Winter on the Tanana River

Written By Riley Steele

Quick Facts:

  • Drive time from Fairbanks: 10 minutes

  • Distance: Lots of options

  • Activity: XC ski/fat bike

The frozen Tanana River is a blast in the winter! I find it best to park at the Chena Pump Wayside Boat Launch off of Chena Pump Road. From there, you can ski or bike either direction on the river for as far as you can go. I’ve never had an issue with overflow or any open water, but I always stay near the middle, where it’s well-traveled. Locals joke about this being a “highway” on busy weekend days, but it’s plenty wide enough that there’s room for everyone.

Riley Steele
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