Innoko River

river, Alaska, United States

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Article History

Innoko River, river, west-central Alaska, U.S. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Yukon River. The Innoko rises in the Kuskokwim Mountains west of the town of McGrath and flows north and then southwest for about 500 miles (800 km) before joining the Yukon near Holy Cross. The river’s drainage area is about 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km). The name Innoko, first used by the Russian explorer Lavrenty Zagoskin during his 1842–44 expedition, is probably a Deg Xinag Indian word, but its meaning is unknown. During the 1907 gold rush, prospectors rushed into the valley and established several mining camps, which included Ophir, Poorman, and Cripple. The streams, however, never produced much alluvial gold, and most of the settlements were abandoned. The tiny village of Shageluk, populated mostly by Deg Xinag, is the only settlement on the river. The river flows through Innoko National Wildlife Refuge, and its valley remains largely wilderness.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.