Tanana River

The Tanana is a big river.

It is in Alaska. It flows into the Yukon River.

The river's name means "trail river." It flows past the Alaska Range. It also flows near the city of Fairbanks.

In winter, the river gets very thick ice.

People play a fun game in Nenana. They guess the day the ice melts.

Some people find gold in the river area. They also grow food in the valley.

It is a very large and wild place.

The Tanana River is in Alaska. It flows into the Yukon River. The name means "trail river."

This river flows past the Alaska Range. It goes through a marsh area called the Tanana Valley. The river flows south of the city of Fairbanks. Many smaller rivers join the Tanana here. One is the Nenana River. Another is the Kantishna River.

In winter, thick ice forms on the water.

People play a game in the town of Nenana. It is called the Nenana Ice Classic. People pay to guess when the ice will melt. This game helps local charities.

People have lived near the river for a long time. Some lived there 12,000 years ago. The Tanana tribe has been there for 1,200 years. Today, many parts of the area are wild. People in Fairbanks mine for gold. They also grow food in the valley. A large pipeline also crosses the river.

The Tanana River is a major river in the state of Alaska. It is a tributary of the Yukon River. This means it flows into the Yukon to join it. The name of the river comes from the Koyukon people. To them, the name means "trail river." An explorer named William Dall gave it a different name. He called it the "River of Mountains."

The river starts at the meeting of two other rivers. These are the Chisana and the Nabesna rivers. It flows in a northwest direction near the Yukon Territory. The river runs along the northern slope of the Alaska Range. It also flows near the Alaska Highway. In the middle of the state, it enters the Tanana Valley. This area is a lowland marsh region. The river passes south of the city of Fairbanks.

People have lived in this area for a very long time. Evidence shows people lived here over 12,000 years ago. The Tanana tribe has lived in this region for 1,200 years. In 1885, Lieutenant Henry Tureman Allen explored the river. He wanted to find a path through Alaska to the Yukon River. His team spent five months mapping several different rivers. This included the Copper, Tanana, and Koyukuk rivers.

Winter brings thick ice to the river near the town of Nenana. This leads to a famous annual game called the Nenana Ice Classic. It started in 1917 to help local charities. People pay three dollars to guess when the ice will break up. A tripod is placed in the ice during the fall. It is connected to a clock on the shore. The clock stops when the ice begins to move in the spring. The break-up date can happen anywhere from April 20 to May 20.

Many things happen in the Tanana River basin today. In 2019, Fairbanks had about 100,000 residents. People there mine for gold in the area. They also do some farming in the valley. A huge pipeline also crosses the river near Delta Junction. Most of the river basin is still wild land. It remains mostly unchanged by human activity. This makes it a very special part of the Alaskan landscape.

The Tanana River is a major tributary of the Yukon River. It is located in the U.S. state of Alaska. A tributary is a smaller river that flows into a larger one. The name of this river has different meanings depending on the source. Linguist William Bright noted the name comes from the Koyukon Athabaskan language. In that language, it means "trail river." However, the explorer William Dall translated the name differently. He called it the "River of Mountains."

The river begins at a specific meeting point of other waters. Its headwaters are at the confluence of the Chisana and Nabesna rivers. This location is just north of Northway in eastern Alaska. From there, the Tanana flows in a northwest direction. It stays near the border of the Yukon Territory. The river runs along the northern slope of the Alaska Range. It also runs roughly parallel to the Alaska Highway.

As the river moves through central Alaska, the landscape changes. It enters a lowland marsh region called the Tanana Valley. This valley is a wide, wet area. The river passes to the south of the city of Fairbanks. Many large tributaries join the Tanana in these marsh regions. The Nenana River joins it near the city of Nenana. The Kantishna River is another significant tributary. The river eventually passes the village of Manley Hot Springs. It finally empties into the Yukon River near the town of Tanana.

Human history in this watershed is very old. People have lived in the Yukon basin for more than 12,000 years. Scientists have found sites showing occupation by Paleo-Arctic people. Later, the Tanana tribe established a presence in the region. They have lived there for 1,200 years. In the late 1800s, explorers began mapping the area. Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka entered the Yukon watershed via Canada in 1883. In 1885, Lieutenant Henry Tureman Allen led the first recorded exploration of the Tanana. His goal was to find an all-Alaska route to the Yukon. His party spent five months mapping the Copper, Tanana, and Koyukuk rivers.

The river is also famous for its winter ice. In the winter, ice accumulates on the river. Near Nenana, the ice reaches a high average maximum thickness. This ice leads to a unique tradition called the Nenana Ice Classic. This event began in 1917 as a guessing game. People pay $3.00 to guess the exact date and minute of the spring ice break-up. To track this, a tripod is planted in the ice in October or November. The tripod is connected to a clock on the shore. When the spring thaw causes the ice to move, the tripod moves too. This stops the clock. The break-up date usually falls between April 20 and May 20.

The Nenana Ice Classic serves as a fundraiser for local charities. It has awarded very large prizes over the years. In 2010, three winners split a jackpot of $279,030. In 2012, the record prize reached $350,000. Today, the Tanana River basin remains largely wilderness. Much of it is unchanged by human activity. However, some areas are busy with industry. Fairbanks is a metropolitan area with about 100,000 residents as of 2019. The region is a center for placer gold mining. This type of mining has continued in the basin since the mid-19th century. Some limited farming also happens in the valley near Fairbanks.

Modern infrastructure also interacts with the river. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline crosses beneath several rivers in the area. It uses a specific pipeline bridge to cross the Tanana just north of Delta Junction. While the area is mostly wild, people continue to use the river and its valley for travel and work. The river remains a vital part of the Alaskan geography and its history.