Fortymile River

River Historic Fortymile River, designated as Fortymile National Wild River, offers an excellent escape into scenic wilderness for paddlers experienced in lining their canoes around rapids. It's also a step back into Alaska's gold-rush era; the river passes abandoned mining communities, including Franklin, Steele Creek and Fortymile, as well as some present-day mining operations.

The best place to start paddling is at the bridge over South Fork, because the access points south of here on Taylor Hwy are often too shallow for an enjoyable trip. Many canoeists paddle the 40 miles from South Fork bridge to the bridge over O'Brien Creek, at Mile 113 of Taylor Hwy. This two- to three-day trip involves three sets of Class III rapids. For a greater adventure, continue past O'Brien Creek and paddle the Fortymile into the Yukon River; from here, head north to Eagle at the end of the Taylor Hwy. This trip is 140 miles long and takes seven to 10 days. You'll need to line several sets of rapids in Fortymile River. Such an expedition requires careful planning.