Kodiak, Aleutians & SW Things To Do

This trail leads to a wide beach on the outer coast. Afognak Island and the Katmai Mountains can be seen from there on clear days.

This area, just 40-minutes by floatplane from Kodiak, was recently re-opened to the public, and restrictions are strong. There is a four-day minimum stay and an 6-person limit for those hoping to access the amazing 1.5 mile stretch of river connecting Karluk and O’Malley Lakes.  The river fills with sockeye salmon, attracting brown bears from miles around.

Good sushi in a great setting. The exterior is drab, the interior isn't special, but the view overlooking the channel is lovely—fishing boats and sea lions. With Alaska seafood coming in fresh, the sushi is great. It may not be up to snuff if you're visiting from a major metropolis, but the salmon, sablefish, halibut and crab is really good. The seaweed salad is a great starter,  More...

Take a short floatplane ride from Kodiak to the destination lake of the island's second-largest sockeye run.  You'll hike 3/4 of a mile to a viewing area overlooking the falls and fish ladder. The bears know there’s a feast to be had, so during peak times, it’s normal to see five to ten bears roaming around at a time.

This spot sees a good number of walruses in the summertime, with more visiting in recent years. While Round Island has consistently more walruses, Cape Seniavin’s access is easier

Drive over Anton Larsen Pass and down the other side until you come to the Red Cloud River Bridge.  Park in the turnout to the right just beyond the bridge.  Cross the road and walk past the cottonwood trees where you'll find a faint trail leading through tall grass toward the mountains.  This trail can be hard to follow as it meanders through wet areas, thick vegetaion  More...

Perhaps the crown jewel of Alaska bear viewing, McNeil River has only 13 permits available each day and requires a floatplane trip from Anchorage or Homer.  This location is spectacular because getting a permit means the possibility of seeing up to 70 bears at a time, gathered around the falls fishing.  Nearly 150 bears frequent the area throughout the summer! 

Easy Trail.  Also leads to junctions of Neketa Hump and Eagle Cape Trails.

Whether it’s your first or last stop on the island, make sure you visit this museum, which offer the best insight into the island’s heritage. Not only will you find an impressive collection here, but also a great staff; they’ll share stories about village life, continued traditions, and archaeology projects.

With 100,000 artifacts, some 50,000 photos, and a  More...

Whether you’re looking for a book on Alaskan history, checking your e-mail, or bringing the family for a kids’ activity, the Kodiak library has services for both residents and visitors. A cornerstone of the community since it was founded in two shacks in the 1940’s, the library has grown to include an audio-visual wing and Alaska reference room. It now offers some  More...

The Pasagshak State Park provides a spectacular setting for anglers, beachcombers, hikers, and explorers. There is developed camping for both tent and RV campers, a boat launch, two modern pit toilets, and numerous picnic sites.    

The Coast Guard's "Morale, Wellbeing, & Recreation Center" is a great facility with access to a wealth of programs and activities to help you make the most of what Kodiak has to offer. Check out the golf course, go for a swim at the MWR pool, see the latest movie at the Billiken Theatre, or grab a bite to eat - this center has it all! Just be sure to call for hours!

From this bridge on Kodiak's Chiniak Highway it's possible to see spawning salmon in August and September. There’s also potential to see brown bears here during the late summer as they feast on salmon, especially around dawn or dusk.  The road on the south side of the bridge leads to Bell’s Flats.

Loved by locals and travelers alike, this 182-acre state park has numerous trails, beaches, and rocky viewpoints. For history buffs, the trails take you past bunkers and relics from WWII outposts in the area. You’ll also find summer naturalist programs where you can learn about ecology as well as ocean and forest creatures.

You’ll find numerous paths to follow, just  More...

This trail will take you to silver and pink salmon fishing at Little Creek. At extreme low tides, the lagoon can be crossed to reach the 508 trailhead or salmon fishing at Big Creek.

A museum without walls, this organization has been working since 1996 to preserve and recognize the island’s maritime history. Their displays around town include 14 interpretive signs at St. Paul Harbor as well as three satellite exhibits. Check out the large, full-color panels that showcase the work of the Coast Guard, fishermen, and the species of fish they seek. The satellite  More...

The Alagnak river, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River that originates in Katmai National Park and Preserve, is a fisherman's paradise and the most popular fishing float trip in the Bristol Bay region. From it's headwaters at Kukaklek or Nonvianuk Lake, it is a 75 mile Class I and II river with one Class III canyon that is a mile long and has a short falls, not  More...

