We visited this past January. Even though it was raining and sleeting, with slippery walking conditions, it was still a wonderful experience. Our son, who had never been to Alaska despite almost being born there, wants to be a veterinarian and was in love with seeing all the new Arctic animals in person.

We were fortunate to have three brown bears out and about, as well as a black bear. There is helpful and very informative signage at each enclosure. The animals have plenty of room in their usual environment to roam and be themselves. Some have taken a liking to tourist visits and come up to say hello. 😊

This particular visit was part of a tour group, as we wanted to show our son a variety of places in a reasonable amount of time. Our tour guides were fantastic (shout out to Salmon Berry Tours!) and never made us feel rushed or pressured to move on. In fact, we were offered the opportunity to ride in the tour van or walk the trail, due to the weather, and I personally did both at various points.

While my favorite was the brown bears, my husband and son enjoyed the wolves the most. Since this is a conservation and rehabilitation center, there are mostly common animals to the region there, such as elk, bears, wolves, fox, porcupine, a bald eagle, and moose (of course) among others. On the drive down, we spotted some wild Dall sheep on the mountains along the highway.

The gift shop was fantastic, with a large assortment of items to suit just about any preference. My arm got quite tired on the way back to the van after "reluctantly" acquiring far more from that shop than I had expected when I walked in. (I think the majority of our trip memorabilia came from the AWCC, actually. And both my husband and our son made their own purchases as well.)

The walking path is paved and wide for vehicles to drive on. With mobility issues, I noticed that aside from the ice and slush in the ground, the paths themselves were in good condition, no significant potholes or rough patches, and the slope was gentle where the path rose and fell in different areas. I did not need to wear my leg braces, though I did wish on a couple of occasions for my forearm crutches or Nordic poles for additional stability on the ice.

Parking was readily available, which could also have been related to the weather and time of year. I suspect it would be more crowded during the summer months.

Although the main enclosures are relatively permanent for the type of animals in each, it was pointed out that there are a few permanent residents (they usually are named on the signs by each enclosure), but there are also temporary occupants who are there for recovery or awaiting relocation to other areas, often areas seeking to increase the population of that particular animal. It seemed like this was mentioned mostly with respect to the elk and moose, but I may be misremembering.

Overall, weather conditions aside,this was a fantastic, family-friendly, accessible (the areas I visited, anyway), and educational facility. We really enjoyed our visit, and look forward to returning again when possible. They really do great work here, and it's clear how well cared-for and loved these animals are.