NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Alaska

Contact Information For more information about the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Foundation Document, contact: [email protected] or (907)547-2233 or write to: Superintendent, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, P.O. Box 167, Eagle, AK 99738 Significance and Purpose Fundamental Resources and Values

Significance statementsexpress why Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit.

Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to merit primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance.

Charley River: Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve protects the environmental integrity of the Charley River, the The purpose of Yukon-Charley Rivers only designated Wild River to have its watershed protected in National Preserve is to protect the its entirety. environmental integrity of the undeveloped • Watershed Charley River basin, and to protect the • Scientific Study natural and cultural history of the upper • Wildlife Populations Yukon River corridor for public enjoyment • Charley River Recreation and scientific study. Fundamental Resources and Values

Plant and Wildlife Habitat: Yukon-Charley Rivers National History and Archeology: Yukon-Charley Rivers Preserve protects endemic plant species, fire-driven boreal National Preserve protects and interprets a rich historical, forests, and species of management concern while offering archeological, and ethnographic record of changing lifeways extraordinary opportunities for scientific research. in the upper Yukon River basin. • Unique Plant Communities • Gold Mining History • Peregrine Falcons • Exploration and Settlement • Predator – Prey Relationships • Prehistoric Archaeology • Unaltered Ecosystems • Museum Collections • Partnerships • Fire Ecosystems Human Use: Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve provides for human use and enjoyment of an historic and Geology and Paleontology: Yukon-Charley Rivers National natural landscape. Preserve is one of the few locations in the world where over • Spell of the Yukon 600 million years of the earth’s geological history is recorded • Yukon River Travelers in an uninterrupted sequence of rock and sediment. • Subsistence • Geologic Processes • Sport Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing • Paleontology • Sedimentary Rock • Research and Education Description

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve was established on During periods of low water, it may be necessary to drag December 2, 1980, under the Alaska National Interest Lands or portage a raft or kayak over shallow riffles and exposed Conservation Act (ANILCA), to maintain the environmental rocks or gravel bars. The Yukon River originates in the coastal integrity of the entire Charley River basin; to protect habitat mountains of Canada and flows 1,979 miles in a wide arc to the for, and populations of, fish and wildlife; and to protect Bering Sea. The river flows northwest through Yukon-Charley and interpret historical sites and events associated with Rivers National Preserve for 128 miles. The river is silt laden in the gold rush on the Yukon River and the geological and summer due to glacial runoff, and it is completely clear in winter paleontological history and cultural prehistory of the area. when glaciers are frozen. Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is one of the few Although there is no direct highway connection to Yukon- locations in the world where an important span of the Charley Rivers National Preserve, visitors are able to access the earth’s geologic history related to the evolution of early preserve by either air travel from Fairbanks, Alaska or water or organisms is recorded in an uninterrupted sequence of air travel from two small towns on the road system, near the fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks dating from 620 million preserve boundaries. From Eagle, visitors can enjoy a leisurely to 70 million years ago. It is an area of unglaciated valleys float down the majestic Yukon River to access the preserve. where remnant vegetation species are found and where Visitors arriving in Circle can gain access to the preserve by many of the questions about early populations in Alaska motoring 14 miles up the Yukon River in a powerboat. Another might be answered. It contains examples of nearly all of the option is to charter an air taxi from Fairbanks or Tok and fly common landforms and plant and animal communities of into the headwaters of the Charley River to challenge yourself interior Alaska; high-mountain ice fields feed cirque lakes; on the rapids of this National Wild River. rivers plunge down mountainsides and twist through wide rolling Landing strip Circle

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ik nd S Ka I N Medicine Lake A PRIVATE T N North America. Cultural resources, PROPERTY Circle Hot Springs Takoma Bluff U Landing strip O O M

E ureka P E G Cree T including the potential for evidence k k e S k re ee C Cr an Bluff rm N65° 22' 34.08" I N65 21' 01.93" de W142 30' 46.46" ° w e ° e i W143° 07' 12.01" r B r d Kandik River L k n e Slaven’s public use cabin v e A i e Kathul Mountain of early man and historic cabins and h r Roadhouse R c r C 3122ft V i B g n i Y PRIVATE 952m Cre iv r ek g e u s Public use PROPERTY k b k b n cabin o r I a e n e v h W l Ri i T n a o r i gold dredges that recall bygone eras PRIVATE t Coal Creek Dredge t E Historic a Glenn Creek PROPERTY N ic r k steam tractor public use cabin to Bush strip e is re H C N65° 17' 59.58" H PRIVATE ard Coal Creek m W142° 05' 23.65" ek a Cre Mining Camp S W PROPERTY

a L Coal Creek (restored) u s c of the fur trade and the Yukon gold l h STEESE NATIONAL k a public use k e o i n e C cabin r g N65° 12' 12.32" C B t C on o W141° 44' 17.61" r r a e n n CONSERVATION AREA e za e p Nation Bluff k p o Mount Kathryn public use cabin ch d 4305ft rush are found throughout. o o 1312m C W Mount Ernest Patty reek

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er Riv T Mount Sorenson 5611ft k A PRIVATE u in a largely untouched landscape. 1710m PRIVATE nd to Ta enty PROPERTY I Sev mile er PROPERTY Riv

N k e e k r r Seven Whether you float the mighty Yukon C o k tym Calico F e il e e Bluff t YUKON-CHARLEY RIVERS r S n d e n Arctic Dome C c o es m 5335ft Riv r ia er River or paddle the Charley River’s C NATIONAL PRESERVE D 1626m

Co Eagle pp er North Peak C BLM e re Gelvin’s bush strip it 5232ft n ek whitewater, geology, cultural history, r n io a s e r 1595m s iv G i R Cut Mountain M Eagle 6435ft Eagle Village C 1962m r Park Headquarters e e k Landing gold rush remnants, wildlife, and strip Cree er k iv ha R lc Glacier Mountain Sa y e l r Copper Mountain vast scenery will be a part of your a 6367ft h 1941m Y C u 5 UNITEDSTATES k Walcutt Mountain o 5593ft n experience. But, the strongest k 1705m CANADA R i ee v r e C T r k ayl ee et or r m C o C element will be solitude. 3 Finger Charley te bush strip Sla

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h in late May and early June. The r ive le R ymi Fo rt rk Fo boating season usually begins North To Dawson

Baldy Mountain 3767ft

rk 1148m in June, and there are generally 0 10 Kilometers 20 Fo

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y le a d hw Authorized National id ig sufficient flows to accommodate M H Jack Wade Junction Preserve boundary Unpaved road Public campground r For lo o k Walker Fork y uit Ta Respect private property within the preserve. Con- sq Mo 9 rights and obtain per- tact park headquarters for To hway mission before entering information on the location p o Hig small boats through August. the more than 300,000 of private lands within the f the World acres of nonfederal lands preserve. To Tok Chicken 5 60mi Boundary 96km