Tern Lake
Seward and Sterling Highway Junction. Tern Lake is located at Milepost 37 of the Seward Highway where the Seward and Sterling Highways meet. This junction is important as a reference point in most all destinations on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Watch for the wildlife viewing and interpretive site on the Sterling Highway or pull into Tern Lake Wayside for the salmon viewing platform and some quiet birding.
The easily accessible Tern Lake wildlife viewing area provides visitors to the Kenai Peninsula with an excellent opportunity to view a diversity of Alaska wetland animals. Located along the Seward Highway, the site features an accessible viewing platform and interpretive signs.
The Tern Lake area hosts numerous animals, birds, fish and unique plants. Common loons, bald eagles, and arctic terns share the area with a variety of song birds and shorebirds like the northern water thrush, golden-crowned sparrow and the Pine Siskin. Beavers, otters, muskrats, salmon and dolly varden ply the gin clear, ice cold waters of Tern Lake. Keep a Moose, Dall's sheep and mountain goats can be seen on the surrounding mountains.
Tern Lake wildlife can be best viewed from the accessible viewing platform. Interpretive signs help visitors understand the area's wildlife. Throughout the summer, the platform is often staffed by a knowledgeable forest interpreter who can answer questions and help spot wildlife.
Tern Lake campground closed in the late 1990's during the big budget cuts. There is still a nice viewing area over the outlet of the lake and facilities like trash barrels and toilets are still available.
Distance from Tern Lake Junction
Via Seward Highway - Northbound. |
Point of Interest | Miles | Milepost |
Tenderfoot Creek Campground, Summit Lake Lodge | 9.0 | |
Hope Junction - Hope Highway Turnoff | 20.0 | |
Bird Creek Campground | 64.0 | |
Girdwood / Alyeska - the city of. | 49.0 | |
Portage Glacier Turnoff | 39.0 | |
Anchorage Alaska - the city of. | 89.0 | |
Via Seward Highway - Southbound. |
Point of Interest | Miles |
Milepost |
Trail Lakes Fish Hatchery | 5.0 |
32.5 |
Moose Pass Alaska and Trail Lake Lodge. |
7.5 |
29.0 |
Trail River Campground | 13.5 | |
Ptarmigan Creek Campground | 14 | |
Exit Glacier Turnoff | 34 | |
Seward Alaska - the city of. | 37 | |
Via Sterling Highway South. |
Point of Interest | Miles | Milepost |
Kenai Lake | 8.0 | |
Quartz Creek Campground | 9.0 | |
Cooper Landing - the Community of. | 11.5 | |
Cooper Creek Campground | 14.0 | |
Russian River Campground | 17.0 | |
Russian River Ferry | 18.0 | |
Upper Skilak Lake Road - East Enterance |
21.0 | |
Kelly Lake & Peterson Lake Campgrounds Turnoff | 32.0 | |
Kelly Lake Campground |
33.0 |
|
Peterson Lake Campground |
33.0 |
|
Lower Skilak Lake Road - West Enterance |
38.5 | |
Sterling Alaska - the city of. |
47.0 | |
Moose River Campground - By the Tesoro Gas Station. |
47.5 | |
Issak Walton Campground, Mouth of the Moose River. |
48.0 | |
Soldotna - the city of. |
57.0 | |
Kasilof River and the community of Kasilof. |
| |
Ninilchik River - the Community of Ninilchik Alaska. |
98.0 | |
Deep Creek Campgrounds - Community of Deep Creek |
100.0 | |
Anchor Point - the city of. |
119.0 | |
Anchor River Campground |
120.0 |
|
Homer Alaska - the city of. |
135.0 | |
Homer Spit | 138.0 | |
There is an emergency phone located one mile west of the junction of the Sterling Hwy and Seward Hwy.

Alaska Campgrounds is a family website produced by Aurora Pages Press 46045 Spruce Place Kenai, Alaska 99611
|