Alaska Wildlife Near Anchorage
Spot Dall sheep on the steep hillsides along Turnagain Arm
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Moose
Winter visitors have a great chance for spotting moose right in Anchorage, thought It's not unusual to find them munching on residents' shrubbery, or sharing city trails.
Dall sheep
Take a drive south along Turnagain Arm and spot Dall sheep on the steep hillsides - often right at the roadside at Windy Point. They are the only all-white wild sheep in the world
Bears
Journey into their territory on a bear-viewing charter to Kodiak Island, Brooks River or Katmai National Park. One-day fly-in adventures start right from Anchorage. Bears also live in neighboring Chugach State Park.
The safest places to see bears in Alaska is at the Alaska Zoo and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Caribou
Spotted mostly north of Anchorage. Denali State Park, Denali National Park & Preserve and along Denali Highway are all good areas to spot them.
Birds
The Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge ("Potter Marsh") is just 12 miles south of downtown. The 2,300-acre/920-hectare wetland serves as home or migratory stopover to more than 220 species of birds - including bald eagles, trumpeter swans, Canada geese and a broad variety of ducks. A boardwalk with interpretive displays educates bird watchers of all levels.
Whales
Beluga whales can be seen chasing salmon around Cook Inlet in front of Anchorage and down the Turnagain Arm. For orca, gray and humpback whales, the best bet is a charter boat tour from Whittier or Seward.
Marine Life
On a day or half-day glacier and wildlife cruise tour from Seward, summer or winter, see an amazing collection of marine mammals and seabirds - including orca and gray whales, porpoise, sea otters, seals, Steller sea lions, puffins and more.
Forest Critters
From wolf to river otters, hoary marmots to lynx, songbirds to woodpeckers...there are countless unseen creatures thriving in the surrounding forests and tundra.
Caution!
Even the friendliest looking animals are wild - and highly unpredictable. Keep your distance. Bring along a good telephoto lens for close-up photographs
