Alaska-2019 Trip Planner help

[socrdude]

We are flying into ANC on June 10th and driving to Homer. June 11th, we are going over to the Katmai area via small Aircraft/guide to photograph Brown bears w/Cubs.

We have Jun 12-13-14 open for other adventures in the area.

We plan to drive back to Anchorage on June 15th and take our time to see/Photo shoot along that journey, but dont know any hot spots to stop at on the drive back.

Any suggestions and this is from a guy whom lived in Anchorage/Eagle River in the late 70's but then its very much different today than then.

So any tips on places to see, stop, and are there opportunities to shoot Puffins out of Homer.
We may run over to Seward as a buddy of mine has a Fish Camp there as well.

thank you in advance.

I know its not enough days, but this is all the VAC my wife has so we do what we can with the time we have this trip, as we have Zion/Horse shoe/Bryce in Feb and the Canadian rockies in Sept 2019...

 

[drr1531]

While you're in Homer it's an easy drive(15-20min) to Anchor Point to check out the eagles. They hang out there waiting for the fishing boats to return and clean fish on the beach. I've not done it myself so can't give any more detailed information other than to go hang out at the mouth of the river/creek where they haul the boats when they return in the afternoon. It's active enough that some workshop leaders take groups there. You can also shoot eagles around the marina in Homer when the boats or walk the docks and look for a couple of resident sea otters and/or harbor seals. There might be boats that run eagle trips down there now. I know there are workshops that use charter boats down there but not sure if they also run day trips for the general public. I've never looked into it because I get all the eagle shooting that I want elsewhere. Might be worth researching a bit online.

There is a puffin rookery straight across Cook Inlet from Anchor Point. Not sure if there is anyone that runs trips over there from either Anchor Point or Homer. It's a very active rookery. Or at least was when I was there several years ago. It's a very isolated spot so I can't feature why it wouldn't be now. You might try searching the web to see if there are any day trips over there by either boat or plane.

Since you already know someone in Seward I'd stop in there for a night. There's good sea/shore bird/eagle opportunities just walking the shoreline there. There are also plenty of tour boat to go out for whales, glaciers, etc. If you plan to do that sort of tour I'd definitely go out of Seward vs Homer. If you guys are hikers you's also probably enjoy the hike out to Exit Glacier and if you're up to it go all the way up to the ice field beyond. It's pretty impressive. Probably an even chance of seeing a black bear on that hike.

While in Anchorage if interested you can stop by Potter's Marsh. The arctic terns will be there nesting and are very active that time of year. Rather than go to the normal visiting area/boardwalk it's better BIF shooting for the terns at a pullout beside the highway(northbound lane) about a mile south of the official visiting lot. It's also worth stopping at the boardwalk area for various waterfowl, shore birds, etc. There is also an eagles nest that has been active the past several years but it's too difficult to describe how to find it.

 

[socrdude]

thank you.. duly noted and printed out... appreciate it.. I moved there in 1975 and left 4 years later and have been back a few times to ANC and Kodiak but its been at least 10 years since we have been there.

 

[socrdude]

Maybe that is Gull Island, I found some info on that.. out of Homer

 

[drr1531]

Maybe that is Gull Island, I found some info on that.. out of Homer

The gull island tour is just a few minutes across the bay from Homer. Lots of sea birds there too. It's basically a huge rock with sheer sides all around. You have to shoot from the boat there. The one I'm thinking about is called Duck Island and is about 50 miles by water from Homer, 35 miles from Anchor Point. It's not far from Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark NP. There you can get out of the boat. I tried googling duck island tours and found nothing useful. There are a couple of lodges as Silver Salmon that do primarily bear viewing but will also take people down to Duck Island for the puffins. I thought maybe there were some who ran across from the mainland.

 

[socrdude]

thank you.. I did find a place that does take you out in a boat not to Gull but another place for Puffins...

 

[Mitchell]

I'm not really sure of the name of that island. It is a rookery for puffin and kittiwakes. We did take a boat ride around it from Silver Salmon Creek Lodge but the birds were all gone by September except for a lone, confused puffin. This was near the abandoned cannery.

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[socrdude]

thank you.. We are staying in Homer, but will visit my buddy Ron @ Ron Fayes Moose Creek Lodge on the Kenai side of things.