Alaska whitewater - Willow Creek, Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Matanuska-Susitna county, Guardrail to Shirleytown section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV     5 miles
  Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Alaska are harder than the national norm, so don't forget that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. The Guardrail to Shirleytown stretch of Willow Creek in Alaska is 5 miles long and it is classified as a class III-IV section by American Whitewater. This stretch has has enough mileage, good for a one day paddling trip. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while have people coming from far and near. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, in this general
    area you won't find many other paddling rivers. If you're coming from Anchorage it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. There's camping available near Willow Creek. The Guardrail to
Shirleytown stretch is one of a few paddling stretches in this river system. The natural beauty of Alaska and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water beats anything.

Briefly about the general area:
Willow Creek gets a common amount of rainfall; the month with most of the rain is August, and January is when it's the driest.
During the warm days of summer here at Willow Creek, high temperatures mostly get into the 60's. Summer night lows plunge down to the 40's. Daytime highs through the winter are in the 10's with temperatures at Willow Creek dipping down into the 0's through winter nights.
 

Willow Creek, Guardrail to Shirleytown road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV
Length: 5 miles
Average Gradient: 72 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.7845
Longitude: -149.81

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 61.7709
Longitude: -149.94001

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Current weather conditions at Willow Creek, Alaska
WXPort

Local climate location: TALKEETNA WSCMO AP 18 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Sourdough Lodge, Anchorage
18 miles away
Your home away from home. All suites with spacious 1 and 2 bedrooms. All guestrooms have kitchens, free local calls, HBO, laundry facility. Minutes from dining, shopping and entertainment. Located one...

Comfort Inn Ship Creek, Anchorage
18 miles away
Located in downtown Anchorage. Shopping, museums and restaurants nearby. Train depot and convention center adjacent. Airport is just 10 minutes away. Portage Glacier within one hour drive. Pet deposit...

Ramada Anchorage Downtown, Anchorage
18 miles away
Ramada Anchorage Downtown is located in the heart of downtown Anchorage minutes away from shopping and restaurants. Your only means of transportation needed is your feet! The Ramada Anchorage Downtow...



OTHER_INFO
  All Alaska Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Alaska.
Books about whitewater paddling on Willow Creek, Alaska
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Willow Creek, 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 Willow Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Willow Creek.
 Whitewater Near Willow Creek:
Willow Creek, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 8 miles away, Class V+ - 6.75 miles long (Close to Hatcher Pass to lower Willow Creek)
Sheep Creek, Matanuska-Susitna Borough , 12 miles away, Class III - 25 miles long (to Parks Highway)
Campbell Creek, Anchorage Borough , 24 miles away, Class V - 2.5 miles long (Powerline pass to Hilltop Ski area)
Ship Creek, Anchorage Borough , 24 miles away, Class IV - 4 miles long (Artic Vally Road to bridge)
Eagle River, Anchorage Borough , 24 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (Military Stretch)
Eagle River, Anchorage Borough , 26 miles away, Class II(III) - 1.5 miles long (Bridge to Bridge)
 Ski Areas Near Willow Creek:
Hilltop, Alaska , 23 miles away, 294 vertical feet
Alpenglow At Arctic Valley, Alaska , 23 miles away, 1400 vertical feet
Alyeska, Alaska , 59 miles away, 2500 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Willow Creek:
Sourdough Lodge, Anchorage , 18 miles away
Comfort Inn Ship Creek, Anchorage , 18 miles away
Ramada Anchorage Downtown, Anchorage , 18 miles away
Anchorage Grand Hotel, Anchorage , 18 miles away
Historic Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage , 18 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Willow Creek:
Willow Island Resort, Willow, 8 miles away
Riverside Camper Park, Houston, 10 miles away
Sail-n-fun Resort, Big Lake, 10 miles away
 National Parks Near Willow Creek:
Denali National Park & Preserve, Denali Park - AK , 13 miles away
Katmai National Park & Preserve, King Salmon - AK , 19 miles away
 Lakes Near Willow Creek

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