Kenai Peninsula Points of Interest

Out of ideas for what to do? Check out the log books at this cabin to see who has stayed here and what they've done. 

Let's go caribou-spotting on the wide open spaces at the mouth of the world-famous river system. This spot is one of your best bets for viewing these beautiful, stately beasts.

Technically, Portage is no longer a roadside glacier, as it recedes an average of one foot a day and is now no longer visible from the road, but its big blue icebergs are often found along the shore of the lake, right in front of the parking area. On Byron, ice worms are common, if you get down and look. There are also beautiful ice caves and rivulets to see, but be careful not to walk  More...

In an area that’s famous for fishing, here is one spot where you don’t need a tackle box to blend in. As the name implies, this is a clamming town— with thousands of razor clams harvested annually from the sandy beaches.

Best of all, there is a pretty short learning curve for clamming: all you need is a little gear, a few safety pointers and a license, all  More...

One of the most spectacular and accessible glaciers along the rail line, Spencer Glacier also has an interesting history. Listen to find out how it got it’s name and hear tales of what life was like for those who worked in the wilderness building the rail line.

Visitors driving down to Homer (south west from Anchorage) find a perfect pull out rest stop on the right side of the highway on the hill above town. From this vantage, they get a preview of the pleasures to come. Fishing boats' windows twinkle out in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, the Spit stretches half way across Kachemak Bay, and the snowy mountains on far side of the bay, embracing Kachemak Bay State Park, plus of course the the town itself.

The pass is an ideal location to witness the tremendous power that glaciers have had on the landscape. On the west side of the road at the pullout, travelers can see evidence of the millennial processes of past ice ages. Low, near-horizontal ridges mark the locations of glacial moraines near the tops of the mountains. These ridges, like bathtub rings, indicate changing ice depths as  More...

If you're a bird watcher, you'll love this half-mile trail of Aspen and Spruce forest. Get out your binoculars and see which birds are out there. 

This 18-mile-long loop gravel road is the premier wildlife-viewing area on the Kenai Peninsula, and you'll get spectacular views of lakes and glaciers. Don't forget to stop and explore all the nature and wildlife around you!

Check out this salmon-friendly habitat and learn why so many salmon spawn here annually. 

Tern Lake has lots to offer but few people use the old Sterling highway to access the boreal forest near this lake. Drive into the recreational area and as you turn left toward the restrooms you will see an old road to your right. You can walk for miles down this road and enjoy the smell of the woods and the sound of the birds.

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Heading south, a pullout on right-hand side offers views of Sixmile Creek. This is a popular spot for whitewater rafting tours, with most rapids being class IV. Tours are offered by Nova River Runners.

Digging for clams is easy and fun—kinda like fishing, but without all that waiting. Here are the top road-accessible clam havens south of Anchorage:

Anytime, though the best season is from April through September. Taste peaks in early  More...

By midday, fishing boats have returned with their catch. Walk over to the fish cleaning tables to see halibut, salmon, and other quarry from the deep.

This little town 16 miles north of Kenai makes a nice spot for families to stop for a meal, stock up on supplies at M&M Market, and get advice on local fishing hotspots and camping locations.

At Captain Cook State Recreation Area, 13 miles further north, you can get a great camping site—with great views of the Cook Inlet, Mt. Spurr, Mt. Redoubt, & Mt.  More...

When the original town site of Seward was established in 1903, Lowell Creek ran down what is now Jefferson Street. (At 100 feet, Jefferson Street is the widest right-of-way in Seward.) Lowell Creek originates in the ice fields of the rugged Kenai Mountains, producing from one to three severe floods per year. Until the Diversion Tunnel was constructed in 1939, large quantities of  More...

The city of Kenai has plenty of natural wonders going for it: Overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River, it has great views of Cook Inlet as well as miles of sandy beaches, two mountain ranges and four active volcanoes.

Soldotna’s twin city has lots of cultural assets, too. Originally settled in the eighteenth century by Russian fur traders, the Peninsula’s oldest  More...

Driving from Anchorage to Whittier to play in Prince William Sound? You’ll go through Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel—the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds! 

The one-lane tunnel must be shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions, and it usually needs to be  More...

Seward has one of the few relatively intact Main Streets in Alaska, and gives you a good idea of what the territory’s early coastal towns looked like. Despite two destructive fires, some of the town’s earliest buildings are still standing. In its early days, it was a rough and rowdy area, a place where one of Seward’s most famous mascots held sway – for a  More...

