Facility Activities

A boy in a blue raincoat holds a paper fish in the air
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Youth Education Programs

Salmon Camp

The mission of Salmon Camp is to educate Kodiak’s youth about the natural and cultural systems that define Kodiak’s geography and empower learners to investigate their own connections to this special place through hands-on learning, self-reflection and group discovery.

Contact Natalie Fath. 

FUN Program

The Families Understanding Nature (FUN) program is designed for ages 3-5 and their families. We meet weekly at the Visitor Center on Fridays from 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM. There is a new theme each week. Stories, songs, puppets, and crafts will be utilized for hands-on learning for little nature lovers on specific topics. The FUN program has been in existence since 1995.

Check our Facebook page for weekly FUN program announcements.

WILD Program

Program currently on hiatus

The Wildlife, Investigation, Learning, and Discovery (WILD) program is designed for ages 6-12. There is a new theme each time the program is offered.

Visitor Center Youth Activities

Drop in to the Visitor Center anytime during open hours to earn a Junior Ranger patch, do a scavenger hunt, or check out a FUN backpack.

Contact 907-308-3966 to learn more.

Alaskan subsistence hunting and fishing
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 provides access to many federal public lands in Alaska for rural residents to practice a subsistence way of life.
Fishing

Popular fishing destinations such as the Karluk, Uganik, and Ayakulik Rivers offer world-class fishing opportunities for salmon, steelhead, and rainbow trout. Refuge permits are not required for recreational use of lands along the Ayakulik or Uganik Rivers. Angling use of the area is,...

Hunting

Big game such as deer, bear, elk, and mountain goat can be found on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Hunting regulations, licenses, and tags for specific animals are available through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Photography

If wish to photograph or film your visits for personal use you do not need a refuge permit. However, professional filming activities, where film or video footage is gathered with the intention of using it for commercial purposes, do need a special use permit. Application guidance for commercial...

Wildlife watching
Birding

More than 200 species of birds have been recorded here, most of which can be found in the refuge. In winter, the archipelago provides important habitat for sea ducks and other aquatic migratory birds, whose combined populations number well over a million bird and give Kodiak the greatest...

Boating - non-motorized
Many Fish and Wildlife Service sites make great destinations for flatwater canoeing or kayaking. Some sites have concessions that rent canoes or kayaks. Some sites offer scheduled paddle tours. See individual refuge websites for details.
Backpacking

Backpacking is allowed on the refuge. Permits may be required by other land owners at some sites for trails that access the refuge across non-refuge lands. Commercial activities occurring on the refuge require a refuge permit.

Birding
From bald eagles to spoonbills, from condors to puffins, birds abound on national wildlife refuges. Refuges provide places for birds to nest, rest, feed and breed making them world-renown for their birding opportunities.