Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
| Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
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The Charley River where it joins the larger Yukon
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| Location | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USA |
| Nearest city | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 65°00′N 143°30′W / 65.000°N 143.500°WCoordinates: 65°00′N 143°30′W / 65.000°N 143.500°W |
| Area | 2,525,512 acres (10,220.38 km2) |
| Created | December 1, 1978 |
| Visitors | 1,393 (in 2012) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve |
Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve is a United States national park and preserve located in east central Alaska along the border with Canada. Managed by the National Park Service, the preserve encompasses 115 miles (185 km) of the 1,800-mile (3,000 km) Yukon River and the entire Charley River basin. The preserve protects the undeveloped Charley River and a significant portion of the upper Yukon. The interior Alaskan region experiences extremes of weather, with temperatures that can vary from −50 °F (−46 °C) in winter to 97 °F (36 °C) in summertime. The Yukon provided a means of access to the region, which is entirely roadless, during the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. Gold rushes in Alaska brought prospectors, who operated gold dredges to recover significant quantities of placer gold from area creeks. Today the preserve includes part of the route of the annual Yukon Quest dogsled race, which runs every February. During the summer float trips are popular on the Yukon and Charley Rivers.
No roads access Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve. The closest approaches by road are to the village of Eagle, upstream on the Yukon to the southeast of the preserve, on the Taylor Highway, and via the Steese Highway to Circle, downstream on the Yukon to the northwest of the preserve. Access from those points to the preserve is usually by air taxi or boat.
The northern part of the preserve includes a portion of the Yukon River valley, which runs from east to west after entering Alaska from Canada near Eagle. The southern portion of the preserve includes the entire drainage of the Charley River, one of the Yukon's tributaries. The preserve adjoins Steese National Conservation Area to the west. The Charley River is designated a National Wild and Scenic River, largely undisturbed by people. The preserve and the Yukon valley lie between the Brooks Range to the north and the Alaska Range to the south. The highest elevations in the preserve are about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in the headwaters of the Charley River, ranging to abuit 600 feet (180 m) where the Yukon leaves the preserve.
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Wikipedia