Visting the Refuge

How to Reach the Refuge

Travel by State Ferry

. . . on the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System , the only water "highway" in the National Scenic Byway Program

Refuge Naturalist as a Guide

Join our refuge naturalist aboard the state ferry M/V Tustumena on the Southwest Alaska route and experience marine wildlife, scenic coastlines, remote villages, World War II history and the natural wonders of coastal Alaska. Our naturalist will help you identify birds and marine mammals and will give programs several times a day on the natural and cultural history of the area.

Homer-Seldovia-Kodiak

The M/V Tustumena can take you from Homer to Seldovia and Kodiak several times a week in the summer. The Kodiak ferry passes through the seabird and sea lion haven of the Maritime Refuge’s Barren Islands and takes you to the home of the largest brown bears in the world on the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. The new Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center is located right near the ferry dock. Stop there for all your Kodiak questions and to learn more about the wildlife of this unique National Wildlife Refuge.

Homer-Kodiak-Dutch Harbor

Twice a month the ferry M/V Tustumena follows the Alaska Peninsula southwest to Dutch Harbor, on the Aleutian Island of Unalaska. The ferry passes through a paradise for seabirds seldom seen by travelers to Alaska. Five National Wildlife Refuges and two National Parks are along the ferry route. The ferry stops at a half dozen, rarely visited, Alutiiq and Aleut villages in route. The stop at Cold Bay, headquarters of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, includes, for lucky winners of the bus seat lottery, an two-hour bus tour of magnificent, bird rich, Izembek Lagoon with an added bonus of a chance to see bear, foxes and wolves. Unalaska Island offers a wealth of delights including a beautiful old Russian Orthodox cathedral, the Museum of the Aleutians, the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area, fabulous fishing, hiking trails and day tour boats to see nesting colonies of puffins or the rare whiskered auklet. The round trip voyage takes nearly 8 days from Tuesday night to Tuesday afternoon, or you can ferry one way and fly the other to spend more time in Unalaska. Click here for a list of this year's sailings (pdf). Our refuge naturalist on this ferry has prepared a suggested reading list (pdf) to help you get the most out of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska

Other ferries in the Alaska Marine Highway System serve Southeast Alaska. Although they do not approach the refuge islands of St. Lazaria, Hazy or Forrester, they are a means of sailing Alaska’s Inside Passage, watching for wildlife, and visiting the towns along the way. When you arrive in Sitka, you could take a day-tour-boat 15 miles to see the marine animals around St. Lazaria Island.

Last updated: April 26, 2011