The Alaska Peninsula Refuge lies on the Pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula. The refuge's landscape is varied including active volcanoes, lakes, rivers, tundra and rugged coastline. The Alaska Peninsula is dominated by the rugged Aleutian Range, part of a chain of volcanoes known as the "ring of fire" that encircles the Pacific Ocean.
The plants composing the expanses of tundra are slow-growing and small. The tundra together with the influence of volcanoes and arctic seas provide a showcase of how plant and animal adapt to an arctic maritime environment.
Large mammals found on the refuge include moose, caribou, wolves, brown bears, and wolverines. The brown bears are especially attracted to the productive salmon streams. Large populations of sea lions, seals, sea otters, and migratory whales inhabit the shores and offshore waters. The population of sea otters on the Pacific side of the peninsula numbers at least 30,000 - in contrast to the 1880's when they were nearly extinct. The entire refuge provides habitat for migratory birds - ducks, geese, and shorebirds.
The Alaska Peninsula Refuge is renowned for big game hunting, especially for caribou and brown bear. Fishing is outstanding for king and silver salmon, arctic char, lake trout, northern pike and grayling. In 1981, the world's record grayling was caught on the refuge.