Kenai Peninsula
Many of the communities of the peninsula were severely affected by the 1964 earthquake. Cities[edit]
Other Destinations[edit]Get in[edit]The Kenai Peninsula can be reached by car by taking the Seward Highway roughly 40 miles south from Anchorage. Sterling Highway branches west towards Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kenai, Seldovia, Ninilchik, and ultimately Homer. These are the only two major roads on the peninsula. The road system is generally good and four-wheel drive is not needed in the summer. ERA Aviation [6] and Grant Air offer flights from Anchorage to Kenai or Homer. It is also possible to take the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway [7] to and from Homer, Seldovia, and Seward. Get around[edit]Seward Highway - this 127-mile road, linking Anchorage with Seward, passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Seward Highway ties Alaska's metropolitan center, Anchorage, with the port of Seward on Resurrection Bay. From Anchorage to Girdwood, the highway borders Turnagain Arm and Chugach State Park. From Girdwood to Seward, it carries visitors through the Chugach National Forest. The diversity of landscape and wildlife found along the route is the hallmark of the highway corridor. The Highway has been recognized for its natural beauty as a designated All-American Road. The Sterling Highway connects to the Seward Highway at Tern Lake and continues down the Peninsula all the way to Homer at its southern tip. Known as "Alaska's Scenic Byway," the 142-mile highway passes through the mountains, lakes, and rivers of Chugach National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to the flat terrain of Soldotna and Homer. See[edit][add listing]The Kenai, Alaska's Playground; here you will discover what Alaskans already know, The Kenai is not behind safety glass, or a deck rail. Your face feels the cold wind on the train and your heart pounds with the strike of a monster fish. Your adrenaline rushes at the sight of a bear, and your skin chills as you step on a glacier. Nothing about the Kenai Peninsula is formal or stuffy. In fact, no other destination offers such an up close and personal Alaskan experience. With over 15,000 square miles of extraordinary adventure and excitement to choose from, even the rest of the state comes here when they need a reminder of why they moved to Alaska in the first place. That’s why we are known as Alaska’s Playground.
Have you ever imagined what the last Ice Age actually looked like? Well, imagine no more. See it for yourself by flying over the 700-square mile Harding Ice Field. Or driving to Exit Glacier. Or cruising in the Kenai Fjords National Park. It’s like stepping back in time 10,000 years… without all the messy quantum physics stuff. If you’d rather go back just a few centuries, there’s plenty of human history to explore. Alaska Natives thrived on the Kenai’s rich resources from both land and sea. Captain Cook explored here in the late 18th Century. Russians colonized parts of the eastern coast, bringing a long-lasting influence to the area – including several Russian Orthodox churches, one of which is some 200 years old. Over the last century or so, gold, oil and coal have played significant roles in shaping today’s Peninsula. Gold brought prospectors to Hope and inspired the construction of the Alaska Railroad originating in Seward. “Black gold” (oil) was discovered on a northern Peninsula river. And Homesteaders still gather coal on the beaches of Homer. While Mother Nature has given many gifts to The Kenai, it has also taken some away. The 1964 Good Friday Earthquake triggered a tsunami (tidal wave) that destroyed the Seward port. It also twisted railroad tracks like taffy and wreaked havoc throughout Southcentral Alaska. As you can see, The Kenai is packed with interesting history. But if you’re like most peninsula adventurers, you’d rather make history by catching a world-record king salmon. Lester Anderson did just that on the Kenai River in 1985 with a 97 lb., 4 oz. keeper. You can see it today at the Soldotna Visitors Center. And you know that monstrous fish has some hefty relatives just waiting for you to catch. So c’mon up! Even if you don’t make history, you’ll make memories to last a lifetime. Do[edit][add listing]
Drink[edit][add listing]Sleep[edit][add listing]
Stay safe[edit]Both Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm exhibit extreme tides. The only place in the world with a wider tidal range is the Bay of Fundy. Because of the swift tidal currents and the very soft clay of the tidal flats, it can be extremely dangerous to walk or drive on the tidal flats. Brown bears and moose are quite common on the peninsula. Both can be aggressive towards humans. Moose are a major hazard on the peninsula's roadways, especially in winter. Get out[edit]
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