The best waterfall hikes and walks in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The cabin at Juneau Lake is a rustic, public-use cabin along the scenic Resurrection Pass Trail. As the name suggests, it sits on the shore of Juneau Lake, and gives you great views of the water and surrounding mountains. During the summer, the cabin is only accessible by hiking or biking.

The hike to Russian River Falls on the Kenai Peninsula takes you through Alaska's impressive nature on a well-developed and mostly flat path. The approximately 2-mile trail starts at the Russian River Campground and runs through dense forests that offer you a view of the native flora and fauna. The hike is relatively easy, making it ideal for relaxed exploration. At the end of the trail, two observation platforms await you, perfectly placed to experience the impressive waterfalls up close. This place comes alive especially during salmon season in summer. Thousands of salmon fight their way upstream here, and with a little luck you can even watch bears fishing - a unique spectacle of nature that will stay with you for a long time. Other wildlife, such as eagles and the occasional fox, also take advantage of the abundance of fish and make the scenery even more impressive. The chance of seeing animals is particularly high early in the morning or towards the evening. The Russian River Falls Trail is more than just a hike; It gives you the feeling of diving deep into Alaska's wild nature and offers an unforgettable experience for nature lovers and adventurers.

It's decision time! This intersection offers you the opportunity to head southeast on the Devils Creek Trail, southwest on the Resurrection Pass Trail, or northeast to head toward the Hope end of the Resurrection Pass Trail. If you head that way you'll also pass an intersection with the Summit Creek Trail, but it's incredibly difficult to find from this end, even if you know where it is; the short sign is often hidden in thick, tall grass.

You can see Juneau Creek Falls from either side of the creek, although which viewpoint is best can vary from year to year. You'll have to walk past the campground to find the best lookout spots on this side and, as with the other side of the creek, take care where you walk: Some parts of the bank are severely undercut and could crumble beneath your feet.

Estimates of this waterfall's height range from 60 to 100 feet (18 to 30 m). Either way, it's a thundering mist factory. It can take a little walking to find the best lookouts from above, and there is no safe way to get down to the base of the falls. Be careful where you put your feet on the high-up overlook trails, too; some parts of the upper bank are severely undercut and could crumble beneath your feet.

This intersection marks an alternate routing for the famous Resurrection Pass trail. Depending on where you've started you can connect the Devil's Creek Trail in to the northern end of the Resurrection Pass Trail which originates in the small town of Hope. Or, you can connect the Devil's Creek Trail to the southern end of the Resurrection Pass Trail at Cooper Landing. Of course, going out and back on the Devil's Creek Trail makes a fine round-trip ride of its own. Either way you'll need to stage a second vehicle to get yourself back to the trailhead where you started. If you don't have a second vehicle, Wildman's in Cooper Landing can often help: https://wildmans.org/

At about 2,600 feet or 792 m in elevation, Resurrection Pass is the high point a famous traverse between the small towns of Hope and Cooper Landing — although a few alternate routing options exist on the southern portion of the trail. If you need help setting up a car shuttle to get from one trailhead to another, contact Wildman's in Cooper Landing: https://wildmans.org/

We saw lots of salmon trying to jump up the falls in early September