Alaska whitewater - White River, Wrangell Mountains, Valdez-Cordova Census Area Borough

Valdez-Cordova Census Area county, Solo Creek airstrip to Alaska Highway Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     55 miles
 
Any ''nearby'' hotel or campground (or road) is a 50 mile flight away from the airstrip over the St. Elias Mountains in McCarthy. In bad weather, you likely can't get there at all, or only from Tok (well over a 100 mile flight). Also, depending on the year, a navigable channel of this braided and highly dynamic glacial river might be more than 2 miles from the airstrip. It's boatable and beautiful, but do your homework, especially if you're not familiar with braided glacial rivers, which can be a pain. Says Trey Simmons

The White River is NOT
    a Class II River, unless you have personally run it from the airstrip at Solo Creek to the Canadian Border I would strongly suggest that you do a little more research. There is a portion where all of the water pours into a very narrow canyon that be heard from quite a distance.
I was raised in that area and it is an extremely dangerous and violent River, so do your research and do not rely on sites such as this, where people rely on aerial photos or other information. Says Sue Mock

The nature scenery of Valdez-Cordova Census Area Borough and the water flowing gracefully down White River are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a lot of the rivers
 
here are not suitable for beginners. This section of White River in Valdez-Cordova Census Area Borough is 55 miles long and has been rated as a class II section by American Whitewater. A good workout and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. A section like this is is of course not run in a single day, so make sure you pack enough food along with your camping gear. The river winds through the Wrangell Mountains and you get great scenery. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The campgrounds here at White River are pretty good. White River doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Solo Creek airstrip to Alaska Highway Bridge stretch is the only one.

Briefly about the general area:
White River is regularly a relatively dry place; through July this area sees the most rain, and March on the other hand is the driest. At White River through the months of summer highs are in the 60's, and during the night it cools down to the 40's. The wintertime brings highs down to the-20's while the cold winter nights at White River are in the-30's.

White River, Solo Creek airstrip to Alaska Highway Bridge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 55 miles
Average Gradient: 23 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.7318
Longitude: -141.6697

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.74309
Longitude: -140.9997

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Current weather conditions at White River, Wrangell Mountains, Alaska
WXPort

Local climate location: NORTHWAY FAA AP 31 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.






OTHER_INFO
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Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska, the metro area neareast to White River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near White River.

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