Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska · 279 ft
Typical peak
Sep 19 – Sep 27
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Lowland lakes and spruce-birch forest on the Kenai, where Sitka spruce coastal rainforest meets the westernmost boreal forest in North America. Birch and aspen carry the color at a few hundred feet, thousands below the tundra entries further north.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Visitor center on Ski Hill Road in Soldotna, off the Sterling Highway. Canoe routes, the Skilak Lake Road loop and several lake trailheads run off the highway between Sterling and Cooper Landing.
What turns here
- white spruce
- aspen
- birch
- cottonwood
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 23Typical color progression for Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Aug 16 to Sep 2. First color from Sep 2 to Sep 11. Approaching peak from Sep 11 to Sep 19. Peak from Sep 19 to Sep 27. Past peak from Sep 27 to Oct 7. Bare from Oct 7 to Oct 21.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Sep 2.
This season so far
First frost
Oct 2
9 nights at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
44°F / 32°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on September 23, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:08 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 89° | 7:50 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 56 min of low, warm light | 8:46 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:56 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 56 min before sunset | 7:06 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 271° | 8:01 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 8:43 PM |
Times in America/Anchorage · day length 12h 11m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.