Carl E. Wynn Nature Center

The feel

The Wynn Nature Center is a 140-acre preserve on the top of a bluff 1,200 feet above Kachemak Bay, at 62890 Skyline Drive.

The preserve protects critical moose habitat and the headwaters of Bridge Creek. The trails can be uneven, muddy and slippery, but most have no major elevation gain or loss. In winter, visitors see snowshoe hares and moose. The campus also includes a Visitor Center in a renovated homesteading cabin, the Daisy Lee Bitter Outdoor Learning Space and the Elliott Fischer Viewing Platform.

What to expect

What it is

A 140-acre preserve with about four miles of trails, an 800-foot wheelchair accessible boardwalk, an interpretive trail for the visually impaired, and the Elliott Fischer Viewing Platform.

Crowds and best time

Summer programs include Bird Walk Saturdays 9am to 10:30am, Wildlife Walk Sundays 10am to 11:30am, and a Poisonous and Edible Plants Walk Saturdays and Sundays 2pm to 3:30pm.

Fees and passes

Non-members pay a small general admission fee in summer; members and donors are free, and Sundays are free for all visitors. Trail use is free from October 1 to May 31.

Dogs

Not permitted in summer due to wildlife presence. In winter, dogs are allowed on leash.

Hazards

Trails can be uneven, muddy and slippery.

Season and access

The Visitor Center is open daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from mid-June through Labor Day and closed from Labor Day until early June.

Mingo says

Come in early spring if you want owls, which are most active then. Go on a Sunday to skip the summer admission fee.

Before you go

• Leave dogs at home in summer; in winter they are allowed on leash.
• Call the nature center at (907) 756-3877 before you go.
• Wear shoes for mud and uneven ground.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.