Pedersen Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary
Located 50 miles southwest of Seward, Alaska, Pedersen Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary is comprised of 1,700 acres of land within Kenai Fjords National Park. Explorers visited the area in 1908 and, upon discovering the massive glacier, named it in honor of the Reverend H.L. Pedersen of Seward. Over the course of the past century, Pedersen Glacier has been gradually receding, revealing Pedersen Spit and Lagoon.
In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act transferred legal rights for the land surrounding Pedersen Spit and Lagoon to the Port Graham Native Corporation. In 1980, the federal government created Kenai Fjords National Park, a 700,000 acre tract of land that surrounds Pedersen Glacier. As part of the development plan for Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, Pedersen Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary was established to protect the private land around the lodge. In essence, it is managed as a private park within a park.
Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is situated upon 10 acres of the 1,700 acre wildlife sanctuary. The lodge was developed with deliberate care and concern to minimize impact on the surrounding area. In collaboration with the Port Graham Native Corporation, the Glacier Lodge hopes to help protect Pedersen Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary for generations to come.