Nenana River

About

From Cantwell to the Tanana confluence, the Nenana River drops 140 miles through Alaska's Interior, serving as the primary drainage for Denali National Park's north face. At 4,200 CFS average, the river runs big water through distinct sections: the upper 50 miles from Cantwell to McKinley Village offer Class II scenic floating, while the famous Nenana Canyon near Healy compresses into 10 miles of Class IV drops that support commercial rafting operations like Denali Raft Adventures and Nenana Raft Adventures. Below Healy, the lower 80 miles ease back to Class II as the river spreads toward its confluence with the Tanana. Optimal flows run 3,000-15,000 CFS on USGS gauge 15518040. The Ahtna and Tanana Athabascan peoples used this corridor as a major travel route before the Alaska Railroad bridged the river at Healy in 1923 with the Mears Memorial Bridge. Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains it as a Recreational River, and the upper reaches flow along the Denali National Park boundary.