Afognak Island State Park
Encyclopedia
Afognak Island State Park is a 75047 acres (30,370.5 ha) Alaska state park on Afognak Island in Kodiak Island Borough
, Alaska
in the United States
. Afognak Island is northeast of Kodiak Island
on the Alaska Peninsula
. Most of Afognak Island State Park is undeveloped. The park is known for its rugged topography
and wide variety of wildlife
. Afognak Island State Park is open to year round recreation including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Transportation is provided by float plane from Kodiak
to various areas around the park. It is on the northern and eastern ends of the island and surrounds Perenosa, Seal and Tonki Bays. It borders part of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
to the west.
s in the United States
in 1892, sixty-seven years before Alaska became the 49th state. It then called the Afognak Island Forest and Fish Culture Reserve. This classification allowed for the conservation of wildlife and salmon
habitat. It was reclassified in 1908 as part of Chugach National Forest
. The property was transferred in 1980 to native corporations as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
. The establishment of Afognak Island State Park occurred in 1994 when 41549 acres (168.1 km²) were sold to the state as parklands to restore and protect habitat in the wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
. An additional 33498 acres (135.6 km²) were added to the park in 2001 with funding from the Valdez case to protect more habitat.
and provides spawning
grounds for a variety of salmon
. Sitka Deer
, Kodiak Bear
, Roosevelt Elk
and Marbled Murrelet
are just a few of the animals that can be seen at the park.
flight from Kodiak
. Once Pillar Lake freezes the cabin is not accessible until the lake thaws. There are no developed trails in the Pillar Lake area. A beach on the ocean is a short distance away. Dolly Varden trout
are found in the lake. There are no salmon streams in the area.
Laura Lake Cabin is a 35 minute flight from Kodiak. It is on the northern edge of the island near Pauls Bay. Once Laura Lake freezes the cabin is not accessible until the lake thaws. Laura Lake is a three mile (5 km) long lake that is at the center of a productive salmon spawning system. The spawning salmon attract bears that must be avoided for safety reasons.
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ** Barren Islands** Semidi Wilderness*** Semidi Islands** Trinity Islands*** Sitkinak Island*** Tugidak Island...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Afognak Island is northeast of Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
on the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
. Most of Afognak Island State Park is undeveloped. The park is known for its rugged topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
and wide variety of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
. Afognak Island State Park is open to year round recreation including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Transportation is provided by float plane from Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
to various areas around the park. It is on the northern and eastern ends of the island and surrounds Perenosa, Seal and Tonki Bays. It borders part of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska, United States....
to the west.
History
What is now known as Afognak Island State Park was established as a one of the first conservation areaConservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1892, sixty-seven years before Alaska became the 49th state. It then called the Afognak Island Forest and Fish Culture Reserve. This classification allowed for the conservation of wildlife and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
habitat. It was reclassified in 1908 as part of Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest
-External links:*****...
. The property was transferred in 1980 to native corporations as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 23, 1971, the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in...
. The establishment of Afognak Island State Park occurred in 1994 when 41549 acres (168.1 km²) were sold to the state as parklands to restore and protect habitat in the wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
. An additional 33498 acres (135.6 km²) were added to the park in 2001 with funding from the Valdez case to protect more habitat.
Ecology
Afognak Island State Park is in near pristine condition. Just a small section of the park near Seal Bay was logged in the 1990s. The park is home to an old-growth forest of Sitka spruceSitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...
and provides spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
grounds for a variety of salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. Sitka Deer
Sitka Deer
The Sitka deer or Sitka black-tailed deer , is a subspecies of mule deer , and similar to another subspecies the black-tailed deer . Their name originates from Sitka, Alaska. Weighing in on average between , Sitka deer are characteristically smaller than other types of black-tailed deer...
, Kodiak Bear
Kodiak Bear
The Kodiak bear , also known as the Kodiak brown bear or the Alaskan grizzly bear or American brown bear, occupies the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in South-Western Alaska. Its name in the Alutiiq language is Taquka-aq. It is the largest subspecies of brown bear.- Taxonomy :Taxonomist C.H...
, Roosevelt Elk
Roosevelt elk
The Roosevelt elk , also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk in North America...
and Marbled Murrelet
Marbled Murrelet
The Marbled Murrelet is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the auk family. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow...
are just a few of the animals that can be seen at the park.
Recreation
There are two cabins available for rent at Afognak Island State Park. Pillar Lake Cabin and Laura Lake Cabin are near their namesake lakes. The lakes are remote. Pillar Lake Cabin is a 20 minute floatplaneFloatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
flight from Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
. Once Pillar Lake freezes the cabin is not accessible until the lake thaws. There are no developed trails in the Pillar Lake area. A beach on the ocean is a short distance away. Dolly Varden trout
Dolly Varden trout
The Dolly Varden trout, Salvelinus malma malma, is a subspecies of anadromous fish in the salmon family, and is technically a char. Although many of the fish are anadromous, the fish also exists in landlocked waters.- Range :The subspecies S. m...
are found in the lake. There are no salmon streams in the area.
Laura Lake Cabin is a 35 minute flight from Kodiak. It is on the northern edge of the island near Pauls Bay. Once Laura Lake freezes the cabin is not accessible until the lake thaws. Laura Lake is a three mile (5 km) long lake that is at the center of a productive salmon spawning system. The spawning salmon attract bears that must be avoided for safety reasons.