LifeAnchorage · May 26, 2026

anchorage's new birding trail

Audubon Alaska launched a free 35 stop birding trail running from Whittier to Westchester Lagoon and into the Chugach Mountains.

Daily Alaska staff · May 26, 2026 · Anchorage

Audubon Alaska has launched the Anchorage Birding Trail, a self guided route linking 35 birding sites that stretch from Whittier through Anchorage to Westchester Lagoon and up into the Chugach Mountains.

The free online guide gives parking information, restroom locations, access notes, and the Indigenous place names for many of the stops, making it easy for residents to find a nearby site without planning a special trip.

The trail highlights species such as Arctic Terns diving over the lagoon, Sandhill Cranes in the flats, and Willow Ptarmigan, the state bird, in the higher terrain.

Audubon Alaska is hosting a free ribbon cutting celebration at Westchester Lagoon on Wednesday, May 27, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a guided bird walk open to the public.

The interactive map is free to access online, and visitors can find it by searching Anchorage Birding Trail.

In this story

Questions people ask

How many stops on the Anchorage Birding Trail

The trail connects 35 birding sites.

Where does the Anchorage Birding Trail run

It runs from Whittier through Anchorage to Westchester Lagoon and up into the Chugach Mountains.

Is there a launch event for the birding trail

Yes, Audubon Alaska is hosting a free ribbon cutting and guided bird walk at Westchester Lagoon on May 27 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

How much does the birding trail map cost

It's free and available online.

Evidence

Sources

Claims and where they come from

  • Audubon Alaska launched the Anchorage Birding Trail connecting 35 birding sites from Whittier to Westchester Lagoon and the Chugach Mountains. · audubon.org
  • Audubon Alaska is hosting a free ribbon cutting and guided bird walk at Westchester Lagoon on Wednesday, May 27, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. · audubon.org

Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →

Report an error in this story

Next in the feed

lifeSoutheast · Just now

Ketchikan landslide knocks out substation, disaster declared, $1.59M bill

A storm-driven slide damaged the Ward Cove substation on Oct. 15, and city and borough leaders are racing to ratify a disaster declaration before winter storms test the rerouted power supply.

  • The landslide hit the Ward Cove substation on Oct. 15 during a storm with over six inches of rain and gusts to 58 mph
  • The control building was shoved 8 feet off its foundation; no one was hurt
Read

lifeAnchorage · Just now

Bomb threats force evacuations at five Anchorage schools, none found credible

Anchorage School District evacuated four schools and named a fifth in bomb threats Wednesday; police found no explosives.

  • Threats came in as simultaneous phone calls around 1:22 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2026
  • Four campuses evacuated: Airport Heights Elementary, West High School, Romig Middle School, Rilke Schule German Immersion School
Read

lifeAnchorage · Just now

Dog Survives 50 Hours Alone After Chugach Avalanche Injures Two HikersHeadliner

A volunteer search using drones, a scent dog and an Apple AirTag found LouLou the poodle-husky mix alive near Pepper Peak, two days after an avalanche swept away the hikers she was with.

  • Avalanche hit Saturday, October 10, near Pepper Peak north of Eklutna Lake in Chugach State Park
  • Two mountaineers were carried about 500 feet down a ridge and survived with serious injuries including broken bones
Read