Yukon Delta NWR, Bethel, Alaska: In ancient times, it was said, "All roads lead to Rome." And in more modern times, "All roads lead to Paris." Well, no roads lead to Bethel, Alaska, and the 26-million-acre Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. To get there, one must plan well in advance, being prepared to fly the 400 miles from Anchorage to Bethel via commercial airline, then charter a flight out onto the refuge for a week of very primitive camping or take a mail plane into one of the Eskimo villages where guides are usually available. Bring rain gear, hip boots, warm clothing, and plenty of insect repellent. Once there, the stunning vistas, landscape, and variety of interesting wildlife make all the preparations and planning well worth it. Here are black and brown bears, caribou, wolverines, Arctic hares, moose, musk oxen, and tundra hares. Millions of salmon from all five Pacific species (chinook, chum, coho, sockeye, and pink) swim up the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers to spawn. Other fish found here include Dolly Varden, burbot, northern pike, and grayling. Beluga whales and walruses visit the coast of this refuge and come up the rivers in the spring. But it’s the birds that make this refuge so special. Many of them fly thousands of miles during migration to nest here. Arctic terns have the longest migration route of all—22,000 miles round trip from here to Antarctica. The rugged cliffs of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea have some of the largest colonies of nesting seabirds such as these crested auklets. Horned and tufted puffins, murres, pigeon guillemots, and parakeet auklets are also here. Various species of warblers, waterfowl, and raptors all find this refuge to their liking.
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