Unit 20C, Alaska

Predominantly Interior Alaska boreal taiga — extensive black spruce muskeg, wet meadows, and sedge marshes across the Tanana Flats lowlands, transitioning to white spruce and mixed hardwood in riparian corridors. Subalpine shrub-tundra and alpine tundra dominate higher elevations toward the Alaska Range foothills. The unit contains the northern flanks of the Alaska Range and large swaths of Denali National Park and Preserve. Elevation ranges from roughly 300 ft on the flats to over 6,000 ft on ridgelines. Mature black spruce stands are considered low-quality moose habitat; productive areas include river corridors, recent burns, and subalpine benches.

Almost entirely fly-in access. No public road system reaches the interior of Unit 20C. Floatplanes departing Fairbanks or Nenana serve as the primary access method in fall; ski planes and snowmachines provide winter access. The Alaska Railroad corridor (mileposts 327–371) crosses the eastern edge of the unit and provides limited access near flagstop communities. River-float access is possible on the Kantishna, Toklat, and other drainages when water levels allow. The unit is approximately 98% public land: Denali National Park and Preserve occupies a large southern and central portion; BLM manages significant acreage on the Tanana Flats; state lands fill much of the remainder.

Dominant plant communities: black spruce muskeg (poor moose habitat), white and black spruce-birch-aspen riparian forest, sedge-grass-horsetail wetland meadows, low willow-alder shrub tundra in uplands, and Dryas-lichen alpine tundra above treeline. Post-fire regeneration areas with willow and birch scrub are the most productive moose forage zones. Large portions of the unit are low-lying, poorly drained, and seasonally flooded.

Moose in Unit 20C are largely resident year-round with seasonal altitudinal shifts, moving to lower riparian and muskeg areas in winter and onto subalpine slopes and recent burns in summer. The Fortymile and White Mountains caribou herds range through portions of Unit 20C on a periodic basis, but no predictable large caribou migration corridor exists here; primary Fortymile Herd movement centers on Units 20B, 20D, 20E, and 25C. Wolves and grizzly bears are the dominant predators and are lightly harvested, the primary driver keeping moose densities low at an estimated 0.2–0.7 moose per square mile across most of the unit. Bull:cow management objective is at least 30 bulls per 100 cows.

SUBSISTENCE: Unit 20C falls within the Interior Alaska federal subsistence management region. On federal public lands (BLM, NPS Preserve), only qualified rural Alaska residents are eligible under federal subsistence priority. Communities including Tanana, Nenana, Minto, and Rampart have traditional subsistence ties; actual subsistence harvest by Tanana residents has historically been 5–10x reported sport harvest. NONRESIDENT RULES: Nonresident moose hunters must (1) hold an RM781 registration permit, (2) complete the Nonresident Moose Hunter Orientation course before hunting with proof in field, and (3) take only a bull with 50-inch antlers or 4+ brow tines on at least one side — no any-bull season for nonresidents. Nonresident grizzly bear hunters must be accompanied by a licensed Alaska guide. DENALI NPS: Denali National Park interior is closed to sport hunting; the Denali National Preserve allows hunting by qualified subsistence users and sport hunters under state regulations. CARIBOU: No dedicated open caribou season in Unit 20C for 2026–2027; permits RC860, RC867, YC831 may be announced by emergency order — call Fortymile hotline (907) 267-2310 before departure. MINTO FLATS: Aircraft and airboats may not be used for moose hunting within the adjacent Minto Flats Management Area (Unit 20B boundary).