Anchorage
Cars Rentals:
- Alamo
Rent A Car; 907-247-0017
- Dollar
Rent A Car; 907-248-5388
-
Hertz Rent A Car; 800-654-3131
-
Ace Rent A Car; 907-562-8078
Anchorage
RV Rentals:
Kenai
Car Rentals:
- Budget;
907-283-4507
-
Payless Car Rental; 800-729-5377
-
Avis Rent A Car;
907-283-7900
-
Great Alaska Car Co.; 907-283-3469
Additional
Ground Transportation Information:
The
Drive from Anchorage to Kenai is an Excellent way to begin your vacation
in Alaska.
How
to get here: From Anchorage you will follow Highway 1 South
on the Kenai Peninsula 140 miles to the town of Sterling.
On
the way: Just outside of Anchorage, you will follow Hwy 1
between the Chugach Mountains and the waters of Turnagain Arm. Watch
for Dall sheep in the steep rock faces adjacent to the road.
Drive
a little further and you will reach Portage glacier. Portage
is Alaska's most land accessible glacier and is located just 52 miles
outside of Anchorage. The viewing station and visitors center is a
must stop for taking a frigid look at this massive icefield.
From
Portage you will continue down Hwy 1 and soon enter the Kenai Peninsula.
Brimming over the 988-foot Turnagain Pass, and criss-crossing deep
into the Kenai Mountains, the road eventually splits. The Sterling
Hwy (which remains Hwy 1) travels south to Sterling, Soldotna and
eventually Homer. The Seward Hwy continues on toward to the beautiful
coastal community of Seward.
After
the Sterling Hwy cutoff, you will immediately enter the headwaters
and eventually the upper reaches of the fabled Kenai River.
Numerous mountain creeks swollen from melting snow and retreating
glaciers crash their way into Kenai Lake, a turquoise jewel that marks
the Kenai River's emerald green beginnings. From Kenai Lake,
the road follows the swift flows of the Kenai River through the town
of Cooper Landing and past its legendary confluence with the
Russian River. From mid June on, this area will be bustling
with happy fisherman enjoying the hoards of red salmon that return
to the Russian annually. Several miles after passing through the Cooper
Landing area, the road leaves the river and enters a small mountainous
pass before spilling down into the low lying, boreal forest of the
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The vegetation is very thick and the
terrain mostly flat. To see the abundant wildlife inside the forest
walls, you'll need to keep your eye's peeled. Moose and eagles are
almost a guarantee but animals such as wolves and bears are much more
elusive.
After
leaving the mountains the road will take you an additional 30 minutes
to the town of Sterling and soon after, the town of Soldotna.
Eleven miles apart, these two towns are the heart of Kenai River
salmon fishing. Centrally located to all of the Kenai Peninsula's
attractions, the Sterling/Soldotna area is an excellent area to base
your Alaska vacation. With modern stores and a variety of restaurants,
a touch of civilization in this otherwise vast wilderness is very
convenient. From the Sterling/Soldotna area, travelers can continue
south on Hwy 1 to the one-of-a kind coastal community of Homer.
This drive will take you through several smaller communities such
as Kasilof, Ninilchik, and Anchor Point before
the road finally ends in the town of Homer. This southern portion
of the Kenai Peninsula is littered with small salmon rivers and also
offers excellent salt water fishing for salmon and halibut in adjacent
Cook Inlet.
Homer
itself is located on picturesque Kachemak Bay and is famous
for its sizable sand spit. The spit extends out into the bay itself
and houses Homer's renown sportfishing fleet. Homer is unofficially
known as the halibut capital of the world.
As
you may have already concluded, by renting a car and exploring the
Kenai Peninsula you can see nearly everything Alaska has to offer.
From breathtaking scenery, world class sportfishing, and abundant
wildlife, the Kenai has it all. Most people could spend an entire
summer just exploring the Kenai Peninsula and barely unravel its countless
opportunities. By the time you are ready to leave you'll already be
planning your return
See
here for more information: Most
tourists cruise to Alaska, but you can take your car
