PIGRHOGRBOCH
Photos by Jim DeWitt - Pine Grosbeak - Horned Grebes - Boreal Chickadee

Take A Hike

The Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary is a beautiful, 75-acre refuge that provides habitat for a variety of Interior Alaska’s wildlife. Located next to Wedgewood Resort and just minutes from downtown Fairbanks, the sanctuary offers a great opportunity for visitors to enjoy a quiet walk through the boreal forest.

This privately owned sanctuary features 1.5 miles of walking trails that are open to the public free of charge. 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.

More than 100 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. You can learn how they survive interior Alaska’s extreme climate by reading the 14 interpretive signs located along the trails.
arialview

Our Trails

The 0.7-mile Taiga Trail loops over Isabella Slough and through a mosaic of boreal forest habitats, including towering white spruce, a lovely stand of paper birch and aspen, and a small black spruce wetland. The trail also winds along the western shore of Wander Lake, where visitors can enjoy the view from the large observation deck.

Opening September 2009: The 0.8-mile Wander Lake Trail loops around a small lake that is being enhanced for wildlife. The trail passes by a beaver lodge, water meadow, photography blind and newly developed shallows designed to attract wading birds and provide rearing habitat for non-game fish living in the lake.

Sanctuary Rules

The sanctuary is limited to foot, stroller and wheelchair traffic. Please stay on the trails to avoid disturbing wildlife and delicate plants.

Prohibited: birding

  • Dogs—leashed or unleashed*
  • Bicycling
  • Swimming
  • Snowmobiles and 4-wheelers
  • Fishing, hunting, falconry, shooting or trapping
  • Alcohol or smoking
  • Picnicking, camping or bonfires
  • Fireworks
  • Collecting plants or insects without permission

* service dogs with proper identification and clean-up materials are allowedtrailmap

Click here to view a trail map

Questions? Contact Nancy DeWitt via email: projectsATfdifairbanks.com, phone: (907) 458-6112, or visit our Questions & Feedback page.