Kenai Peninsula National Canoe Trails

"A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." With these words, the Congress of the United States defined the general characteristics of a wilderness area. The Kenai Canoe Trails is one of only two wilderness canoe systems established in the United States (the other being Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota). These trails are located within the northwestern section of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, an area of 1.3 million acres, established by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 for its outstanding wildlife and recreational values.

The Kenai Canoe Trails are divided into two systems, the Swan Lake and Swanson River Canoe Routes. The Swanson River Canoe connects 40 lakes with 46 miles of the Swanson River. In total, the Swanson River Canoe Route forms a trail system of just over 80 miles in length.

The Swan Lake System has 30 lakes that link with the Moose River in an interconnecting system of waterways and portages. This forms a canoe route of about 60 miles, though many shorter excursions are possible and even likely. This is the more popular system.

Before starting out, check the water level with Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office. Low water can make the first several miles of the river nearly impassable. Brochures and maps can be found at the National Wildlife Refuge Office. The maps can be helpful in finding the portage routes that are unobtrusively marked.

Though good primitive campsites are available at most lakes they are generally some distance from the river bank through boggy conditions. Cutting trees for firewood is prohibited and if conditions are dry fire may be completely restricted. Consider packing a camp stove for this area. Also be sure to take rubber boots since lakeshores and portages are often wet and marshy.

No motorized vehicles are allowed in this part of the refuge, this includes motors on canoes or other boats.

This area contains thousands of other lakes which are seldom explored or even seen. The contour of this land is generally a flat to gently undulating topography of ancient glacial deposits. The lakes drain either directly or indirectly into two systems, the Moose and Swanson Rivers. These are both shallow streams, following meandering paths through poorly-drained swamps and muskeg flats. Both the Moose and the Swanson River also offer interesting floating possibilities.