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.

Driving from Anchorage, take the Seward Highway south to the Sterling Highway; the eastern refuge boundary is at milepost 55 of the Sterling Highway. Another five miles from the boundary is a Visitor Contact Station (open from Memorial Day through Labor Day) and the west entrance to the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area. Continuing on to Soldotna will bring you to the refuge visitor center and headquarters, which is found by taking a left onto Funny River Road, then turning right (before the hardware store) onto Ski Hill Road.