Life on a Braided River-- Savage River Picnic Area, Denali Park Road MP 13, Denali National Park, AK USA
N 63° 44.389 W 149° 17.490
6V E 386895 N 7070050
Third of three flora and fauna information signs at the Savage River picnic area in the loop trail head in Denali National Park
Waymark Code: WM173F0
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2022
Views: 0
The Savage River Loop Trailhead is also very nice picnic area with restrooms. In 2022, due to damage down the road, this is as far as the Rangers recommend you travel on the Park Road.
This flora and fauna information sign reads as follows:
"LIFE ON A BRAIDED RIVER
This braided River originates in the Alaska Range, and carries silt, gravel and cobbles downstream. When the river reaches the relatively flat plain, the flow rate slows. The sediment load drops to the bottom of the stream, building up over time to form a wide gravel bar with constantly-shifting channels. The smaller gravel bars and islets in this ever-changing waterway are ideal habitats for numerous animals.
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Savage River loop trail
Trail information
*Total Length – 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
*Exertion Level - easy to moderate
500 ft/182 m
* You are here
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Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) are often seen near the bridge in the spring. These small sea ducks favor fast-moving streamlets in the Savage River for their breeding habitat.
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Mew Gulls (Larus canus) spend the winter along the coast and come and Linda breed in the summer months. These small goals build nests on gravel bars in the river, out of reach of the predators such as foxes.
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American dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) feed on insects, larvae, small fish and eggs that they catch by swimming or walking on the stream bottom. Look for these aquatic songbirds when the river ice begins to thaw in early spring. You’ll find them in patches of swiftly slowing open water.
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When the weather warms, Arctic Grayling (Thymakkus arcticurus) migrate from lakes and deep stretches of river to shallow areas where they feast on aquatic insects. Grayling can live to be 30 years old!"
Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of yourself (and others) at the waymark and feel free to share any additional information or that is not contained on the sign or your experience generally.