Knik River, Brook in Palmer, Alaska, US

The Knik River rises at Knik Glacier and runs 25 miles (40 km) northwest and west to the head of Knik Arm on Cook Inlet, near the mouth of the Matanuska River. It crosses a broad flat plain of finely ground gravel, sand and silt, dropping about 400 feet (120 m) from glacier to salt water. The Old Glenn Highway bridges it twice near the Butte, and it is bridged again at the Hayflats.

The Knik River drains the Knik Glacier and flows about 25 miles (40 km) northwest to Knik Arm, near the mouth of the Matanuska River. Two bridges cross it where the Old Glenn Highway passes near the Butte, and a third spans it at the Hayflats. In the 1970s the river's surroundings became known as the site of several crimes committed by Robert Hansen.

The Dena'ina people named this waterway "Skitnu" while the Ahtna language uses "Scitna", reflecting indigenous connections to the region. These names show how deeply the native peoples understood and valued this flowing waterway.

The river is accessible via Knik River Road, where multiple entry points allow visitors to reach different sections. Weather conditions and water flow change greatly with the seasons, so checking current conditions before visiting is wise.

The river drops about 400 feet (120 m) from Knik Glacier to the salt water of Knik Arm, roughly 16 feet per mile. Its bed of finely ground gravel, sand and silt is so loose that windstorms lift large quantities of it and carry the material downstream or west.