2016 Map of Talkeetna C-1 NW

About this map

Denali National Park encompasses this wilderness region within the Alaska Range, where the slow-moving ice of the Ruth Glacier feeds a complex network of glacial meltwater. The drainage system is defined by the Ruth River and the braided channels of the Tokositna River, which wind through low-lying wetlands and brush towards the Chulitna River on the eastern edge of the quadrangle. Small interior water bodies like Pirate Lake and drainage from Alder Creek dot the landscape between the high mountain peaks and the river valleys. This 2016 survey illustrates the glacial retreat and the shifting hydrologic patterns of the subarctic, showing how tributary streams like Byers Cr and the Coffee River interact with the larger glacial flows that continue to carve this protected landscape.