Whether or not you’re a World War II scholar, the story of the Aleutian Islands’ role in the second great war is fascinating. The military buildup, the battles, the removal and eventual return of Aleut residents. It’s all detailed at the Aleutian World War II Visitor’s Center, located in an historic Aerology Operations Building that has been renovated to its original 1940s-style façade.

This is Kodiak’s most popular mountain, and for good reason: It’s a challenge, the views are stunning, and it feels like a true mountain climb—there’s a 2,073-foot elevation gain in just a few miles. A well-trod trail leads up the ridge, which you can access from the end of the airport runway. Follow an old gravel road to the northeast ridge, where a trail  More...

During August and September, the ditch on the left of the Chiniak Highway at MP 29.0 becomes an active spawning area for salmon.

This was the largest base on Kodiak Island during WWII, and the center of the Harbor Defenses for Kodiak. At the peak, some 8,000 troops were stationed here. Now all that remains are some unmarked buildings.

This trail provides access to the open tundra areas of Eagle Cape. The marked trail ends just past edge of forest and if you continue you'll get spectacular views of the Katmai Mountains and Afognak Island.

Enjoy hiking, camping, & picnicking on this remote beach.

Surrounded by volcanoes, Airplane flats is a remote beach on the Aleutian Peninsula. It is the most westerly location on the Aleutian chain one can reach that is still connected to the mainland.

Watch for cattle as you drive through open range. You can admire the views from the bridge, or take the trail up Sharatin Cirque & Mountain and explore flowery slopes and signs of wildlife, including Mountain Goats, Pipits, and Ptarmigan.

It’s rare when a National Wildlife Refuge has an amazing visitor center, but this one is a must-see. Kids and adults will love the displays, including the complete skeleton of a grey whale. You can learn about the grey whale migration from Baja to the Bering Sea, the food they eat, their evolutionary developments, and the seven-year process of discovering and transporting the  More...

Whether you’re looking for a campsite or fishing hole, glassing for birds, watching for bears, or beachcombing, this recreation site is a great spot to experience the wonders of Kodiak Island without traveling too far. There are camping sites for everything from tents to large RVs, which are given on a first-come, first-served basis with prices from $10-$28. There are also  More...

Located in southwestern Alaska, in one of the richest fisheries in the world, the Wood-Tikchik State Park has a great, easy to moderate float trip that is perfect for families with wilderness camping experience and for diehard fishing enthusiasts. From the furthest inland lake to Dillingham, Alaska is a 130-mile trip that involves paddling your way the length of 4 large lakes  More...

Remote and exotic landscape

Class III

5 days/4 nights

30 miles hiking, 30 miles floating. Fly-in to Port Heiden, fly-out from Aniakchak Bay

Port Heiden

Brown bears are plentiful and people are few at these meadows, beaches, and rivers that are a 1-hour flight from Homer, King Salmon, or Kodiak. The bears here have learned to catch salmon in ocean surf, which makes for a highly unique bear viewing situation! The salmon, caught in tidal rollers, are tossed around by waves, while the bears dive in the shallows, seizing dinner.

One of the easiest beaches to access from town, this park has a nice overlook and excellent waterfront with picnic sites. In late July through September, you can fish from the beach for silver and pink salmon. Wander down the beach to a small creek (on the left side) that is filled with salmon in late summer. Surfers ride storm waves here, and some locals even scuba dive in the cove  More...

Used during WWII and up to 1967, this airstrip was a remote “dispersal” station for planes, in case of an attack or bad weather. There are no buildings out here anymore, but the strip is still partially cleared with the old metal grate plankings of the runway still in place.

Kodiak Island was a strategic outpost for both Russians and Americans, first used by Russians as the headquarters of the Russian American Company (now Kodiak Harbor). Take a tour at this museum with knowledgeable veterans and volunteers and learn the history of the Army and Navy on Kodiak Island and the Harbor Defenses front. Make sure you check out the eight-inch gun barrel, part of  More...

Located in the oldest standing building in Alaska, this museum is filled with artifacts, photography, and artwork recording the history of Kodiak. You’ll find exhibits from the time of the Alutiiq and Aleut Natives, to king crabbing and daily life in the 1980s, all the way up to the present. Their focus, though, is Russian-American history and the island’s early American  More...