The Alaska Outdoors  www.alaska-outdoors.org

Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge

Anchorage Coastal Refuge covers entier southwestern Anchorage coast from Kincaid Park to Potter Creek.  Of those, the best known and the most popular spot is Potter Marsh boad walk for observation of birds and fish.  It is a bird watchers's heaven.  Visit early in the morning to see rare birds.  

The refuge can be accessed from several locations

1. Point Woronzof Park (Tony Knowles Coastal Trail)

2. Kincaid Park

3. John's Park

4. Oceanview Bluff Park

5. Potter Marsh Board walk

6. Rabbit Creet Shooting Range

Direction:

Take Seward Highway to east (toward Girdwood).  Right after Rabbit Creek, take left to the Potter Marsh board waik, and on the right is the Rabbit Creek Shooting Range.

Trails in Anchorage coastal refuge.

Little is known is that Coastal Wildlife Refuge has a trail.   The trail is about 1.7 miles one way, straight and flat going through woods.  However, several sections of the trail is wet, especially in the spring right after snowmelt and wet summer.  Depending on how much rain we get, and beaver activities,  water could be more than ankle high.  If you don't want get your feet wet, I highly reccomend wearing a rubber boots.  

Attaction of the trail is marsh view and trees.  It is especially beautiful in late summer and fall when birch trees and cotton woods change colors.  I also recommend to hike in late winter/early spring when trail is still frozen.

The trail starts at  the western edge of Rabbit Creek Shooting range with a sign.  The trail ends after 1.7 miles into woods.  From there, it sharply turns right toward a steep straight slope to the railroad.   From there, there is a well established foot path to west (left) ~1/4 mile to Ocean View Bluff Park, or east (right) toward the Rabbit Creek Shooting range.  However, walking this foot path is unsafe and illegal.

The view from the Ocean View Bluff park is superve, worth visiting. 

http://wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=refuge.anch_coastal

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