It’s always gratifying to see kind words about Togiak Refuge, where it’s online or in magazine or newspaper articles. While I admit to some degree of bias, I think Togiak Refuge is one of the most unique and amazing places on earth, in terms of its size, ruggedness, wide range of habitats, and wildlife diversity.

I wanted to take a moment to follow up on what the author of this thread stated: if you think that Togiak Refuge is someplace you’d like to visit, take the time to research the Refuge and the area thoroughly. Togiak Refuge isn’t the easiest (or cheapest) Refuge to access. It requires a commercial flight from Anchorage to Dillingham and a charter flight from Dillingham to wherever your destination on the Refuge happens to be. Some areas of the Refuge have unrestricted access, while other areas require a permit and visitor numbers are controlled. Know ahead of time- completely- what you will need to do in order to make your visit happen.

The thread’s author also mentioned that there are many websites with information about the Refuge. Many of these are maintained by commercial guide or charter service operators in the area. Two websites I would like to recommend include our own website (http://togiak.fws.gov/) and the website for the Dillingham Chamber of Commerce (http://www.dillinghamak.com/).

I would like to add the following to the specifics the author mentioned about Togiak Refuge: 4.7 million acres, 1500 miles of rivers and streams, 600 miles of coastline, 500 lakes larger than 25 acres, 500 types of plants, 201 bird species, 33 fish species, 31 land mammal species, 17 marine mammal species and 1 amphibian. Togiak Refuge has a lot to offer anyone. You just have to be willing to put in a bit of preparation before getting here.

Oh, and while SW Alaska can have earthquakes and is home to several volcanoes, in my opinion to say they’re pretty common is a bit overstated.

If you’d like more information about Togiak Refuge, don’t hesitate to contact our office.