Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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Glacier and glacial lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
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 Map of Alaska, United States
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| Location | Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States |
| Nearest city | Soldotna, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 60°20′N 150°30′W / 60.333°N 150.500°WCoordinates: 60°20′N 150°30′W / 60.333°N 150.500°W |
| Area | 1.92 million acres (7,770 km2) |
| Established | 1941 (as Kenai National Moose Range), 1980 (ANILCA, present status as wildlife refuge) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Kenai NWR |
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.92-million-acre (7,770 km2) wildlife preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, United States. The refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range, but in 1980 it was changed to its present status by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The refuge is administered from offices in Soldotna.
As with most national wildlife refuges, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is open to hunting. However, the hunting of brown bears in the refuge has recently been banned due to an overkill of over 10 percent of the population. The refuge remains the only national wildlife refuge in Alaska that is closed to brown bear hunting.
There is a wide variety of terrain in the refuge, including muskeg and other wetlands, alpine areas, and taiga forest. The refuge protects several large mammals, including wolves, brown bears, black bears, dall sheep, Alaskan moose, and caribou, as well as thousands of migratory and native birds. There are numerous lakes, as well as the Kenai River, and the refuge is a popular destination for fishing for salmon and trout.
The refuge has several campgrounds and boat launches, including two developed campgrounds, one at Hidden Lake and another at Skilak Lake, both accessible from Skilak Lake Loop Road, which intersects the Sterling Highway at both ends. Other less-developed campgrounds and campsites are accessible from the Sterling Highway, Skilak Loop Road, Swanson River Road, and Swan Lake Road, the later of which do not require fees to access. Since 2005 the refuge has offered 16 cabins for public use via a reservation system, with some cabins accessible only via boat.
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Wikipedia