The Gulkana River is a 60-mile (97 km) tributary of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Beginning near the southeastern end of Summit Lake in the Alaska Range, the river flows generally south to meet the larger river 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Glennallen.
A total of 181 miles (291 km) of streams in the Gulkana River watershed were designated wild and added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1980. This included the 47 miles (76 km) of the main stem between Paxson Lake and Sourdough. The other designated segments included the north and south branches of the West Fork Gulkana River, the West Fork itself, and the Middle Fork Gulkana River from Dickey Lake to the mouth on the main stem.
The Gulkana River watershed, which includes many clearwater lakes and streams, has one of most productive and popular grayling fisheries on Alaska. Accessible by highway, airplane, boat, and foot trails, the Gulkana system supports large populations of king and red salmon, rainbow trout, and lake trout as well as Arctic grayling.
