The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is located in Portage Valley and is surrounded by the breathtaking Chugach Mountain Range and Turnagain Arm Inlet. Located at Mile 79 …
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is located in Portage Valley and is surrounded by the breathtaking Chugach Mountain Range and Turnagain Arm Inlet. Located at Mile 79 of the Seward Highway, AWCC is a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through conservation, education, research, and quality animal care. AWCC takes in orphaned and injured animals year-round and provides them a forever home. The sanctuary maintains over 200 acres of spacious habitats for resident animals to feel at home displaying their natural wild behavior as education ambassadors for their species. It is common for visitors to see brown bears swimming, moose strutting, wood bison roaming, muskox playing, wolves posing, porcupines climbing, and more!
Reviews
Tripadvisor
4.5/5 · 3,929 reviews
5-star
65%
4-star
20%
3-star
10%
2-star
2%
1-star
3%
Recent reviews
Wildlife
Tours
Weather
Time
Kid Friendly
Price
Season
Scenic
Any rating
Loading reviews...
May 5, 2025
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is awesome! See bears, moose, and more in a natural habitat. Great for all ages and super educational. Don't miss it!Full review by marioq646
Apr 30, 2025
This is my second trip to the Conservation Center. This time, April 2025, wasn't as good as my previous trip. It was cold and rainy so many animals were in hiding. The animals are all rescued and t…Full review by Robin B
Apr 18, 2025
Terrible day to visit, cold, windy and a little snow but oh my what an experience, highlight was the grizzly bear came out to playin the snow,that plus several other animal sightings made it a fantas…Full review by Andrew P
Curious to know what dining options there are on site or nearby, we’ll be driving from Anchorage and then continuing south to Homer. Someone mentioned a food truck, but I don’t see anything on their website. What would be the closest town/s for grabbing lunch? Thanks
A:
Hi, when we visited in late September there was a food truck onsite and grab-to-go snack options. All outdoor, not much seating. I’d probably go prepared with your own snacks or …
Hi, when we visited in late September there was a food truck onsite and grab-to-go snack options. All outdoor, not much seating. I’d probably go prepared with your own snacks or eat before/after visiting.
Hi - website isn't working for me. I understand it's a 1.5 mi road. Do I just walk/drive through it? What can we we do/see. Thanks
A:
You can drive it or you can walk. We walked parts of it. We were part of a tour so the van dropped us at one spot and picked us up at the entrance/exit. I also saw cars just driving through …
You can drive it or you can walk. We walked parts of it. We were part of a tour so the van dropped us at one spot and picked us up at the entrance/exit. I also saw cars just driving through the loop. If driving you could stop to get out and take pictures. The center is home to many animals (bison, musk ox, deer, etc.) The loop takes you by their enclosures.
Our daily animal programs are as follows: Programs#TAB#Time#TAB#Location Birds Words#TAB# 9:30 am#TAB#Behind the Gift Store Bear Necessities#TAB#11:30 am#TAB#BEARS Boardwalk Porcupine Chat#TAB#12:30 pm#TAB#In front/behind Gift Shop Say “Hi” to Kobuk#TAB#1:30 pm#TAB#Kobuk’s Enclosure Meet the Foxes#TAB#2:30 pm#TAB#Behind the Gift Shop/Red Barn Bears’ Business#TAB#3:30 pm#TAB#BEARS Boardwalk Meet the Wolves#TAB#4:30 pm#TAB#Wolf enclosure
If I take the train to the Whittier cruise terminal, is there any way to get to the Center for a visit? Rental cars are sold out from Anchorage and from Whittier and I was trying to avoid taking a shuttle bus from Anchorage, even though I know many include a stop at the Center. Thanks for any suggestions!
A:
There's no tours that I saw from Whittier to the center and back. Between the two is a one way tunnel through a mountain that you can wait an hour or more to go through. If you're …
There's no tours that I saw from Whittier to the center and back. Between the two is a one way tunnel through a mountain that you can wait an hour or more to go through. If you're staying in Anchorage, you can always get a car or take a tour to visit from Anchorage. It's within an hour from there.
Oops! Something went wrong, Please try again after a few minutes
Frequently asked questions
Q:
What is AWCC?
A:
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is located in Portage Valley and is surrounded by the breathtaking Chugach Mountain Range and Turnagain Arm Inlet. Located at Mile 79...
Save
Share
More
