The Swanson River ( Dena'ina : Yaghetnu ) is a stream, 40 miles (64 km) long, on the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska in the United States. Beginning at Gene Lake in the Swanson Lakes district, it flows southwest then north to Number Three Bay on the Gompertz Channel of Cook Inlet .
16-698: The majority of the river's course lies within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge . In its lower reaches, it passes through the Swanson River Oil Field east of Nikiski before turning sharply north. Near its mouth , it flows through Captain Cook State Recreation Area and under Kenai North Road to enter Cook Inlet. Swanson River and the many lakes around it are popular places for trips in light canoes and kayaks. Two canoe trails involve lakes and streams rated Class I (easy) on
32-721: A dearth of good campsites. It is possible to float the Swanson River itself from the outlet at Gene Lake to the North Kenai Road bridge. A shorter float goes 19 miles (31 km) by river from Gene Lake to Swanson River Landing near Swan Lake Road and the Rainbow Lake Campground. The Swanson system of lakes and streams supports large populations of game fish . The main species are silver salmon , rainbow trout , and Arctic char and Dolly Varden. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
48-419: A mile. The portages, which may cross swampy ground, vary from easy to difficult. In addition to boggy terrain, hazards include wind-driven waves, mosquitoes, and a dearth of good campsites. It is possible to float the Swanson River itself from the outlet at Gene Lake to the North Kenai Road bridge. A shorter float goes 19 miles (31 km) by river from Gene Lake to Swanson River Landing near Swan Lake Road and
64-718: Is a 1.92-million-acre (7,770 km ) wildlife habitat preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska , United States. It is adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park . This refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range , but in 1980 it was changed to its present status by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act . The refuge is administered from offices in Soldotna . The Kenai Wilderness protects 1,354,247 acres of
80-485: The International Scale of River Difficulty . The Swan Lake Route of 60 miles (97 km) includes 30 lakes with portages of up to 0.5 miles (0.80 km). The Swanson River Route, 46 miles (74 km) long, crosses 40 lakes and requires portages of up to a mile. The portages, which may cross swampy ground, vary from easy to difficult. In addition to boggy terrain, hazards include wind-driven waves, mosquitoes, and
96-515: The Kenai River , and the refuge is a popular destination for fishing for salmon and trout . The refuge has several campgrounds and boat launches, including two developed campgrounds, one at Hidden Lake and another at Skilak Lake , both accessible from Skilak Lake Loop Road, which intersects the Sterling Highway at both ends. Other less-developed campgrounds and campsites are accessible from
112-540: The Shanta Creek Wildfire , which burned over 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of Refuge land before it began moving toward populated areas outside of Soldotna and was aggressively fought to keep it from endangering these areas. The Funny River Fire , a human-caused fire that began on 19 May 2014, had burned largely in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. During firefighting activities, a wolf den
128-482: The Sterling Highway and the Refuge's Skilak Lake Road, the only roads allowing access to towns on the lower Kenai Peninsula. In total 167,164 acres (67,649 ha) were burned before it was contained, but no structures were destroyed and there were no deaths. Swanson River The Swanson River ( Dena'ina : Yaghetnu ) is a stream, 40 miles (64 km) long, on the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska in
144-557: The Sterling Highway, Skilak Loop Road, Swanson River Road, and Swan Lake Road, the latter of which do not require fees to access. Since 2005 the refuge has offered 16 cabins for public use via a reservation system, with some cabins accessible only via boat. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has multiple small canoe systems linking lakes or groups of lakes. It further possess two larger canoe trails, which link large networks of lakes and rivers, often via portages . The most popular,
160-857: The Swan Lake Canoe Trail, travels 60 miles, beginning at Canoe Lake (the west entrance), and terminates alternatively at Portage Lake (the east entrance) or the confluence of the Moose and Kenai rivers in Sterling . The longest, the Swanson River Canoe Route, spanning 80 miles, begins either at Paddle Lake or Gene Lake, and ends where the Swanson River meets the Cook Inlet at Captain Cook State Park . There are over 110 miles of hiking trails in
176-686: The United States. Beginning at Gene Lake in the Swanson Lakes district, it flows southwest then north to Number Three Bay on the Gompertz Channel of Cook Inlet . The majority of the river's course lies within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge . In its lower reaches, it passes through the Swanson River Oil Field east of Nikiski before turning sharply north. Near its mouth , it flows through Captain Cook State Recreation Area and under Kenai North Road to enter Cook Inlet. Swanson River and
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#1732847841526192-438: The area of Skilak Lake Road. Naturally occurring wildfires are seen as beneficial in the long run for boreal forests, and so many areas of the Refuge are classified as limited suppression areas and fires may be allowed to burn unchecked so long as they do not move toward populated areas or Refuge facilities. In any given year there is a high likelihood of several small fires burning within the refuge. In 2009 lightning ignited
208-410: The many lakes around it are popular places for trips in light canoes and kayaks. Two canoe trails involve lakes and streams rated Class I (easy) on the International Scale of River Difficulty . The Swan Lake Route of 60 miles (97 km) includes 30 lakes with portages of up to 0.5 miles (0.80 km). The Swanson River Route, 46 miles (74 km) long, crosses 40 lakes and requires portages of up to
224-469: The refuge as wilderness area . There is a wide variety of terrain in the refuge, including muskeg and other wetlands, alpine areas, and taiga forest. The refuge protects several large mammals, including wolf packs, brown bears , black bears , dall sheep , moose , Canadian lynx , and caribou , as well as thousands of migratory and native birds. There are numerous lakes, including two very large lakes, Skilak Lake and Tustumena Lake as well as
240-399: The refuge, accessed from the Sterling Highway, Skilak Lake Loop Road, Swanson River Road, various campgrounds, and the refuge visitor center and headquarters. These hikes range from difficult, multi-day back-country hikes to easier, short paved-trail walks. As with most national wildlife refuges, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is open to hunting with certain restrictions, in particular in
256-573: Was damaged by a bulldozer and 5 pups (3 males and 2 females) were rescued by firefighters. The pups were taken to the Alaska Zoo and were later transferred to the Minnesota Zoo . In 2019, lightning again ignited a major wildfire, named the Swan Lake Fire , and again it was allowed to burn unchecked for some time, until it began to threaten the communities of Sterling and Cooper Landing , as well
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