Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges
Stretching along the southern edge of the Alaska Peninsula, these two refuges encompass nearly 6 million acres of towering mountains, glacial lakes, broad tundra valleys, and coastal fjords. Volcanoes dominate the landscape—14 in all, nine of them active—and the waters are known for their salmon and grayling. The world-record grayling, nearly five pounds (most weigh a pound or less), was caught at Ugashik Narrows in 1981. Remote and rugged, with the peninsula's signature unpredictable weather, the Becharof and Alaska Peninsula Refuges draw mostly anglers and hunters. Backpackers, river runners, and mountain climbers also occasionally visit.
Some people hike the Kanatak Trail in Becharof, a route between the Pacific Ocean and Bristol Bay via Becharof Lake that was used by people residing on the Peninsula for at least 1,900 years. Early Russian and American settlers continued using the trail and developed settlements on either end, and oil exploration in the 20th century brought people who settled in the Pacific Kanatak—they built unpaved roads on top of the old walking routes. The last residents left in the 1950s. If you walk the trail now, you'll see the remnants of the the old roads and trail, along with plenty of animals and no other humans. It's not a long hike—about 5 miles—but the weather, terrain, and other elements can be challenging, so come prepared.