Established in 1964, Seward’s Small Boat Harbor is located on the northern edge of Resurrection Bay, which multiple publications have ranked as one of the top sailing destinations in the United States. From the harbor you'll find easy access to Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, fishing, kayaking, camping, flight-seeing, and an assortment of other activities.

Seward  More...

Sure, Homer's the "Halibut Fishing Capital of Alaska," but even non-anglers will revel in this end-of-the-road Alaska town. An eclectic mix of artists, fishermen, and outdoor lovers make up the lifeblood of Homer, drawn by its slow pace and postcard-ready setting by the clear-water bay. The heart of town is the Homer Spit, a long, narrow finger of land jutting into the bay.

The Swiss Kilcher family came to this country on a boat in the 1940s escaping the horrors of World War II in Europe, blessing Homer with outstanding talents in the performing as well as visual arts. They homesteaded 600 acres at mile 12.5 East End Road, near the head of Kachemak Bay.

Just south of Seward you could spot humpback whales, sea lions, bird life and old growth forest habitat. There’s a great sand beach at the end that will reward your exploration, so let’s go!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? On this lake it could be either.                             

Having trouble being efficient with all your resources? You could probably take a lesson from the ecosystem found here. 

This is a must stop for photos of beautiful Kenai Lake. The lake was formed from glacier water is a majestic blue and green tone. You'll find several parking areas along the lake and signs that give you a little history about it.

A most spectacular view from the head of Kachemak Bay to Augustine volcano, this 180 degree panoramic view of ice, sea, mountains and sky makes a great backdrop for your souvenir Alaskan photos. The view changes season to season according to what wildflowers are in bloom and depending upon varying cloud, sky, and snow conditions.

You don't have to go into the art galleries (although that's a good idea) to enjoy art in Homer. Many of the businesses, especially on Pioneer Avenue, adorn their buildings with outstanding outdoor art works.

Local mushers run their teams behind 4 wheelers along South Cohoe Loop Road and down to the beach. Even though the road continues past this point it becomes too sandy to drive, so park here and walk down to the beach. If the dogs are training you'll see them whiz past with tongues lolling and sand flying.

The town of Kasilof  (pronounced kuh-SEE-loff) has a lot of the great activities that other Kenai Peninsula towns do—fishing, camping and wildlife viewing. But this tiny town 15 miles south of Soldotna, on the Sterling Highway, is also a vibrant dog sledding  community—while here you can visit the kennel of Dean Osmar, an Iditarod champion, and take a ride  More...

A facet of life in Homer that can be watched on television is the "Deadliest Catch" about commercial crab fishing in Alaska's icy waters. Co-captains Johathan and Andy Hillstrand have produced a new book about their adventures, Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs. Anyone who has fished Alaska’s waters, whether winter or summer and for any species, know that it is a challenging and risky profession.

The City of Seward is the historic town where the Alaska Railroad got its start. It was the original headquarters of the Engineering Commission, those pioneers that were tasked with the construction of the rail line.

The Keen-Eye Nature Trail is .75 miles long through a wooded area with a side trail leading down to Headquarters Lake. The Centennial Trail provide an additional 1.9 mile loop through a wooded area with further opportunity to view wildlife in the area. There are three basic options on these refuge trails. First and easiest is the 0.3 mile (one way), "accessible with assistance,"  More...

It's free to go this far by car, and you'll get a picture-perfect shot of Portage Glacier.

An amazing array of invertebrates (animals without backbones) live within Homer's intertidal zone-between the water's reach at high tide and the water's edge at low tide. All you need is a pair of rubber boots and a tide book to explore their world.

Fire can be hugely important in an ecosystem. Pyromaniacs should note that they're only positively effective when controlled and contained. 

Finding your lost puppy is probably easier than this. Understand how refuge staff try to bring moose back to an area. It's not as simple as putting up posters.

After the disastrous 1988 oil spill in Prince William Sound, the state used some of the oil company’s settlement money to purchase this fleet of ships. They were designed for one reason only: to protect the fragile Alaskan coastal environment from possible future disasters.

This 18-mile-long loop gravel road is the premier wildlife-viewing area on the Kenai Peninsula, and you'll get spectacular views of lakes and glaciers. Don't forget to stop and explore all the nature and wildlife around you!

If you need a moment to yourself, this lonesome lake is a great place to find quiet solitude--and some excellent rainbow trout fishing. But that's not all it's great for.