Facility Activities

Youth Education Programs

A boy in a blue raincoat holds a paper fish in the air
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Salmon Camp

Register for the 2022 Salmon Camp lottery now! (Closes April 3rd, 5pm)

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. Registration for the camp is done through a lottery in March. After the lottery, any remaining spaces are available on a first come first served basis.

More Information and Registration

Happy Trails

For explorers of all ages and their families. Saturdays from June-August we’ll have outdoor adventures for children of all ages and their families.  We meet at a different place each week.  

FUN Program

The FUN program is designed for ages 3-5 and their families. During the winter, we meet every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. at the Visitor Center. 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.

Contact Education Specialist Shelly Lawson at michelle_lawson@fws.gov or (907) 487-0283.

 

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...

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, by permit, on some sites where trails that pass through a refuge are too long or remote to hike in one day.
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.