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Although Western Alaska is well known for its celebrated rivers, lakes and national parks, a significant industry to the region is the rich salmon grounds of Bristol Bay. The world's largest source of red salmon provides an economic stability for the surrounding coastal village and towns. Commercial fisherman as well as guided and charter fishing boat enterprises can be found along most of the Bristol Bay corridor.
Dillingham and Bethel are the major towns for the western region. Dillinghan is located on Nushaghak Bay at the northern corner of Bristol Bay. Dillingham is home 2,450 residents with over 300 holding commercial fishing licenses. Twenty-five miles outside of Dillingham anglers enjoy world-class fishing on Lake Aleknagik and an historic Eskimo village.
Bethel lies 40 miles inland from the Bearing Sea and is located in the Yukon Delta National Natural Wildlife Refuge, largest in the United Sates. The 20-million acre refuge supports one of the largest migratory bird nesting grounds in the world and each spring the skies fill with thousands of ducks, geese and other waterfowl. The refuge is also home to bears, wolves, caribou, musk ox and moose. Bethel's predominant Yup'ik Eskimo residents still honor ancestral traditions and language. Learn about the traditions of the Alaska Natives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim campus and cultural center located in Bethel, plus enjoy several ceremonial dance festivals held throughout the year.
Western Alaska also offers visitors a national park, sanctuary and wildlife refuge to explore. Wood-Tikchik Natinal Park is the nations largest national park in the system encompassing 1.6 million acres of protected land. The park is a system of large, interconnected, clear water lakes. Towering peaks, alpine valleys and deep v-shaped arms give the park a spectacular fjord-like appearance on the western boundaries. The eastern portion looks out upon islands, gravel beaches and the expansive tundra of the Nushagak lowlands.
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is flanked by the inspring Ahklun Mountains to the north and the waters of Bristol Bay to the south. Within the refuge over 150,000 caribou from two herds along with wolves, moose, bears, red fox, wolverines, marmots and beavers that call the refuge home.
Accessed via Dillingham, Walrus State Game Sanctuary consists of a group of 7 remote islands that during summer draws in upwards to 14,000 walrus “haul-out” themselves onto the rocky beaches. Stellar seal lions are also prominent on several of the neighboring islands and a variety of whales feed in pods just offshore. The primitive islands only offer limited and regulated camping |
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