Alaska Vacation Home: Alaska Wildlife

Where to View Alaska Wildlife

South Central Alaskan Wildlife Hotspots

Most Everything up here is Big and Alaska Wildlife is no exception!

The combination of an estimated 60 grizzlies, 200 black bears, 1600 moose and two wolf packs - as well as 280,000 humans all living in and around the Anchorage area, makes Anchorage a very unique place.

Your visit here will be an exciting one and one that you will never forget.

To be clear, other than the moose, these animals aren't out and about for all to see. Odds are that you will not see a bear or wolf in the common areas Anchorage, especially if you are here for a limited time.

Anchorage is backdropped by the Chugach Mountains. The homes that are built up on the "Hillside" are the ones that have bear encounters more often than people in the busiest parts of Anchorage.

In fact, there are some pretty hefty fines for not securing ones trash cans, in Anchorage.

Bears love an easy meal!

Anchorage is Unique

In what other city in the United States can workers spend their lunch break hooking and reeling in a King Salmon? They do this at Ship Creek, right near the downtown Alaska Railroad depot.

In what other city do people share their neighborhoods, parks and streets with 1500 pound moose. These giant and beautiful animals are as much a part of Anchorage's identify as anything else.

Some Alaska Visitors are Surprised!

Some Anchorage visitors are surprised to know that such large animals, like moose and bear, roam Anchorge neighborhoods!

Others are disappointed that they aren't on every street corner waiting for their picture to be taken.

If you know where to look and are willing to spend the time to find them, you stand a good chance of seeing the assorted Alaska wildlife that roam Anchorage.

And no, I'm not talking about the zoo here!

Despite having lived in Alaska for almost seven years, I am still excited to see moose. They are huge and magnificent animals.

When we moved to Anchorage, it took a full week before we saw our first moose.

People from here are surprised when we tell them that though. We must have just scared them away!

I don't see moose everyday but I do see them quite regularly in our backyard.

Moose can be seen year round, but we see them even more in thewinter when many of them come down from the deep snow, in the mountains, seeking easier food supply.

Anchorage Area Wildlife Viewing Hotspots

Besides moose, here are some of the other Alaska wildlife that you should be on the lookout for!

There is never a 100% guarantee that you will see wildlife, except for at the Anchorage Zoo or the Alaska Wildlife Convervation Center, but here is a list of where I'd go looking for them at!

Black and Brown Bear: Seeing a bear is, no doubt, near the top of most every visitor's list of things to see while here in Alaska. There is no regular bear viewing areas in Anchorage, but the best places to see them are in the residential areas known as the "hillside".

Another place is the Eagle River Nature Center. Eagle River is "kind-of-sort-of" still Anchorage and is just north of Anchorage.