Two more trails that were damaged by the Swan Lake Fire last year have reopened.
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge announce Friday that the lower Kenai River Trail and the Seven Lakes trails are now open to the public again after crews finished mitigating the damage. Both trails were in the heart of the burn zone for the massive Swan Lake Fire last year, and have been closed all summer so far.
Some of the structures are still damaged and in need of repair, but the trails themselves are usable, the refuge says. The only trail that remains closed is the Surprise Creek Trail, which is only accessible by boat on the south side of the Kenai River. Crews are working on removing the hundreds of downed trees in that area.
Visitors to the burned areas should still be aware of falling trees, which may have weakened root systems due to the fire, ash pits, and poking hazards. All the trails in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area are now open again, as well as the Skyline and Upper Fuller Lake trails.
Reach Elizabeth Earl at eearl@kdll.org.
