Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve is a National Preserve in Alaska. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Yukon - Charley Rivers the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 13° (NNE) at the June solstice and 156° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 348° (NNW) in June to 204° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 48° in summer but only 1° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:11 AM | — | — | 3:11 PM | 215° | 5h 00m |
| February | 8:32 AM | 9:56 AM | 3:37 PM | 5:00 PM | 241° | 8h 28m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:57 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:31 PM | 267° | 11h 41m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:00 PM | 9:08 PM | 296° | 15h 13m |
| May | 4:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 9:22 PM | 10:52 PM | 324° | 18h 46m |
| June | 2:33 AM | 4:48 AM | 10:17 PM | 12:32 AM | 346° | 22h 00m |
| July | 3:29 AM | 5:16 AM | 10:00 PM | 11:47 PM | 334° | 20h 18m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:56 PM | 307° | 16h 39m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:56 PM | 8:01 PM | 279° | 13h 07m |
| October | 8:25 AM | 9:38 AM | 4:57 PM | 6:10 PM | 251° | 9h 45m |
| November | 9:10 AM | 11:36 AM | 12:58 PM | 3:24 PM | 224° | 6h 14m |
| December | 10:38 AM | — | — | 2:16 PM | 205° | 3h 38m |
Computed for the park's reference point (65.0936, -142.7960); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| April | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| May | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| June | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| July | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| August | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| September | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
The area that Yukon-Charley Rivers encompasses is generally classified as sub-arctic, with exceptionally cold winters, relatively warm summers, low annual precipitation, and generally high winds.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (77%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Although there is no direct highway connection to Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, visitors are able to access the preserve by either air travel from Fairbanks, or water or air travel from two small towns on the road system(Eagle and Circle), near the preserve boundaries.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Boating
- Motorized Boating
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Canoe or Kayak Camping
- Dog Sledding
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Hunting and Gathering
- Hunting
- Paddling
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Whitewater Rafting
- Junior Ranger Program
- Skiing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Snowmobiling
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching