Kenai Peninsula Canoe Trails

Minimum Impact Camping

The Swan Lake and Swanson River routes receive thousands of canoeists during the summer season. Allow other visitors to enjoy a true wilderness experience--leave no trace of your visit.

€ Be thoughtful of other campers. Noise travels great distances across lakes.

€ Use a lightweight camp stove to cook meals. Do not cut living trees for bedding or other purposes. Wash dishes away from lakes and streams.

€ Camping is permitted along lake shores, however, most lakes have existing campsites with a fire ring. Use these campsites rather than pioneering a new site. If you must build a fire use an established fire ring and keep the fires small.

€ Bury human waste at least 100 feet from campsites.

€ Party size is limited to 15 persons to avoid wear and enlargement of wilderness campsites and to maintain the wilderness environment for all visitors.

€ If you wish to avoid other groups do not camp on the easily accessible lakes such as Spruce, Marten, Paddle, and Gene lakes as well as Swan Lake to Moose River portage.

€ Please do not destroy beaver dams. Beaver help maintain the water levels in lakes and streams.

€ Pack out all trash. Help us keep your lands clean!

For Your Health and Safety

€ Freeze-dried and other light weight foods are available at most local stores. Remember canned foods and bottles are heavy and all trash must be packed out. Take light snack foods and plan two cooked meals per day.

€ A single change of clothing with extra socks is adequate. Lake shores and portages are often wet and swampy so take rain gear and a lightweight tent or plastic tarp. Wear sturdy, waterproof footgear.

€ All occupants of canoes and other watercraft are required to have life preservers available.

€ Carry an extra paddle. Tie your gear to the canoe securely. If your canoe tips over, stay with it and work toward shore; it will float.

€ Be sure to register at the entrance. Leave word with friends where you are going and when you plan to be back.

€ Lakes can be dangerous during high winds and calm lakes can become rough in a short time. Don't take chances, stay close to shore, wear life jackets and watch the weather.

€ Boil or chemically purify water before drinking. Giardiasis, a waterborne intestinal disease is common in Alaska.

€ Please treat wildlife with respect and keep your distance. Moose and bears are protective of their young. It is dangerous to approach them especially during the spring and summer. Do not disturb nesting waterfowl or bald eagles.

€ Please refer to our Reference article Tips When Entering Bear Country to familiarize yourself with the proper precautions and procedures to use if a bear is encountered.

What To Expect

Climate and weather conditions are unpredictable. Generally, the months of June, July, August and September are cool and rain can be expected. Temperatures seldom rise above 70°F and sometimes fall to the 30's in the early morning.

Portages are generally short with traverse level or slightly hilly terrain. The longest portage on the Swan Lake route is about one-half mile long. The longest portage on Swanson River route is nearly one mile long. During wet weather some lowlands portages become muddy and soft; however, trails and portages are well marked.

Regulations

Hunting and fishing is permitted in accordance with state and federal regulations. Camping is allowed throughout the refuge.

Registration of canoeists is required at all three entrances. Group size is limited to 15 persons or less within the canoe system lakes. Commercial groups must obtain a Special Use Permit from refuge headquarters.

Discharging firearms is prohibited unless in conjunction with a state hunting season or laws concerning protection from wildlife.

Aircraft may not land on any lakes within the canoe system.

Motorized boats, motorized canoes or other motorized watercraft are not allowed on the canoe system lakes.

Wood for cooking fires may be gathered from the abundant supply of dead and down timber.

Do not cut green trees. Do not bury trash or garbage. Pack it out with you.

Be careful with fire. Peat and moss beds allow fire to creep underground that are especially hazardous. Build fires only in established fire rings and make them no larger than necessary.

Fireworks are prohibited!

Information on Maps

It is advisable to study topographic maps while on the canoe trails. Information on topographic maps is available from the U.S. Geological Survey (telephone: 907-271-4307, Anchorage, or 907-456-0244, Fairbanks). The quadrangles that cover the canoe routes are:

Swan Lake Route	Kenai C-2
Swanson River Route	Kenai C-2, C-3, D-2, D-3

An exceptional map containing all the canoe routes as well as a large portion of the surrounding area from Cook Inlet to Skilak Lake is entitled "Kenai Peninsula Road & Recreation Map" and is sold in most sporting goods and retail stores throughout the Kenai Peninsula area.

For additional information, contact:

Refuge Manager
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
P.O.Box 2139
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Phone: (907) 262-7021