Vacations in Bethel, Alaska

Vacations in Bethel, Alaska
Bethel is 400 air miles from Anchorage, inside the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and on the banks of the Kuskokwim River in southwestern Alaska. Bethel is the Kuskokwim River's main port and a hub city for 56 native villages in the area. During the winter, Bethel is perfect for cross country skiing and dog mushing. The city is home to the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, a 300-mile round-trip race from Bethel to Aniak, a town to the northeast. With slightly more than 6,000 residents, Bethel is small, but it has a lot to offer vacationers who enjoy being outdoors.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is the largest refuge in the United States. The refuge contains more than 19 million acres of wilderness and is home to a variety of wildlife, including musk ox, caribou, bald eagles and black, brown and polar bears. Hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are available. You can hunt in any area of the refuge for big game and waterfowl. You can fish for five species of Pacific salmon, grayling and rainbow trout or you can try trapping some of the fur-bearing animals on the refuge.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
807 Chief Eddie Hoffman Road
Bethel, Alaska 99559
(907) 543-3151
yukondelta.fws.gov

Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures

Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures gives vacationers a true wildlife experience. Wilderness camping and fishing excursions depart from Bethel and go 65 miles by boat up the Kuskokwim River, where you will make camp for 3 to 5 days on the Kisaralik Stream. Visitors can fish at the campsite or take one of the daily guided tours up river for salmon and trout. Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures has three charter boats for fishing and bird watching. Bird-watching trips are available on the Gweek River. The trip takes you 40 miles up river to bird habitats, where you might see up to 60 species of birds and some mammals.

Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures
Box 1225
Bethel, AK 99559
(907) 543-3900
kuskofish.com/

PaPa Bear Adventures

PaPa Bear Adventures operates year round and caters to outdoor enthusiasts. Operators and guides will take you fishing for salmon and trout. Float and fly fishing and rafting adventures are available on eight rivers. Or rent all the equipment you need and design your own unguided hunting trip for Mulchatna herd caribou, Yukon moose or brown bears.

PaPa Bear Adventures
Box 2509
Bethel, AK 99559
(907) 543-5275
pbadventures.com

Resources

Article Written By Serena Brown

Serena Brown is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a bachelor's degree in communication. She has more than 17 years experience and has written for the MS Press newspaper and a variety of private clients.

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