Walk the nature trails at Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary

The Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary is a peaceful, 75-acre reserve that is home to an impressive variety of Interior Alaska’s wildlife. Owned by Wedgewood Resort and adjacent to Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, the sanctuary offers a prime opportunity for visitors to enjoy a quiet walk or jog along 1.5 miles of nature trails. The trails are topped with compacted gravel, making them suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Benches located along the trail system provide plenty of opportunities for trail users to rest and watch for wildlife. The trails connect with over 5 miles of trails on Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge for a longer walk.

More than 110 bird species, 15 kinds of mammals, three species of fish, one amphibian and a wealth of insects and plants have been recorded in the sanctuary. These include migratory birds as well as hardy resident chickadees, gray jays, owls, flying squirrels, and moose. You can learn how plants and animals survive Alaska’s extreme climate by reading the interpretive signs located along the trails.

Explore the Boreal Forest

Our 0.8-mile Taiga Trail loops over Isabella Slough and through a mosaic of boreal forest habitats, including towering white spruce, a small black spruce wetland, and stands of paper birch, quaking aspen and stately cottonwoods. The trail also surrounds Wander Lake, where visitors can enjoy the view from our observation decks with benches and interpretive signs.

A Model Wetland

Wander Lake is a former gravel pit that Fountainhead Development has restored by excavating shallows, transplanting in fish and aquatic plants, removing invasive weeds, erecting nest boxes and creating islands for waterfowl. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has designated Wander Lake a model wetlands restoration project. A 0.8-mile trail loops around this tranquil lake, passing a beaver lodge, water meadow, photography blind and observation deck.

A Birder’s Paradise

Bird identification books can be found in each hotel suite and guestroom. These bird identification books are available for purchase in the Bear Essentials Gift Shop off the main lobby of Bear Lodge. The Alaska Bird Observatory located at Wedgewood Resort provides complimentary trail maps and bird checklists in their gift shop. You can also find bird checklists at the trailhead kiosk to the Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary.

Questions?

Contact Nancy DeWitt via email: projects@fdifairbanks.com or phone: (907) 458-6112.