Alaska whitewater - Matanuska River, Talkeetna Mountains, Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Matanuska-Susitna county, Glacier Park Bridge to Palmer section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II+     54 miles
  Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Alaska are harder than the national norm, so you'd better keep in mind that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. The scenic beauty of Alaska and the water flowing gracefully down Matanuska River have people coming here. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. There are no other stretches to paddle
    along Matanuska River than the Glacier Park Bridge to Palmer stretch. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this is an area with not too many other places for that. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. A stretch of this length does
require some preparations, so it looks like you will be camping out. The Glacier Park Bridge to Palmer stretch of Matanuska River in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is 54 miles long and is a class II+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The beautiful Talkeetna Mountains scenery is an added bonus.

Briefly about the general area:
Not much rain falls here at Matanuska River; September is when you get the most rain here, and the driest month of the year is March. Why not take a refreshing hike along the Chickaloon River Trail.
Throughout
 
the days of summer at Matanuska River highs are typically in the 60's while night lows are mostly in the 40's. High temperatures all through the wintertime are normally in the 20's, and after the sun is down through the winter temperatures at Matanuska River fall into the 0's.

Matanuska River, Glacier Park Bridge to Palmer road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II+
Length: 54 miles
Average Gradient: 24 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.79589
Longitude: -147.7994

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.60979
Longitude: -149.0727

Paddler input for Matanuska River, Alaska:

Submit Input:
Your Name:
Write or Paste Input here:

Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines




Current weather conditions at Matanuska River, Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska
WXPort

Local climate location: PALMER IAS 44 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Gold Miners Hotel, Palmer
47 miles away
Gold Miner's Hotel in Palmer Alaska, offers downtown lodging, restaurant, lounge, conference, and banquet facilities. Spectacular scenery, hiking, biking, skiing, gold panning, dog mushing, snow mobil...





OTHER_INFO
  Talkeetna Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Talkeetna Mountains.

Talkeetna Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Talkeetna Mountains.

All Alaska Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Alaska.
Books about whitewater paddling on Matanuska River, Alaska
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Matanuska River, Alaska.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Alaska

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Anchorage, Alaska
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Anchorage, Alaska, the metro area neareast to Matanuska River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Matanuska River.
 Whitewater Near Matanuska River:
Coal Creek, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 8 miles away, Class IV - 11.8 miles long (Glacier to Matanuska River)
Chickaloon River, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Borough , 10 miles away, Class III+(IV) - 33 miles long (30 Mile Airstrip to Matanuska)
Kings River, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Borough , 19 miles away, Class V+ - 20 miles long (Upper Kings to Glenn Highway)
Granite Creek, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 26 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 16 miles long (2600-foot level to Glenn Highway)
 Ski Areas Near Matanuska River:
Alyeska, Alaska , 53 miles away, 2500 vertical feet
Alpenglow At Arctic Valley, Alaska , 86 miles away, 1400 vertical feet
Hilltop, Alaska , 92 miles away, 294 vertical feet
Moose Mountain, Alaska , 110 miles away, 1300 vertical feet
Mt Aurora Skiland, Alaska , 130 miles away, 1057 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Matanuska River:
Gold Miners Hotel, Palmer , 47 miles away
 Trails Near Matanuska River:
Chickaloon River Trail, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 5 miles away
Chickaloon Trail, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 14 miles away
Chickaloon Knik Nelchina Trail, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 17 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater