Map of the Gnarnana 50 race route with black and white satellite imagery and the route in bright yellow with a neon glow effect

Gnarnana Classic

The Gnarnana Classic main event is a 50-mile packraft race from Mile 117 of the Denali Highway to Kingfisher Creek near the Denali Park entrance on the Nenana River. This Class II-III stretch through the middle of the Alaska Range offers a mix of everything from challenging rapids to scenic flat water. See the River Info section for a detailed description of each section.

When

Saturday, July 11th, 8:00 am

Logistics

Registered participants should meet at Kingfisher Creek at 8:00 am for a safety briefing. After a safety talk and gear check, we'll shuttle participants to the put-in on the Denali Highway.

Racers must:

Travel in a team of two or more in individal or tandem packrafts. Yes, fam, tandem boats will be allowed with their own category
Carry at least one satellite communication device (e.g., sat phone, inReach), one first aid kit, and one repair kit per team
Possess the skill to safely paddle high-volume Class III whitewater

Any teams who have not reached the Denali Park Village by 6pm will have to exit the race.

River Info

Race Start -> Cantwell Bridge No. 1

This scenic stretch through the Reindeer Hills is Class II, the perfect warm-up to set your race pace! Occasional braids are a choose-your-own-adventure affair.

Cantwell Bridge No. 1 -> Grassy Gnoll (Mile Marker 222)

Class II with one Class III- rapid, Panorama. This rapid can be portaged. Stay left and ride the wave train to avoid wood, rocks, and large hydraulics on the right or portage on the right.

Grassy Gnoll -> Denali Park Village

Class II+ section with one Class III rapid, Elizabeth. You know you are approaching this rapid when you see cabins a couple hundred feet above the river on the hillside directly in front of you. This long rapid can be portaged via a trail on the right bank. The sneak line is on river left.

two packrafters on the Nenana River with spruce trees in the background and an ochre cliff on the right with a brilliant blue sky above

Denali Park Village -> Kingfisher Creek

Class III- section with two class 3 rapids, Yanert and Terror Corner. Power lines on river right are the marker indicating Yanert rapid is around the corner. This is a river wide rapid with a ledge hole from center to center right. The sneak line is far left, but beware of the large hole at the bottom of rapid on the this side. The rapid can be portaged on the left.

Terror Corner contains numerous large holes and breaking waves that can generally be avoided with good boat control. Sections of this rapid and be portaged on river left, staying below the mean high water mark to avoid National Park Service Land, however it is long and portaging the whole rapid would be arduous.

Finish

The finish line is the put-in at Kingfisher Creek before the "Canyon" section of the Nenana. You will cross underneath the Parks Highway for a second time as the Terror Corner rapid peters out. Immediately following the bridge, you will see a large ramp where the oar boats put-in for commercial trips. Take out here and revel in the glory of finishing the race!

It is the paddlers responsibility to research and know where these rapids are. If you are not familiar with these sections, please look at the Alaska Packraft guidebook, the AK River Forum, or come paddle these sections before the race. You can also download a GeoJSON file or a KML file of notable rapids and convenient places to exit the river.