TERRAIN: Gravel bar, wet and dry tundra, spruce forest, glacier, and tundra ponds.

QUOTA: 8

RIVERS AND STREAMS: McKinley River, Muddy River, Clearwater Creek, and McLeod Creek can all be very difficult to cross.

ACCESS FROM ROAD: No direct access possible. Access via units 20 and 15.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Peters Glacier, and great views of the Alaska Range.

DESCRIPTION: Unit 21 offers a variety of scenery and terrain. The lowlands bordering the McKinley Bar exemplify interior Alaska conditions: thick brush, spruce forests, grasslands, swamps, wet tundra, and a healthy population of mosquitos. Most of the rivers and streams run North from the glaciers of the Alaska Range. The McKinley River comprises the Northern boundary of unit 21, and is usually impossible to cross West of Clearwater Creek and the Muddy River.

The Southern portion of unit 21 encompasses the Northern slope of the Denali massif. Numerous glaciers flow down to the lowlands from this impressive ridgeline. The higher slopes are predominately dry tundra mixed with loose rock and scree.

POPULAR HIKES AND ROUTES: Access into this unit is difficult, requiring river crossings and bushwhacking. The McKinley River is extremely dangerous, and should only be attempted by those with previous glacial river crossing experience.

QUAD MAPS: MB2, MB3