Wildlife Spotting: Where Are the Best Places to Spot Alaska Wildlife?

When you make the trip to Alaska, wildlife is everywhere. All you have to do to get a good look at Alaska wildlife is take a look outside. Alaska, the final frontier, is one of the last places in America where nature and humans meet and mingle every single day.

But there are a few places in Alaska where you can get up close and personal with Alaskan wildlife like nowhere else. And if you’re planning a trip to this gorgeous wildlife hotspot, you have to keep reading. We’ve got all the insider info about where to truly experience Alaska wildlife, and we’re breaking it all down for you.

Denali National Park

Denali should be your first stop for all things wildlife when you visit Alaska. In fact, we’ll go so far as to say that you haven’t actually visited Alaska if you haven’t checked this place out. Denali is a massive spread of wildland full of places for you to hike, sightsee, and, best of all, see the wildlife that Alaska has to offer. This is one of the many areas of Alaska that doesn’t have a ton of human interference, so the animal life can run as rampant as nature intended. While you’re in Denali, check out Winder Lake by bus and then take a solo trek to Savage River early in the morning to catch sight of some moose friends.

Kenai Fjords National Park

If you’re in the mood to take a boat trip to see some more beautiful Alaska wildlife, Kenai Fjords needs to go on your itinerary.
On your trip to the Fjords and beyond, you’ll be able to catch sight of puffins and whales. And while you’re taking a look at the wildlife, you’ll be amazed at the glaciers that flow out of the Harding Icefield. While you’re at the national park, you can go hiking along the Harding Icefield trail, take a boat tour, or go on a tour with a Ranger.

Sitka

If you’re looking for a place with a rich history and lush wildlife, add Sitka to your list of places to visit in Alaska. Sitka is a fine place to see humpbacks later in the season after most of them have left other parts of Alaska. If you’re in the mood to bird watch, or at the least see an impressive flock of birds, you need to check Saint Lazaria Island out. Some other wildlife you can expect to see here are sea lions, otters, gray whales, killer whales, and minke whales.

Point Woronzof Park

Point Woronzof Park is an expanse of over 191 acres in Anchorage. This is another place in Alaska where you can spot some whales, which is a highlight of the area. However, you can also go hunting for bald eagle nests just south of Point Woronzof. If you’re there in the summer, you might get lucky and see some of the mature eagles in the trees.
Ravens are another staple of Point Woronzof Park and are active in December all the way through March.
Another great staple of this national park is the glorious moose. One of the best places in all of Alaska to reliably see a moose is in this park, and you might be able to catch them eating or getting ready for a little rest.

Kincaid Park

Kincaid Park is a great place to walk, hike, run, or ride a bike through the gorgeous Alaskan wilds. It’s a safe place to fish and paddle, practice archery, hunt, or ride motocross. There’s no shortage of wonderful things you can do in this park as far as sports go. However, that says nothing for the gorgeous wildlife that Alaska has to offer here. There are a ton of moose in Kincaid Park as well as black bears and bald eagles. Kincaid Park has both open glades and rough terrain, making it the perfect place for all of the forest animals in Alaska to roam. And, during high tide between Kincaid beach and Fire Island, you might be able to spot a beluga whale or two.

Potter Marsh

Potter Marsh boasts a 1,5000-foot boardwalk that stretches across the marsh, making a great spot to stop and watch the birds that decide to perch there. If you like birds, this is the place to visit. You can see any number of birds from Canadian geese to red-necked phalaropes. This is a popular place for eagles to make their nests as well. In other seasons, you might see some beautiful birds like yellowlegs or swans. Potter Marsh isn’t just good for bird watchers. If you’re interested in spotting some more of Alaska’s moose population, you have to stop here.

Eagle River Nature Center

Eagle River Nature Center is home to a hiker’s paradise. There are both short trails for less experienced hikers and longer trails for those who like to disappear for a little while. This is a great place to see all of the great wildlife that Alaska has to offer. And if you’ve got little ones in your group who want to get in on the sight-seeing action, this is the place for you. Eagle River Nature Center is good for viewing beaver, schools of salmon, bears, moose, foxes, and a whole host of other popular Alaska wildlife.

Add Seeing Alaska Wildlife to Your Bucket List

If being in the middle of nature surrounded by gorgeous wildlife is your idea of a good time, you need to book a trip to Alaska. There is a rich culture there surrounded by kind people and even more beautiful Alaska wildlife.
There’s no shortage of beautiful places to visit if you’ve got the time and the patience to get out there and look around for a while.
For more information about visiting Alaskan wildlife, contact us today!