Alaska News

With salmon spawning, Eagle River Nature Center closes Albert Loop Trail

Spawning salmon, drawing bears to Eagle River, have prompted the annual closure of a popular trail at the Eagle River Nature Center.

The Albert Loop Trail was closed to visitors at noon Friday. The popular trail, known for its easy access to the Eagle River, has closed every year since 1997, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

The release notes that black and brown bears often use the bridges and beaver dams along the trail as fishing platforms and the adjacent brush for cover.

Chugach State Park Superintendent Tom Harrison said the annual closure serves to reduce possible conflict between bears and humans in the area. He said there had not been any reported bear encounters recently.

Eagle River Nature Center Executive Director Asta Spurgis said the annual closure is a "hard closure," and not even the center's staff have access to the trail. The River Trail Yurt near the loop is also off-limits.

The closure does not affect other trails in the area. The trail is expected to reopen sometime in October or early November, when bears begin hibernation.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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