Afognak Island is known for its rugged topography, dense old-growth Sitka spruce forests, and salmon spawning habitat. Kodiak brown bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, and the endangered marbled murrelet inhabit the park. State Park lands on Afognak Island now incorporate much of the east and north sides of the island, totaling about 125,000 acres. Hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, kayaking, packrafting, and camping are popular activities. Logging roads inside the park boundaries are closed to public use of motorized vehicles, but are open for hiking or biking.

There are three public use cabins in the park. Two public use cabins are restored U.S. Forest Service cabins. One of these on the south shore of Pillar Lake and the other is at Laura Lake. The third public use cabin is a large two story cabin at the head of Discoverer Bay.