Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
Anchorage Eco-Tour►
On our last day in Alaska, we took the Anchorage Eco Tour with Salmon Berry Tours. Our guide picked us up at our hotel and whisked us away to the William Jack Hernandez Hatchery, the Alaska Botanical Garden and the Campbell Creek Estuary.
Campbell Creek Estuary►
The Campbell Creek Estuary Natural Area protects thousands of migratory snow geese and hundreds of sandhill cranes that flock to the estuary and the adjoining wildlife refuge every spring. Some pairs of cranes stay all summer, nesting and raising their young in the estuary’s wetlands. Human activity disturbs snow geese and sandhill cranes. They require habitats kept in their natural state.
The Campbell Creek Estuary project began in 2010 when Great Land Trust purchased an old homestead and transferred it to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Natural Area Park. The 60-acre park includes a meadow, wooded areas, wetlands, and a walking loop trail. Spur trails lead to three viewing platforms that offer views of the estuary, coastline, and Turnagain Arm.
At the beginning of the loop trail, we encountered a moose. We kept a safe distance and waited until he’d moved off to continue down the trail. At the first viewing platform, our guide spotted some sandhill cranes in the distance through binoculars. But the best view of the birds we had was the sign at the entrance.
Anchorage Posts►
- Alaska Botanical Garden
- William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery
- Campbell Creek Estuary Natural Area
Location: 9520 Selkirk Dr, Anchorage, AK
Designation: City Park
Date designated/established: October 11, 2013
Date of my visit: June 7, 2022
How interesting. We left Anchorage in 2006, so I wasn’t aware of this Natural Area. Another reason to go back!
It is right next to another park. Nice to have so many natural areas in city limits
I recently saw a sandhill crane on the Yampa River in northern Colorado. Had no idea they nested here, but they do!
Cool! We saw some at Campbell Creek through our guide’s binoculars but they were so far from the platform they were little specks.
One of the neat things about Anchorage, where I lived for three years, were all of the natural areas incorporated in the city.
That is cool! So different from our urban areas in the northeast.