Becharof National Wildlife Refuge

Location/Size: West of Katmai National Park on the south coast of the Alaska Peninsula. 1.2 million acres (400,000 acres wilderness).

Main Activities: Fishing, hunting.

Gateway Towns/Getting There: King Salmon/scheduled air service from Anchorage. Refuge access: floatplane and charter air from King Salmon; water access from Ugashik and Egegik; south coast access via Shelikof Strait with oil camp trail leading to lake from Portage Bay.

Facilities, Camping, Lodging: No facilities. Primitive camping only.

Headquarters and Information: Refuge Manager, P.O. Box 277, King Salmon, AK 99613, 246-3339, http://becharof.fws.gov/index.htm, becharof@fws.gov.

Becharof Lake, Alaska’s second largest, covers about 25 percent of the refuge and is surrounded by low rolling hills, tundra wetlands, and volcanic peaks. Trees are found only in the southern coastal area, while to the north, tundra and brushy scrub dominate. The refuge is contiguous with Katmai National Park to the east and Alaska Peninsula Wildlife Refuge to the west. Huge numbers of salmon spawn in the refuge streams and rich wildlife populations are present, including brown bears and a caribou herd. It is a popular destination for hunters and fishers, generally to the exclusion of eco-travelers.

With Katmai on one side, Aniakchak Crater on the other, and Kodiak across the state, Becharof gets lost in the shuffle. Stillwater canoeing is possible on the lake, while river running is an option to the north on the Egegik and King Salmon Rivers. Contact the refuge manager for ideas on other explorations.