preserve. Select a durable surface for your campsite. Gravel bars are recommended as campsites because they are breezy, discouraging insects and also provide a good view of potential animal encounters such as bears. Make sure to camp above water level in case the river rises. Bring what you need. Do not trench for tents or cut branches for beds. Use lighter soled camp shoes to lessen your impact. Keep all food, and trash and petroleum items in the cooking area. Please practice low impact camping techniques and leave camping sites free of refuse. Pack everything out and leave no garbage. Before you leave make every effort to return the campsite to a natural appearance.

The National Park Service maintains a number of public-use cabins located on the Yukon. These can be found at Nation Bluff, Glenn Creek, Washington Creek, the Kandik River and Coal Creek. They are all rich with history about the enterprising men that built them. It is a tradition in the northland that when a traveler is in need of shelter and warmth while traveling they can make use of any cabin they come across. It is expected however that they leave the cabin in the same condition, if not better then when they found it and that they fill the firewood box and leave the fixings for a fire near the stove. They are available at no cost on a first come, first served basis. However be aware that if others arrive you may have company, particularly in emergency situations.

Campgrounds and waysides operated by the Bureau of Land Management are located along the Taylor and Steese Highways. Both Eagle and Circle have small campgrounds located in or near the community.

Scheduled air taxis from Fairbanks serve Eagle and Circle, located up river and down river of the preserve, respectively.

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is primarily a wilderness. There is no road access. Two highways serve towns near the Preserve boundaries. The 161-mile Taylor Highway begins at Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway and ends at Eagle, 12 miles from the preserve. It is usually open from mid-April to mid-October and is suitable for cars, trucks and RVs. The Steese Highway is open year round. It begins in Fairbanks and travels 162 miles to Circle, 14 miles from the preserve. In good weather it takes about five hours to drive either of these gravel roads. Check locally about road conditions before setting out.

Eagle Ranger Station (Field Office), P.O. Box 167, Eagle, AK 99738
- or – National Park Service ( Fairbanks Hqrts), 201 First Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701

Visitor Information (907) 547-2233 (EAA)

Visitor Information (907) 547-2234 (EAA)

Headquarters (907) 457-5752 (FAI)

Fax (907) 547-2247

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