The township of American River is one of of the most historic on Kangaroo Island. Situated just north of the entrance to Pelican Lagoon, European habitation commenced here in about 1803 only a year after Captain Matthew Flinders visited on his historic voyage around Australia.

The Cannery Walk is a trail running from the northern end of the township to the site of a fish cannery established in 1890. The walk takes about 1½ hours at a fairly leisurely pace. Along the way you may well see some of the local flock of Glossy Black Cockatoos which are only found on Kangaroo Island. Not to be confused with the more common yellow tailed cockatoo, these birds have bright red feathers in their tail, with yellow edges for the females. Many other birds can be seen including many species of honeyeater, currawongs and of course the local pelicans.

Also commonly seen along this track are wallabies, goanas and echidnas. A descriptive leaflet on the walk is available for purchase at the American River General Store and the American River Post Office.

The Independence Trail takes you from the southern end of the township along the foreshore to Independence Point - a distance of about 3Km. You can expect to see a variety of birdlife and possibly dolphins. Independence Point is named for the schooner built here in 1804 by a group of American sealers.

It's a not very well known fact that Kangaroo Island did once have a railway. It ran from the Salt Lake near Flour Cask Bay and was used to transport initially salt and later gypsum from the lake to Muston where it was loaded onto ships. Part of the wharf used to load the ships can still be seen. It's on the Muston Road about 1Km from its junction with the main American River road. Some of the trackbed can still be seen but it is mostly on private land.

A lot of the fauna to be seen on Kangaroo Island is nocturnal. Day visitors totally miss this side of the island. When the sun goes down, out come the Tammar Wallabies, Brush-tailed Possums and Western Grey Kangaroos. There are also nocturnal birds such as the Boobook Owl and, of course, the Fairy Penguin. And those of you who live in big cities will be entranced by the night skies - on clear nights the view is breathtaking. The best way to experience all this is with Alkirna Tours. Let Alkirna show you the dark side of Kangaroo Island!

Prospect Hill (aka Mount Thisby) is located about 9Km south of American River and is the highest point in the area. It's quite a climb - although aided by steps - but the view from the top is worth the effort. You'll be able to see both north and south coasts as well as Pelican Lagoon and the bushland stretching away to the east and to the west. When you come down, do travel the 2Km to Pennington Bay and watch the surf crashing in. Swimming is not recommended though - there is a dangerous rip here.