Snake River, Stream in Nome, United States

Snake River is a 20-mile (32 km) stream on the Seward Peninsula that rises 22 km north of Nome at the confluence of North Fork Snake River and Goldbottom Creek and flows south into Norton Sound, its mouth between downtown Nome and the airport. Its many meanders gave it the name; the Nome harbor sits at the mouth.

The Snake River's name comes from the many meanders along its course. Its mouth at Nome, between downtown and the airport, became the site of the city's harbour. The river drains about 340 km², and its highest flows usually come in June during snowmelt.

The river's English name, "Snake River", comes from its many meanders, which German sources describe as naming-giving. Its mouth lies between downtown Nome and the city's main airport, and the port of Nome sits at the river mouth. The North Fork rises on the northeast flank of 684 m Crater Mountain, the Goldbottom Creek on the west flank of 655 m Mount Distin.

Visitors can access the river at several points for fishing or exploring the landscape. Summer is the best season when the waterway is ice-free and the surrounding terrain is easy to walk through.

The river's many bends gave it its name: Snake River is the English rendering of the German "Schlangenfluss". It rises where the North Fork Snake River and Goldbottom Creek meet, 22 kilometres north of Nome, and its mouth separates the downtown area from the city's main airport.