Dall Sheep Viewing at Windy Corner

The premier spot to view wild Dall sheep in Alaska (and maybe the whole continent) looms over one of the state’s busiest highways only 20 miles south of Anchorage. Windy Corner—the southern terminus of the Turnagain Arm Trail in Chugach State Park—often concentrates sheep on craggy faces just above the road. It’s not uncommon to see a half dozen sheep perched on cliffs in two or three spots, or grazing in patches less than 100 feet above. On rare occasions, the sheep actually venture right down to the highway, most often during shoulder seasons when fresh grass grows closer to sea level. Biologists have speculated that mineral licks draw the animals. But the proximity of excellent grazing habitat near a cliff zone that overlooks vehicle traffic might have created sort of a refuge that deters predators. Alaskans regularly slow down and scan the terrain when driving past, and then zip into the pullouts when they see animals. A short and somewhat steep walk up the trail will sometimes offer a different vantage of sheep not visible below. For almost certain sheep viewing, ambitious hikers with route-finding skills can scramble up a challenging social trail several hundred feet to reach a grassy basin above the cliffs.