Swanson River
| Swanson River | |
|---|---|
| Etymology | 'Good (Land) River' |
| Native name | Yaghetnu (Tswana) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Kenai Peninsula |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Gene Lake |
| • location | Kenai National Wildlife Refuge |
| • coordinates | 60°50′46″N 150°29′04″W / 60.84611°N 150.48444°W |
| • elevation | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Mouth | Number Three Bay on Cook Inlet |
• location | Kenai Peninsula, 19 miles (31 km) northeast of Kenai |
• coordinates | 60°48′01″N 151°01′23″W / 60.80028°N 151.02306°W |
• elevation | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Length | 40 mi (64 km) |
The Swanson River (Dena'ina: Yaghetnu) is a stream, 40 miles (64 km) long, on the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska in the United States. Beginning at Gene Lake in the Swanson Lakes district, it flows southwest then north to Number Three Bay on the Gompertz Channel of Cook Inlet.
The majority of the river's course lies within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. In its lower reaches, it passes through the Swanson River Oil Field east of Nikiski before turning sharply north. Near its mouth, it flows through Captain Cook State Recreation Area and under Kenai North Road to enter Cook Inlet.