Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center - Girdwood, Alaska

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a renowned wildlife refuge, animal park, and protection organization located in Girdwood, Alaska. The center's mission is to preserve and rehabilitate Alaska's wildlife, providing a safe haven for injured and orphaned animals. With a website (alaskawildlife.org) and phone number (9077830058), it is easily accessible for visitors to plan their trip.

The AWCC is situated at 43520 Seward Hwy, Girdwood, AK 99587, United States, making it an ideal stop for tourists traveling along the Seward Highway. The center is known for its specialized services, such as wildlife rescue and research, making it a valuable resource for animal lovers and researchers alike.

The center offers a variety of on-site services, including wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance, and toilets. It boasts a family-friendly atmosphere with hiking trails, picnic tables, and a playground, providing entertainment for both children and adults. Notably, the AWCC is a LGBTQ+ friendly and transgender safe space, ensuring a welcoming environment for all visitors.

In addition to its on-site amenities, the AWCC offers numerous opportunities for interaction with wildlife, including up-close animal encounters, guided tours, and educational programs. The center's focus on wildlife rehabilitation makes it a unique and inspiring destination for visitors seeking to learn more about Alaska's diverse wildlife.

With 5912 reviews on Google My Business and a 4.7/5 average opinion, the AWCC has garnered widespread acclaim for its dedication to animal welfare and conservation. The center's commitment to providing a safe and educational environment for both animals and visitors has solidified its reputation as a must-visit destination in Alaska.

Reviews of Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Scott Riddle

4/5

I will start by saying that the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is pretty neat. There are quite a few different animals that are local to the area. My biggest issue is accessibility for the disabled. Nothing is paved, there are a lot of holes and mud on the walking paths, which restricted the viewing areas for my significant other. It was an interesting experience, but beware of the accessibility issues. I’m also not sure that it’s worth what the cost per person is. It’s worth doing once, but that’s about it.

Elizabeth Angasan

5/5

Had such a great time there. We took a small school group there for a field trip. It was a fun and educational experience. If visiting in the fall, do come prepared for cold or rainy weather. Some of our kiddos had cold hands/ wet feet. Overall, it was fun and memorable. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and worked well with our different age groups.
The gift shop was nice and there was also some food for purchase on-site.

Tim Slaby

5/5

This place is great! Please wear boots or good walking shoe as the terrain is uneven. I recommend not taking a tour. You can drive through the park if you'd like but you may miss some of the close encounters. The best part is walking around exploring on your own and not being rushed. One of the highlights is the drive from Anchorage. The coastline is stunning. Loved seeing the animals up close.

Mary Scientist06

5/5

The Denali preserve was open, clean and "folksy". The gift shop served hot drinks including hot chocolate! There's a QR code scavenger hunt to challenge your children and very friendly guides who explain that famous question .. does a bear $$/t in the woods. Fun for us. Travel further up five hours by car or 35 minutes by plane to Fairbanks and catch the Northern Lights.

Daniel Adams

5/5

Visited late August 2024. $50 admission for two adults. Well worth the drive and admission cost. You have the option to drive around the property or walk. We opted to walk and if it isn't raining too hard I would recommend walking. You can get much closer to the fences and they have a walkway over/through the bear habitats. They sell some food, snacks, bottled drinks, and coffee on site but the menu is limited. Some of the food options are unique like the reindeer sausage.

Mike Moessl

5/5

This place is amazing! The bear area is huge and the bears seem to be quite photogenic. So many animals to see. Elk, wolves, caribou, porcupine, coyotes, bison, ox, fox, eagle and even an owl. Great experience. All animals are well cared for and have enough space to be free and roam.

Tricia Johnston

4/5

Very cool place! Parking is easy and I love that you can choose to walk it or drive it. There were some enclosures that were empty but weren't clear as to why, so I think they'd benefit from a bit more signage in terms of that in my opinion. I will say that the gift shop is absurdly expensive compared to others I've been to around Alaska, however. Great experience overall!

Valentina Palamos

4/5

We did a private tour & our guide was awesome! He was knowledgeable and friendly. The whole centre is beautiful and we really got the feeling that the staff care a lot for the well being of the animals. We paid for the moose encounter, the feeding lasted 5-minutes, which was a bit disappointing (but the staff were awesome). The day before we visited the Reindeer Farm and spent 60-minutes interacting & feeding the animals (including a moose) so in comparison it seemed really quick.