Six Mile Creek (Alaska)

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Six Mile Creek is a short approximately 20 mile waterway with some of the most exciting whitewater rafting in Alaska. The Six Mile Creek drainage starts as Bertha Creek flowing from the top of Turnagain Pass on the Seward Highway [1], part of the National Scenic Highway Program. Bertha Creek and Granite Creek join to become The East Fork of Six Mile Creek and at the confluence with Canyon Creek become Six Mile Creek which flows about eight miles to where it empties into Turnagain Arm shortly after flowing past the small community of Sunrise along the Hope Highway. There is a scenic outlook just before the Hope Junction with a grand view of the confluence of the creeks and the Canyon Creek Bridge that is pictured on the State’s website [2].

Six Mile Creek was mined for gold during the early 1900’s and still has a many active claims mined to this day. Whitewater enthusiast have been enjoying this scenic gorge for about 20 years with commercial operations starting in the 1980’s under special use permits with the US Forest Service. Six Mile Creek water levels can change a somewhat peaceful little creek to a raging Class V River. There have been both private boating and commercial operation fatalities as well during the few years it has been a whitewater recreation area. Six Mile Creek water levels and information can be found on the NOAA’s [website] [3].