Facility Activities

Activities within the refuge are mainly activities that may require some experience being in a backcountry environment. Trails found within the refuge are mainly created by wildlife use. Activities that can be done on the refuge include, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, photography, wildlife watching, and wild edible foraging. 

Hunting

What's around the next bend of river? That's a question that many hunters ask themselves as they float through Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge. These hunters know that, at any moment, a moose may appear on a gravel bar or in the trees along the river's edge. Each fall, the moose concentrate...

Fishing

Access is by commercial airline from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Galena, then to Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge by charter aircraft or licensed fishing guide/transporter. The refuge encompasses numerous rivers and sloughs, and thousands of ponds and lakes. The largest rivers are the Yukon,...

Birding
From bald eagles to spoonbills, from condors to puffins, birds abound on national wildlife refuges. Refuges provide places for birds to nest, rest, feed and breed making them world-renown for their birding opportunities.
Wildlife watching
Many refuges champion wildlife viewing as a key recreational activity.
Wild edible foraging
Some refuges allow people to forage in designated areas for seasonal nuts, berries and mushrooms.
Photography
Whether you wield a smartphone or a zoom lens, you’ll find photo-worthy subjects at national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries. Wildlife photography is a priority public use on national wildlife refuges, so you’ll find wildlife drives and blinds and overlooks to help you get the images you’re after.
Backpacking
Backpacking is allowed, by permit, on some sites where trails that pass through a refuge are too long or remote to hike in one day.
Hiking
The Refuge System offers hundreds of miles of refreshing trails and boardwalks. Whether you want a short, easy walk or a challenging hike, you’re likely to find what you want. Some trails are paved and universally accessible. Some trails include displays on visual arts, local history and culture or environmental education.