Nowitna River | |
Map Size: | 300 |
Pushpin Map: | USA Alaska |
Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Nowitna River in Alaska |
Subdivision Type1: | Country |
Subdivision Name1: | United States |
Subdivision Type2: | State |
Subdivision Name2: | Alaska |
Subdivision Type4: | Census Area |
Subdivision Name4: | Yukon - Koyukuk |
Length: | 250miles |
Source1: | Kuskokwim Mountains |
Source1 Coordinates: | 63.5078°N -155.5428°W |
Source1 Elevation: | 1688feet[1] |
Mouth: | Yukon River[2] |
Mouth Location: | 38miles northeast of Ruby |
Mouth Coordinates: | 64.9272°N -154.2697°W[3] |
Mouth Elevation: | 154feet |
The Nowitna River is a 250miles tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[2] The river flows northeast from the Kuskokwim Mountains through Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge and enters the larger river 38miles northeast of Ruby[2] and southwest of Tanana.[4] Major tributaries include the Titna, Big Mud, Little Mud, Lost, and Sulatna rivers.[4]
In 1980, the 225miles of the river within the wildlife refuge were designated "wild" and added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[5] The designation means that most of the Nowitna is unpolluted, free-flowing, and generally inaccessible except by trail.[6]
It is possible to run the Nowitna in many kinds of boats, including hard-shell, folding, or inflatable canoes and kayaks or inflatable rafts. Most of the river is slow-moving and meandering, rated Class I (easy) on the International Scale of River Difficulty. The exception occurs in Nowitna Canyon between Mastodon Creek and Big Mud River along the middle reaches of the Nowitna. This segment includes Class II (medium) rapids.[7]
Dangers include black bears as well as rapids. Navigating can be difficult at times because of upriver winds, especially on the lower reaches.[7]