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The Upper Chatanika River State Recreation Site offers convenient river access for kayakers, canoeists, and small boaters on the Chatanika River. Located at mile 39 of the Steese Highway near Fairbanks, this site provides a boat ramp for launching onto the river. The Chatanika River is a Class I, clear-water stream suitable for novice to intermediate paddlers.
The recreation area has a campground with 24 wooded sites, as well as a picnic area and public use cabin that can be reserved in advance. While the site is not ADA-accessible, it does provide a road leading directly from the camping area down to the river's edge, making it relatively easy to access the water. Boaters and paddlers can use this as a starting point to explore the 28-mile Chatanika Canoe Trail that ends near the Lower Chatanika State Recreation Area. Local outfitters also offer chartered rafting and boating trips in the area for those seeking a guided experience.