The Gulkana River is a tributary of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska. Slightly south of Summit Lake the river passes under the east–west Denali Highway near its junction with the Richardson Highway at Paxson. This included the 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 fork's mouth on the main stem. 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.
A float trip down the main stem of the Gulkana may take four or five days Trips starting on the forks may take much longer, depending on the chosen route.