This 18-mile-long loop gravel road is the premier wildlife-viewing area on the Kenai Peninsula, and you'll get spectacular views of lakes and glaciers. Don't forget to stop and explore all the nature and wildlife around you!

Ken Tarbox is your guide to this area. Ken's a retired fishery biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He's lived in the area for 32 years and wouldn't change a thing about it.

Show Map

Road Guide

Ken Tar­box is your guide to this area. Ken’s a retired fish­ery biol­o­gist for the Alas­ka Depart­ment of Fish and Game. He’s lived in the area for 32 years and would­n’t change a thing about it. 

This 18-mile-long loop grav­el road is the pre­mier wildlife-view­ing area on the Kenai Penin­su­la, and you’ll get spec­tac­u­lar views of lakes and glac­i­ers. Don’t for­get to stop and explore all the nature and wildlife around you! 

Find­ing your lost pup­py is prob­a­bly eas­i­er than this. Under­stand how refuge staff try to bring moose back to an area. It’s not as sim­ple as putting up posters.

Small, water­front camp­ground on the shores of shim­mer­ing Ski­lak Lake. There’s a boat launch and fish­ing. Refer to ADF&G for regulations.

Check out this salmon-friend­ly habi­tat and learn why so many salmon spawn here annually. 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? On this lake it could be either. 

The cab­in is locat­ed on the north shore of Engi­neer Lake. The cab­in is south fac­ing over­look­ing the lake sur­round­ed by spruce and birch trees. Two bunk beds, table with bench­es, wood stove, broom, shov­el, water buck­et, fire extin­guish­er, estab­lished camp­fire ring, and outhouse.

Small, free camp­ground acces­si­ble from Ski­lak Lake Road with 3 sites. Anglers can fish for Dol­ly Var­den and land­locked salmon.

See the small body of water to the right? This is the upper end of Hid­den Lake. Find out what nat­ur­al changes have occurred to it over time. 

Out of ideas for what to do? Check out the log books at this cab­in to see who has stayed here and what they’ve done.

Cab­in in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge. The trail­head to the cab­in is locat­ed on the Ski­lak Lake Road, mile 7.5 from the east entrance junc­tion with the Ster­ling High­way. The cab­in is locat­ed .2 miles from the road on the Upper Ohmer Lake Trail. 

If you need a moment to your­self, this lone­some lake is a great place to find qui­et soli­tude – and some excel­lent rain­bow trout fish­ing. But that’s not all it’s great for. 

Difficulty: Moderate

Would­n’t it be nice to afford a sum­mer home one day? Well, most species of birds have both a sum­mer and win­ter home. Note which bird makes this lake its warm weath­er getaway. 

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 4 miles

Thou­sands of sock­eye salmon migrate up Hid­den Creek each year in late July and ear­ly August. With salmon come bears to feed on them. As you dri­ve through this area, you may be able to spot bears at the Ski­lak Road cross­ing of the creek near the Hid­den Lake Camp­ground turnoff. 

Camp out at this qui­et, clear­wa­ter lake, along Ski­lak Lake Road in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, where glac­i­ers once stood over 2,000 feet tall. There’s oppor­tu­ni­ties for fish­ing (and a boat launch) and a pic­nic area along the shore. All camp­sites are avail­able on a first-come, first served basis. 

Difficulty: Easy

If you’re a bird watch­er, you’ll love this half-mile trail of Aspen and Spruce forest.

Find out how the sock­eye salmon in this lake ben­e­fit from the clear waters.

Hav­ing trou­ble being effi­cient with all your resources? You could prob­a­bly take a les­son from the ecosys­tem found here. 

This 18-mile-long loop grav­el road is the pre­mier wildlife-view­ing area on the Kenai Penin­su­la, and you’ll get spec­tac­u­lar views of lakes and glac­i­ers. Don’t for­get to stop and explore all the nature and wildlife around you!