Nature
Moon Lake is a peaceful oxbow lake that was once part of the Tanana River. Fed by glacial melt from the Alaska Range, the Tanana River carries a heavy silt load that is ideal for forming a meandering river. Over time, sediment and erosion can cut a meandering channel off from the main channel, creating an oxbow lake. Because it is isolated from glacial melt, Moon Lake has higher water temperatures suited to swimming, boating, and water skiing. The Athabascan word tenene translates as "trail river," reflecting the Tanana River's role as a transportation corridor, and in more recent times floatplanes have used Moon Lake as hunters travel into the Tanana Valley hunting grounds.
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Tanacross, Alaska · United States
