Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Encompassing 2.5 million acres of land along the Canadian border in east-central Alaska, the parkland contains numerous rustic cabins and historic sites that serve as reminders of the importance of the Yukon River during the 1898 gold rush.
Tips for Visitors • Stop by the visitor center in Eagle to plan your trip.
• Float the Charley or paddle the Yukon, as there are no roads to travel.
• Explore the park’s historic roadhouses, mining cabins, and Coal Creek Dredge.
• Stay overnight at one of the park’s six public use cabins, easily accessed from the Yukon River.
Natural Highlights
• Home to the largest nesting habitat of American peregrine falcons in all of North America.
• The preserve protects 115 miles of the Yukon River and the entire Charley River basin, a 100-mile-long National Wild River.
Historical Highlight
The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1897 brought miners from around the world to the region. Frank Slaven first staked a claim on Coal Creek in 1905 and built Slaven’s Roadhouse in 1932 to accommodate travelers plying the Yukon. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been fully restored and is now used as a visitor center and public facility.
Cultural Highlight Native groups in the area all had names for the mighty river that flowed through the land. Yukon means “great river” in Gwich’in and “large stream” in Yupik.
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