| Chitina River | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Alaska |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Chitina River in Alaska |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Alaska |
| Subdivision Type4: | Census Area |
| Subdivision Name4: | Copper River |
| Length: | 274km (170miles) |
| Source1: | Chitina Glacier |
| Source1 Location: | Saint Elias Mountains, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 60.8611°N -141.4003°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 3507feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Copper River |
| Mouth Location: | 1.2miles east of Chitina; 66miles northeast of Valdez, Chugach Mountains |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 61.4972°N -144.4194°W[2] |
| Mouth Elevation: | 466feet |
| Tributaries Left: | Kiagna River, Tana River, Chakina River, Tebay River |
| Tributaries Right: | Short River, Clear Stream, Nizina River, Lakina River, Gilahina River, Kuskulana River |
The Chitina River (Ahtna Athabascan Tsedi Na’ in Athapascan languages pronounced as /tʃɛ.diː.näʔ/ < tsedi "copper" + na’ "river")[3] is a 274km (170miles) tributary of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[2] It begins in the Saint Elias Mountains at the base of Chitina Glacier and flows generally northwest through the Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve to meet the smaller river[4] near Chitina.[5] The watershed was once a major copper mining region.[6]
The Chitina River is suitable for floating in rafts, kayaks, and decked canoes by boaters with sufficient wilderness and whitewater skills.[6] From a put-in place near Hubert's Landing, slightly downstream of Chitina Glacier, the river is Class II (medium) on the International Scale of River Difficulty all the way to the mouth at Chitina.[6]
Boaters starting from Hubert's Landing will have to make a difficult 2.5miles portage to reach the main river channel.[6] It is also possible to put in at Jake's Bar, about halfway between the glacier and the river mouth. The shorter trip requires no portage.[6] Hazards include cold silty water, bad weather, and the remote location.[6] Grizzlies pose a danger to boaters, especially near the mouths of clear tributaries, where the bears tend to congregate.[6] A variety of salmon, attractive to bears, migrate to and from these tributaries.[6]
The most important tributaries of the Chitina are from the north and emanate principally from the south slope of the Wrangell Mountains; in order downstream they are Nizina, Lakina, Gilahina, and Kuskulana rivers. From the south the main affluents are the Tana, Chakina, and Tebay rivers, which rise in the Chugach Mountains.[7] Kiagna River is also a southern tributary of Chitina River.[8]
The Tebay River, and an associated set of lakes and smaller streams in the Tebay watershed, offer "the potential for some of the finest wilderness angling experiences to be had in Southcentral Alaska", according to Alaska Fishing.[9] The main game fish in the Tebay system are rainbow trout, lake trout, and Arctic grayling.[9]