Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

State: Alaska. Type: nonprofit wildlife sanctuary/landmark, located at Mile 79 Seward Highway in Portage Valley, near Girdwood. Founded in 1993 as the for-profit Big Game Alaska, converted to nonprofit status around 1999-2000, and took its current name in 2007. Home to roughly 20 species of rescued, orphaned, or injured Alaska wildlife across 200-plus acres. Paid general admission required.

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a nonprofit sanctuary in Portage Valley, along the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Girdwood, dedicated to caring for orphaned, injured, or otherwise non-releasable Alaska wildlife. Spread across more than 200 acres of habitat beneath the Chugach Mountains and next to Turnagain Arm, the center gives visitors a close, reliable look at animals such as brown bears, moose, wood bison, muskoxen, elk, lynx, and a resident bald eagle, species that can be difficult or impossible to see so clearly in the wild. The center began in 1993 as a for-profit operation called Big Game Alaska before converting to nonprofit status around the turn of the millennium and adopting its current name in 2007, reflecting a shift in mission toward conservation, education, and animal rescue rather than simple exhibition. One of its notable conservation projects has been a long-running wood bison program, part of a broader effort with state wildlife agencies to reintroduce the species to parts of Alaska after a century-long absence. Visitors typically explore via a roughly 1.5-mile loop that can be walked, biked, or driven, stopping at each habitat to read interpretive signage about the animals living there.

The center sits in Portage Valley at Mile 79 of the Seward Highway, roughly midway between Anchorage and Seward, and just a short drive from the town of Girdwood. Its setting places it directly beneath the Chugach Mountains and near Turnagain Arm, one of the world's most dramatic tidal inlets. Because it sits directly on the main highway connecting Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula, it functions as a natural, easy stop for road-trippers rather than requiring a separate detour.

Portage Valley shares south-central Alaska's cool, maritime-influenced climate, with mild summers and substantial precipitation, since the valley sits near the coast and beneath glaciated mountains that generate their own localized weather. Visitors should expect the possibility of rain or overcast skies even in peak summer, so a light rain layer is worth having regardless of the day's forecast. Winters bring heavy snow to the surrounding mountains and colder temperatures to the valley floor, and the center's hours and operations scale back accordingly outside the main summer season. Because the site is mostly outdoors along a walking loop, weather has a direct effect on visitor comfort, so dressing in layers is the safest approach.

The center is open year-round, but its longest hours, generally daily from morning into the evening, run from May through mid-September, making summer the easiest and most flexible time to visit. Winter visits are possible on a more limited schedule, typically a few days a week, and can offer a quieter experience with animals adapted to snow, such as muskoxen, looking their most at home. Because the loop is outdoors, a dry, mild day makes for a more comfortable visit at any time of year; check the center's current seasonal hours before planning a trip, since they are subject to change.

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center traces its roots to 1993, when Mike Miller founded a modest, for-profit operation called Big Game Alaska, initially built around a small collection of animals including bison and elk in Portage Valley. Over the following years, the operation's focus shifted increasingly toward the rescue and long-term care of orphaned and injured Alaska wildlife rather than simple public display, a shift formalized when the organization became a registered nonprofit around 1999 to 2000. In 2007, it adopted its current name, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, to better reflect its mission of conservation, education, research, and quality animal care. A signature project has been the center's role in a wood bison reintroduction effort launched in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, part of a broader initiative that eventually saw more than a hundred wood bison released back into western Alaska in 2015, restoring a species that had been absent from the state for roughly a century. Today the center manages more than 200 acres of its own land, supplemented by additional leased acreage through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, and has grown into one of the most-visited wildlife attractions in south-central Alaska, caring for around 20 different species as permanent residents and educational ambassadors.

The main activity is a self-guided walk, bike ride, or drive along the center's roughly 1.5-mile loop road, stopping at spacious enclosures to observe brown bears, black bears, moose, wood bison, muskoxen, elk, caribou, reindeer, lynx, foxes, coyotes, porcupines, and birds of prey including a resident bald eagle. Interpretive signs at each habitat explain the animal's natural history and, in many cases, the individual rescue story that brought it to the center. Some visits are timed around keeper talks or feeding times, which can offer more active animal behavior and a chance to ask questions. The center also offers educational programs, tours, and animal encounter experiences for visitors wanting a deeper or more guided experience, along with on-site dining options for a longer visit. Photography is popular throughout, given how close and reliably visible the animals are compared with wild sightings.

The bear habitats are typically a highlight, giving visitors a close and safe view of brown and black bears that would be very difficult to reliably see this well in the wild. The wood bison enclosure connects directly to the center's best-known conservation success story, the species' reintroduction to parts of Alaska after a long absence. The muskox habitat is another popular stop, showcasing an animal closely associated with Alaska's Arctic regions but rarely seen this close up by most visitors. Moose, elk, and Sitka black-tailed deer enclosures round out the larger mammal exhibits, while raptor habitats housing a bald eagle and a great horned owl appeal to visitors interested in birds. Bison Hall, the center's main building, also hosts educational displays and can be rented as an event venue, giving it a secondary role beyond the animal habitats themselves.

