Yukon-Charley Rivers Significance

Many visitors, noting the low, rolling hills and general inaccessibility of the Yukon-Charley Rivers area, wonder what qualities make it unique in America. The National Park system, after all, encompasses a variety of natural, cultural and historical sites and each one, in its own way, is nationally significant. So just what does make Yukon-Charley Rivers important to our national heritage? In addition to preserving a segment of the Yukon River, one of America's mightiest and most storied wild rivers, the preserve was established to protect many key values.
The purpose of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is to maintain the environmental integrity of the entire Charley River basin in its undeveloped natural condition for public benefit and scientific study; to protect habitat for, and populations of, fish and wildlife; and in a manner consistent with the foregoing, to protect and interpret historical sites and events associated with the gold rush on the Yukon River and the geological and paleontological history and cultural prehistory of the area.

The Charley River

Maintain the environmental integrity of the Charley River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, including all of its major tributaries.

Plant and Wildlife Habitat

Protect endemic plant species, fire-driven boreal forests, and habitat for, and populations of, fish and wildlife while offering extraordinary opportunities for scientific research.

Geology and Paleontology

One of the few locations in the world where over 600 million years of the earth's geological history is exposed in an uninterrupted sequence of rock and sediment.

History and Archaeology

Protect and interpret a rich historical, archeological, and ethnographic record of changing lifeways in the upper Yukon River basin.

Human Use

Provide for human use and enjoyment of a historic and natural landscape.