Alaska Maritime
Homer, AK 99603-7472
Plan Your Visit
Thousands of islands, millions of birds, and cultural treasures make Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge an iconic place. Dramatic coastlines, velvety green tundra ablaze with flowers, sandy beaches of every color, and steaming volcanoes are just some of the sights that await.
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and Headquarters (Homer) Our visitor center is at 95 Sterling Highway in Homer, Alaska, and can be reached by car or a short flight from Anchorage. Homer and Seward are the only road-accessible communities nearby.
Aleutian Islands WWII National Monument Access to these remote locations off the road system is difficult, but some tour companies occasionally offer boat-based tours. There is no regularly scheduled air or boat service directly to the monument locations.
Adak Office Adak is one of the few places in the refuge accessible by commercial airline. Visitors to Adak can find hiking maps, brochures, and information at the office. See ATVs on Adak: dos and don'ts and Adak Hunting FAQ and Maps
Tour boats, ferries, planes, cruise ships, or your own boat can transport you to parts of the refuge. No refuge lands are accessible from the road system. Homer and Seward are the only road-accessible communities nearby. All other communities in and near the refuge are accessible by scheduled air service; and some such as Sitka, Seldovia, Kodiak, Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass, Akutan, and Unalaska also have ferry service.
Check out our calendar of upcoming events for activities and more
Activities
Services
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, previously known as the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, takes you on a dramatic journey through the refuge's past and present and surrounds you with the sights, sounds... even the smells of a seabird colony, and invites you to follow biologists as their research ship sails to remote islands each year.
It brings the remote, off-shore island world of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge to the visitor in dynamic exhibits, an award winning film, and naturalist programs.
About
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge stretches from the spectacular volcanic islands of the Aleutian chain to the Inside Passage, and north to the Chukchi Sea, providing essential habitat for marine mammals and some 40 million seabirds, representing more than 30 species.
Much of the refuge has been protected for over a century and spans the traditional homelands of numerous Alaska Native peoples, including the Unangax̂, Alutiiq, and Iñupiat. Formally established in 1980 through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the refuge combined 11 previous units into a vast area that is now mostly federally designated Wilderness. Its mission is to conserve and restore diverse lands, waters, and marine resources through scientific research, education, and public outreach. The vision for the refuge involves a resilient community of marine life where scientists, tribes, and the public are actively engaged in conservation.
Learn more about the EIS process for rat eradication on four Aleutian islands
Learn more about:
Conservation in Color: Alaska's Wildlife
