Porcupine River

river, North America

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Article History

Porcupine River, major tributary of the Yukon River, in northern Yukon, Can., and northeastern Alaska, U.S. Discovered in 1842 by John Bell of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Porcupine rises in the Mackenzie Mountains of west central Yukon and flows for 448 mi (721 km) in a great arc, first north and then west across the international boundary and into the Yukon River near Fort Yukon, Alaska. Navigable to Old Crow, Can., the centre of a fur-producing area, the Porcupine serves as a main transportation link between northern and southern Yukon. Major tributaries include the Bell, Old Crow, Coleen, Sheenjek, and Black rivers.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.