The center sits directly on the Seward Highway at Mile 79, making it an easy stop for anyone driving between Anchorage and Seward or the Kenai Peninsula; from downtown Anchorage, it is roughly a 45-minute to one-hour drive south. Girdwood and the Alyeska Resort area are just a short additional drive away, making it easy to combine a visit with a stay in that area. There is no public transit route running directly to the center, so most visitors arrive by personal car, rental car, or as part of an organized tour or shuttle package that includes the center as a stop. Some cruise lines and Anchorage-based tour operators include the center on day-trip itineraries heading toward Seward or Whittier.

Hours vary by month, with the longest hours (about 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the time of research) running daily from May through mid-September, and shorter, Friday-through-Monday hours the rest of the year; the center notes hours are subject to change, so confirm current times on its official website before visiting.

As of research (July 2026), the center's own website listed general admission at $30 for ages 13 and up and $26 for youth ages 4-12, with children 3 and under free and discounted rates for Alaska residents and military ID holders. Confirm current prices on the official site before visiting, since these can change.

Most visitors spend one to two hours walking, biking, or driving the loop and stopping at the various animal habitats, longer if joining a guided tour or encounter program.

The center itself does not offer overnight lodging, but nearby Girdwood, home to the Alyeska Resort, has a range of options from full-service resort lodging to smaller inns and vacation rentals, all within a short drive. Portage Valley itself has limited lodging directly on-site, so most visitors either day-trip from Anchorage, about 45 minutes to an hour north, or base themselves in Girdwood for easier access to both the center and the Seward Highway corridor. Travelers continuing toward Seward or the Kenai Peninsula can also find lodging further south along the highway.

The center itself offers on-site dining options for visitors during their stop. For a wider selection, nearby Girdwood has a small but well-regarded restaurant and cafe scene, including options geared toward both quick bites and more sit-down dining, benefiting from its role as a ski and summer resort town. Portage Valley itself has few independent restaurants beyond the center, so most visitors either eat on-site or continue on to Girdwood or Anchorage for a fuller range of choices.

Girdwood and the Alyeska Resort, just a short drive away, offer a tram ride up Mount Alyeska, hiking, and a small town center worth combining with a visit to the center. Portage Glacier and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, very close by along the same highway corridor, make a natural add-on for a half-day or full-day loop. Turnagain Arm, which the highway follows for much of the drive from Anchorage, is known for beluga whale sightings and dramatic tidal bore waves. Chugach State Park's southern trails, including the Crow Pass route, also connect this area back toward Anchorage for hikers.

The center is directly accessible by car along the Seward Highway, with no dedicated public transit stop; most visitors drive themselves, rent a car, or join a tour that includes it as a stop. The nearest airport with major commercial service is Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, about 45 minutes to an hour north by car. Girdwood, the nearest town with any lodging or services, is a short additional drive south. Because there is no scheduled train or bus service to the center itself, self-driving or a booked tour is the practical way to get there.

Although the center's animals are enclosed, they are wild species and should never be fed, touched, or approached beyond posted barriers. Because the loop is mostly outdoors, dress for the weather and expect walking on gravel and uneven ground in places. Traffic on the Seward Highway can be fast-moving, so take particular care when pulling into or out of the center's driveway and parking area. If visiting with young children, keep a close eye near enclosure fences and any water features along the loop.

Bring a camera or phone with a good zoom for photographing animals across the larger enclosures. Comfortable walking or biking shoes suit the 1.5-mile loop, and a rain layer is worth carrying given the valley's changeable weather. Cash or a card for admission and any on-site dining or gift shop purchases is useful, and sunscreen or bug spray can help on bright or buggy summer days.

Because the center sits right on the main highway between Anchorage and Seward, it works well as a rest stop and stretch-your-legs break on a longer road trip rather than requiring a dedicated day. Visiting earlier in the day can mean calmer traffic in the parking lot and potentially more active animals before the afternoon warms up. Combining the stop with nearby Girdwood or the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center at Portage Glacier makes efficient use of the same drive. Since admission is sold on-site and, per the center, does not sell out, spontaneous stops are generally workable, though it is still wise to check current hours before a special trip, since they change by month. Budget at least an hour, and consider two, if you want to read the interpretive signage at each habitat rather than just glancing at the animals.

For any emergency in the United States, dial 911. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center's own office can be reached at 907-783-0058 for visitor questions (source: alaskawildlife.org).

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (official site): https://alaskawildlife.org/

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.