By Cindy Crewdson
ITWPA Member
The chance to see a moose wading in the marsh, a muskrat swimming by or poking his head from the water, or even the spawning of chinook, coho, or humpback salmon in Rabbit Creek: this is what you can see along the 1,550-foot wooden boardwalk that offers a panoramic view of Turnagain Arm, a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. Binoculars come in handy to search the cottonwoods near the bluff for an eagle’s nest. The marsh makes a good place for birds to come to nest in early spring. As you stroll over watery openings and sedges, look for newly hatched young.
Late April through September, Canada geese, northern pintails, canvasback ducks, red-necked phalaropes, horned and red-necked grebes, and northern harriers use this wetland. May to August, gulls, Arctic terns, shorebirds, and occasionally trumpeter swans are present as they pass through on their migration route.
Potter Marsh is at the southern end of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, roughly 15 minutes south of downtown Anchorage, Alaska, and accessible from the New Seward Highway. The entrance is located just past the Rabbit Creek exit. A small highway pullout at the southern end of the marsh also allows for viewing and photography.
Potter Marsh has accessible bathrooms and designated handicapped parking at the main entrance. The walk is an easy stroll for children and adults and is disabled accessible.
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