Description - Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge is a roadless interior Alaska refuge of about 1.5 million acres which straddles the Arctic Circle. It is located in a basin formed by the broad Kanuti and Koyukuk River Valleys in the southern foothills of the Brooks Range.
The refuge was established in 1980 primarily as a waterfowl breeding area with special emphasis on white-fronted geese. Ducks are also abundant, especially in years when more southerly breeding areas are dryer than usual. Bears, both black and grizzly, are common, as are moose, wolves, wolverines and other furbearers. Refuge rivers and lakes support large populations of pike, grayling, whitefish and several species of Pacific salmon.
Due to the difficulties and cost of reaching most refuge lands, few recreational visitors come to the refuge. However, the 400 or so Athabascan and Eskimo Natives who reside in four nearby villages reach refuge lands by boat and snowmobile for subsistence hunting and fishing, harvesting of berries, green plants and house logs.
Recreation - Few people visit Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge and those that do primarily hunt, fish and view wildlife. Fishing for northern pike and grayling is excellent. Because it is remote, the adventurous will find Kanuti Refuge a true wilderness experience.
Location - Kanuti straddles the Arctic Circle approximately 150 miles northwest of Fairbanks. It is composed of the Kanuti Flats, an interior basin characterized by the rolling plains of the Kanuti and Koyukuk rivers. The basin is interspersed with lakes, ponds, and marshes.