Overview
A brief introduction to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is, in geologic terms, still quite "young," since its entire land mass was covered by glacial ice as recently as 10,000 years ago. Much of that frozen blanket still exists today, in the form of the more than 800-square mile Harding Ice Field, which the refuge "shares" with Kenai Fjords National Park.
The grudging withdrawal of the Harding Ice Field has helped to make the lands of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge a "miniature Alaska." Today, the refuge includes examples of every major Alaska habitat type. The refuge is an Alaska in miniature in its diversity of wildlife, as well. Sport fish bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the peninsula each year. Eager anglers can pursue chinook, sockeye, coho and pink salmon; as well as Dolly Varden char, rainbow trout, and arctic grayling. The refuge is also home to brown and black bears, caribou, Dall sheep, mountain goats, wolves, lynx, wolverines, eagles and thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl, not to mention the mighty Alaska-Yukon moose that the refuge was originally established (as the Kenai National Moose Range) to protect.
Today. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge's wealth of habitat, scenery and wildlife draws a half a million visitors a year, more than any other wildlife refuge in Alaska.
Beaver Creek (Dena'ina: Hkayitnu) is a stream located on the western portion of the Kenai Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. Beaver Creek flows approximately 10 miles from its source at Beaver Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to the Kenai River, approximately 4 river miles from the mouth of that river in the City of Kenai at Cook Inlet. The Dena'ina call the creek Hkayitnu, meaning "Tail River". Beaver Creek was the common name added to the USGS Geographic Names Information System in 1951.
ARE Kenai National Wildlife Refuge campsites SOLD OUT?
We can help! Many campsite reservations are cancelled daily. Just tell us when you’d like to camp at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll text you when a suitable spot opens up!
Scan for cancellationsContact Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
- Recreation.gov
- Booking site: https://www.recreation.gov
Spotted an error?
Whoops! Sometimes we make mistakes. Want to help improve the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge listing? Please suggest a correction.
Reviews
Camper reviews for Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Be the first to post a review of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge!
How was your visit to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge? Share your review of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and help fellow nature-lovers make an informed decision.
Post a reviewMap
View a map of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
UNABLE TO RESERVE A CAMPSITE?
Get notified when a sold-out campground has availability
Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!