Peninsula
Drives
Alaska Hotels
Camping
If you could visit only one part of Alaska by car
or RV, we'd suggest a tour of the Kenai Peninsula. Kenai
provides most of the scenic features of Alaska: fjords,
glaciers and ice fields, large rivers filled with fish,
sparkling lakes, fishing villages, port towns, and
offshore islands.
The Kenai Peninsula is the most popular recreation
area for Alaskans, close to Anchorage and easily
accessible by high-quality paved roads. The Kenai
Mountains form the backbone of the peninsula. The
gigantic Harding Ice field dominates the southern region.
Most of the peninsula is federal government nature
preserve, including the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge,
Chugach National Forest, and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Originally inhabited by the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, the
area was settled by Russians who built a fort near
Kasilof in 1786 and another fort at Kenai seven years
later. Gold was discovered on Turnagain Arm, bringing the
Alaska Railroad to the area in the 1920s. Oil was
discovered off the west coast in 1957. Today, some 40,000
people are engaged in fishing, transportation, and
tourist services.
Scenic Drives
The roads of the Kenai Peninsula beckon travelers to
this unspoiled wilderness. The Seward Highway (127 miles,
204 km) linking Anchorage and Seward is a designated
National Forest Scenic Byway. The Seward follows the
north shore of Turnagain Arm, leading through Chugach
State Park and the Chugach National Forest. Pods of
beluga whales are often seen in the Arm. This long,
narrow inlet has a extremely high tide which causes a
tidal bore from time to time. The wall of water flooding
into the Arm can be as high as six feet. The tidal bore
is best seen between miles 32 and 37 on the Seward
Highway, 2 1/4 hours after low tide in Anchorage.
The new Whittier Access Road is scheduled to open June
7, 2000, with completion of the work on Anton Anderson
Memorial Tunnel. The 2.5-mile-long railroad tunnel has
been modified to allow both vehicle and train traffic,
making it the longest highway tunnel in North America.
Before the tunnel, Whittier was accessible only by train
overland. The Alaska Railroad will continue to operate
passenger service between the Seward Highway and
Whittier.
The new access road branches off the Portage Glacier
Highway, goes through the new Portage Lake Tunnel to a
staging area near the tunnel entrance where the toll
booths are located. The new road provides some
spectacular views of Portage Lake and Portage and Byron
glaciers. The tunnel is closed to cars at times to permit
the train to run through the tunnel. For details on the
proposed toll schedule, vehicle size limitations and
tunnel restrictions, and hours of operation go to the
tunnel
website, or dial the special phone line, at (877)
611-2586. Tolls for 2000 are $15 for an automobile, and
$40 for a car with trailer or RV. books of toll tickets
are available.
The Sterling Highway connects the southwestern
communities on the peninsula with the Seward Highway,
passing through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and
the Chugach National Forest. Throughout the route are
forest recreation sites, including many campsites within
a mile or two of the highway, plus canoeing rivers,
marshes, and wildlife sanctuaries.
There are three larger communities along the Sterling
drive: Soldotna, neighboring Kenai, and Homer -- at the
end of the drive. From Soldotna south, the highway
follows the west coast of the peninsula, along the shore
of Cook Inlet. Along the way are several small fishing
villages and overlooks which offer great views (on sunny
days) of the volcanic mountain peaks on the Alaska
Peninsula across Cook Inlet.
Side Roads
There are several side roads which lead off the two
main high ways to interesting old villages and fine
scenery. The Alyeska Access Road provides access to Crow
Creek Road and the historic Crow Creek Mine, which is
open to visitors daily. This is a national historic site,
with campground, ponds, and gardens, in the middle of the
Chugach National Forest. Visitors may walk on the old
Iditarod Trail, which has its head at the end of this
backroad at Milk Creek. Also along the Alyeska access
road is the community of Girdwood, an old mining camp. At
the end of the road is the Alyeska Resort, Alaska's most
popular ski and summer resort. The chair lift takes you
above 3,000 feet for wonderful views of Turnagain Arm and
several glaciers.
Another sidereal drive takes you to Portage Glacier
(at mile 48.1). We've mentioned the glacier before, and
only need to remind you that this is one of the most
accessible glaciers in the state.
A 17-mile sidereal leads northwest from the Seward
Highway (at mile 70.3) to the village of Hope (pop. 224).
This is another historic mining community, founded in
1896 by prospectors who found gold on Resurrection Creek
and several smaller creeks. This is a popular cottage
area for Anchorage residents. Hope offers good fishing
near the ocean, and has a cafe, store, and motel. Just
beyond the present-day community is the original Hope
townsite. Part of the town was destroyed in the 1964
earthquake.]Kenai
Kenai has been settled longer than any other community
on the peninsula. The old town near Cook Inlet is a
fascinating blend of Russian, early-American and modern
development. The Kenai Historical Museum, housed in a
replica of Fort Kenai, The features artifacts from the
town's eras, including Russian icons, early photographs,
and stone tools.
A walking tour of the old town starts from the
Visitors Center, in "Moose meat" (John) Hedburg's Cabin
at Main Street and Kenai Spur Road. (907) 283-7989. Next
to the museum is Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church,
built in 1896. A good view of the mountains is seen from
viewpoints on the bluff, via Mission Road. The Captain
Cook State Recreation Area is a 1/2 hour drive, at the
end of Kenai Spur Rd., with swimming, picnicking,
canoeing, and fishing.
Soldotna is the most noted fishing spot in the area,
where record-sized salmon are caught in the Kenai River.
The Visitor Center, on the Sterling Highway (907)
262-1337, has information and displays. The Kenai
National Wildlife Refuge is a huge (197 million acres)
nature preserve which is a home for moose, Dall sheep,
and other wildlife. There's a short nature trail near the
visitor center, on Funny River Road, off Ski Hill Road.
Several canoe routes thread through the forest and free
maps of them are available at the visitor center.
Camping
Beluga Lookout RV Park
929 Mission Avenue, Kenai AK 99611
(907) 283-5999 or 800-745-5999
With great views of Cook Inlet and the Kenai River, this
RV park offers full hookups, pull-through sites, cable
TV, picnic tables, barbecue pits, showers, and laundry.
The operation also has a fish cleaning station, freezers,
and smokers.
Overland RV Park
Mile 11.5 Kenai Spur Highway, Kenai AK 99611
(907) 283-4512 or 283-4117 (winter)
Located in downtown Kenai, the Overland has level sites
with pull-throughs, full hookups, restrooms, showers,
laundry, and dump station. There's a gift shop in the
office.
Where to Stay
