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Kodiak Area State Parks Alaska Hero
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Kodiak Area State Parks

Kodiak Area State Parks

These state parks are located on Alaska’s largest island, home to the famous Kodiak brown bear.

At 3,670 square miles, Kodiak is Alaska's largest island and the country's second largest (after the Big Island of Hawaii). Scattered in and around Kodiak Island are six state parks and state recreation sites, offering a wide range of recreation opportunities including viewing World War II artifacts, renting a public use cabin, whale watching, bear viewing, and catching a trophy salmon.

The largest unit is 75,049-acre Afognak Island State Park, located 25 air miles north of the city of Kodiak, followed by 47,000-acre Shuyak Island State Park, 54 air miles to the north. Near the city of Kodiak are 186-acre Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, 168-acre Buskin River State Recreation Site, and Woody Island State Recreation Site, a 112-acre unit at the north end of Woody Island, just two miles east of downtown Kodiak by boat. Forty-five miles southwest of the city on the Kodiak road system is Pasagshak River State Recreation Site, a 20-acre park.

THINGS TO DO

Kodiak's most popular state park is Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park. The military fort was built in 1941 by the U.S. Army to protect Naval Air Station Kodiak and the Fort Greely Garrison from a Japanese invasion that never came. The fort sits majestically on the cliffs above scenic Monashka Bay. Visitors can explore the trails and World War II ruins through guided and self-guided walking tours. In early summer, visitors can watch whales migrate through Whale Passage. Fort Abercrombie also has 13 campsites designed primarily for tent campers (trailers and motorhomes have difficulty maneuvering on the narrow, rustic roads to the park).

Buskin River State Recreation Site is southwest of the city near the airport and features a 15-site rustic campground along with two picnic shelters, a nature trail, and good salmon fishing in the Buskin River. The Buskin River is one of the most productive fisheries on the Kodiak road system and features a handicapped-accessible fishing platform on the river. Hikers and bikers can explore the old military roads on the north side of the park.

Even further to the south is Pasagshak River State Recreation Site, created in 1980 to provide access to the lower section of Pasagshak River for fishing. The recreation site has a 12-site campground and is a popular spot for fishing for salmon and Dolly Varden.

Both Afognak Island State Park and Shuyak Island State Park are wilderness parks accessible only by float plane. There are few visitor facilities on the islands with the exception of three public use cabins on Afognak Island and four on Shuyak Island, plus a number of private fishing lodges. Visitors to these parks enjoy hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing, fishing, and backcountry camping.

Woody Island State Recreation site is accessible by boat 2 miles from downtown Kodiak and is a popular spot for kayaking and backcountry camping.

WILDLIFE

Kodiak Island is home to a wide variety of land mammals, many of which have been introduced, including mountain goats, Sitka black-tailed deer, reindeer, beaver, and snowshoe hare, along with Roosevelt elk on Afognak Island. The most famous of Kodiak’s wildlife is the Kodiak brown bear, a unique subspecies of brown bear that ranks among the largest bears in the world. Other wildlife that can be seen in the area are foxes, river otters, little brown bats, and muskrats. Gray whales, humpback whales, minke whales, sea lions, sea otters, and harbor seals are seen frequently along the coastline.

LANDSCAPE

Also known as “the Emerald Isle,” Kodiak Island’s spectacular coastal and mountain landscape is notable for its lush green vegetation – thanks to the maritime climate and high levels of annual precipitation. From the dense moss-covered Sitka spruce forests to the rolling alpine tundra to meadows blooming with wildflowers, visitors will find a variety of stunning landscapes among the island’s state parks. The undulating, rugged coastline is interspersed with beaches, inlets, islands, and sheer cliffs.

FACILITIES AND CAMPING

Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park has 13 campsites, picnic shelters, trails, and historical sites.

Buskin River State Recreation Site has 15 campsites, picnic shelters, hiking and biking trails, and a handicap-accessible fishing platform.

Pasagshak State Recreation Site has 12 campsites and 4 picnic shelters.

Afognak Island State Park has 3 public use cabins and hiking and biking trails.

Shuyak Island State Park has 4 public use cabins, hiking trails, and a ranger station.

GETTING HERE

Three parks are accessible from the Kodiak Island road system. Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park is 4.5 miles northeast of the city of Kodiak off Monashka Bay Road.

Buskin River State Recreation Site is four miles southwest of the city off Chiniak Road.

Pasagshak River State Recreation Site is 45 miles from town. The park is accessed by driving to Mile 30 of Chiniak Road and then heading south on Pasagshak Bay Road for 16.5 miles.

Afognak Island State Park is 25 air miles north of the city of Kodiak and Shuyak Island State Park is 54 air miles to the north. Both are accessible by chartered air taxis.

Woody Island State Recreation Site is two miles east of the city and is accessible by boat or kayak.

Learn more about things to do in the Kodiak area.

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