Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park


A seiner fishing for salmon off the coast of the Kodiak Archipelago
Photo by: NancyHeise, Creative Commons

Three miles from the town of Kodiak is one of the places that you will surely want to include in your tour of Alaska. The Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park covers 182 acres and has been a part of the Alaska Park System since 1969. One of the major attractions is the ruins of a coastal defense installation in World War II. The park also boasts of a natural beauty that visitors will surely want to explore.

The park is managed by the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, the park was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The Kodiak State Parks Headquarters and Visitor Center can also be found here.

There are many recreational facilities available at the park, such as picnic tables, camping sites and provisions for groups visiting the park. Groups have the option to reserve recreational sites with pavilions. The Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park has one of the best developed trail systems in Kodiak and also has trails that are accessible to handicap people. Activities like fishing and swimming are sure to be enjoyed by visitors because inside the park is Lake Gertrude which is full of salmon and Rainbow trout.

The camping sites are specially designed for tent campers. RV campers will find it difficult to maneuver the narrow roads so they would find that the overflow parking area or the Buskin River State Recreation Site would be more comfortable.

There are few other parks in the Alaska State Park System that have the cultural and natural resources that Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park has. The beauty of the deep spruce forests and wildflower meadows combined with the historic World War II ruins, make the park a great place to relax, enjoy the scenery and learn about a historic World War II event at the same time.
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