Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge is a roadless interior Alaska refuge of about 1.5 million acres which straddles the Arctic Circle about 150 miles northwest of Fairbanks. It is located in a basin formed by the broad Kanuti and Koyukuk river valleys in the southern foothills of the Brooks Range.
The refuge was established primarily as a waterfowl breeding area with special emphasis on white-fronted geese. Ducks are also abundant. Bears, both black and grizzly, are common, as are moose, wolves and wolverines. Refuge rivers and lakes support large populations of pike, grayling, whitefish and several species of Pacific salmon.
Due to the difficulties and cost of reaching most refuge lands, few recreational visitors come to the refuge. However, the 400 or so Athabascan and Eskimo Natives who reside in four nearby villages reach refuge lands by boat and snowmobile for sustenance hunting and fishing, harvesting of berries, green plants, and house logs.