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Description:
This refuge includes over 3,000 islands, islets, rocks, pinnacles, and headlands stretching from northwest Alaska into the Bering Sea and along 4,800 miles of Alaska's coastline and the Aleutian chain. Refuge habitats vary from lush rainforests in Southeast Alaska to 9,000 foot volcanoes and arctic coastal escarpments underlain by permafrost. Over 40 million seabirds (80 percent of all Alaska seabirds) of about 30 species are found on the refuge. Common marine mammals include northern fur seal, Steller sea lion, harbor seal, walrus, sea otter, and polar bear. The refuge contains many Aleut archeological sites as well as remnants of the only World War II battles fought on U.S. soil. Directions:
The refuge headquarters and visitor center is located in Homer, which is on the Kenai Peninsula, at the end of the Sterling Highway, approximately 225 miles south of Anchorage. Homer requires about a 4 hour drive or 1 hour flight from Anchorage. Regularly scheduled flights are available from Anchorage. The Alaska State Ferry System also serves Homer. Since most of the refuge is very remote, access is difficult and expensive. Potential visitors should contact the refuge for specific information about particular sites.
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