Wynn Nature Center

Name: Alaska.org
Price range: $

Above Homer, up East Hill and right on Skyline Drive a mile and a half (a beautiful drive along the bluffs overlooking Homer), watch for the Wynn Nature Center, managed by the Center for Alaskan coastal Studies. You can stroll in the wilderness among the beautiful flora and watch for wildlife or take a tour guided by a well-informed naturalist.

The Wynn is one of the "birding hot spots" in the Homer area for forest and upland birds.

Facilities include a paved parking lot, the Daisy Lee Bitter interpretive log cabin, a covered pavilion, 800 feet of handicapped-accessible boardwalk including a trail for the visually impaired, a trail system with over five miles of trails, two viewing platforms, benches for resting along many of the trails, a staff yurt and a large deck off of the visitor cabin. The trail system makes up a small portion of the 140 acres of land that comprises the Wynn Nature Center, the rest of the land is managed as a wildlife refuge and provides an important undeveloped migration corridor for moose and black bears. For a guided experience, you can participate in a 1-1.5 hour educational guided hike. See rates below.

The Wynn Nature Center is well-known for the abundant beautiful wildflowers that bloom continuously throughout the summer. Signs of wildlife can be seen on the trails throughout the year. The diverse upland habitats encompassed by the Nature Center support several different plant communities typical of the transitional forest zone at the southern edge of the northern boreal forest.

The Center is staffed from mid-June until Labor Day with daily guided hikes and programs.

The Center is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in summer. It's open for winter recreation from October 1 to May 31. A daily user fee is charged that helps to support the educational programs that CACS offers year-round, but CACS members are admitted free.