| Tinayguk River | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Alaska |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Tinayguk River in Alaska |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Alaska |
| Subdivision Type4: | Census Area |
| Subdivision Name4: | Yukon - Koyukuk |
| Length: | 44miles |
| Source1: | Brooks Range |
| Source1 Location: | Endicott Mountains |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 67.9511°N -151.0094°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 4619feet[1] |
| Mouth: | North Fork Koyukuk River[2] |
| Mouth Location: | 27miles northwest of Wiseman |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 67.5689°N -151.0417°W[3] |
| Mouth Elevation: | 1161feet |
The Tinayguk River is a 44miles tributary of the North Fork Koyukuk River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[2] Heading in the Endicott Mountains of the Brooks Range, the river flows generally west then south to meet the larger river about 80miles north of Bettles.[4]
In 1980, the entire river was designated "wild" and added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[5] The designation means that the Tinayguk is unpolluted, free-flowing and generally inaccessible except by trail and that its watershed is essentially primitive.[6]
The river's name means Moose in Inupiat.[4] In 1930, forester Robert "Bob" Marshall recommended it as an alternative to West Fork, a local name that Marshall considered over-used.[2]
Although whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run the river in small rafts or inflatable canoes or kayaks, it is remote, hazardous, and difficult to reach. It is a small one-channel river that drops over its first 12miles and an average of over the rest of its course. The upper reaches are rated Class III (difficult) on the International Scale of River Difficulty, while the rest of the river varies between Class II (medium) and Class III. Hazards include swift current, shallow water, sharp bends, logjams, boulders, and aufeis.[4]