| Community
Information
The
Southwest region of
Alaska covers over
62,000 square miles
of land and is accessible
only by air and water.
The area is divided
into five sub-regions:
Kodiak Island, Bristol
Bay, the Alaska Peninsula,
the Aleutian Chain,
and the Pribilof Islands.
These sub-regions are
home to fifty communities
with over 30,000 residents
and possess many unique "Alaskan" features
and attractions of
great interest to potential
tourists. However,
visitation to this
region is often constrained
due to the high costs
associated with travel
and unpredictable weather
conditions.
Katmai
National Park, world-renowned
for its bear viewing at Brooks
Falls, is located on the
Alaska Peninsula and provides
excellent fishing and wildlife
viewing opportunities. South
of Katmai National Park are
the Becharof and Alaska Peninsula
National Wildlife Refuges.
Sport fishing and hunting
are the primary recreational
activities within both of
the refuges, however, unique
attractions exist in each
area, such as archeological
sites in the Becharof refuge
and the Veniaminof volcano
in the Alaska Peninsula refuge.
Situated within this region
is the Alaska Maritime National
Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses
4.9 million acres and contains
more than 2500 islands islands.
This refuge is considered
one of the world's most diverse,
productive marine habitats
and is home to an incredible
assortment of seabirds, migratory
birds and marine mammals.
To the east of the Alaska
Peninsula lies Kodiak Island,
Alaska's largest island and
home to the Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge. This 1.9-million
acre refuge contains a vast
array of natural landscapes,
ranging from the forest-covered
Afognak Island in the northeast
to the tundra at the island's
southwest tip. |
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Southwest
Alaska is steeped in world
history and native heritage
as well. The area is home
to many former military
sites and contains artifacts
and
remnants from early Russian
America, World War II and
the Cold War era. The region
is home to four Native
Alaska groups: Aleut, Yup'ik, Athabaskan
and Alutiiq. On Kodiak Island,
for instance, the Alutiiq
culture dates back nearly
8000 years as a seafaring
people, and today many archeological
sites have been uncovered
that illustrate their history.
The Pribilof Islands are
home to the world's largest
Aleut community and still
demonstrate the Russian influence
on culture and lifestyle.
And, in the Bristol Bay region,
visitors may tour museums
and historic sites which
showcase a mix of the area's
three Alaska Native cultures.
Location
Southwest
Alaska is comprised of five
subregions: Kodiak Island,
Bristol Bay, the Alaska Peninsula,
the Aleutian Chain and the
Pribilof Islands. Accessibility
varies by community, however
most subregional "hubs" and
many smaller communities
receive daily air service.
Kodiak Island has an inland
road system with over 140
miles of state road connecting
communities on the eastern
side of the island. Southwest
Alaska as a whole is also
serviced by the Alaska Marine
Highway System, a state-run
ferry whose 8000-mile route
has been designated a National
Scenic Byway. In Southwest
Alaska, the ferry sails from
Kodiak to Unalaska/Dutch
Harbor in the Aleutians,
making stops in several communities
(i.e. Chignik, Sand Point,
Cold Bay, etc.) along the
way. Additional
Resources
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