Touring the Kenai Peninsula

Many of our guests will fly to Anchorage, rent a car and make the three hour drive to our lodge in Soldotna. Let us take you for a brief virtual tour of this spectacular drive to the Kenai Peninsula.

Driving south from Anchorage on the Seward Highway, you will initially follow the highway along Turnagain Arm.  You may be able to see Beluga whales feeding on hooligan during their annual migration to local streams that feed into Turnagain Arm.  Several of these streams also host salmon runs during the summer and fall.  You may also see Dall sheep on the steep mountain slopes to the left of the highway, or moose grazing in grassy areas next to the road.  There are several scenic turnouts where you can stop to take pictures.  The view across Turnagain Arm is very striking in clear weather.

Turnagain Arm is primarily a braided mud flat with very shallow water.  Turnagain Arm is known to have some of the largest tidal fluctuations in the world.  If you happen to be there at the right time, you can witness a wall of tidal water rushing up into the arm (check a tide book for 23 foot or higher tides).  Before the major earthquake in 1964, much of the mud flat was above water level.  You may notice the remains of houses and trees still standing in the flats, partially submerged from the liquefaction that occurred during the quake.

Farther down the highway, you will come to a road that leads to Portage Glacier.  This brief detour is well worth the little time it takes, as the views here are awesome.  At Portage Glacier you will see icebergs floating in the water and clogging the river that eventually flows into Turnagain Arm.  The water has a bluish gray tint due to sediment from the slowly moving glacier grinding the rocks and sand underneath. It can be rather cool here, so plan to dress accordingly.

Back to the main highway and driving around the arm, you will cross several small rivers that sustain small runs of pink and silver salmon.  Once around the arm, you will begin to ascend the pass that marks the beginning of the Kenai Peninsula.  At one point, you will come to a fork in the road that leads to the quaint fishing village of Seward.  Let's take a little detour down that road.

Seward was inundated by a tidal wave immediately after the major 1964 earthquake.  However, this little fishing community survived and reestablished itself as an attractive tourist attraction.  On the edge of Ressurection bay, Seward offers much in the way of sightseeing, shopping, dining and fishing.

Besides the silver salmon derby in August, one of the most entertaining and educational activities are the wildlife and glacier cruises.   From these tour boats, you can watch glaciers calving, killer whales, sea otters, seals and a myriad of birds including the comical puffin.  In addition, consider visiting the Sea Life Center during your visit.

Leaving Seward, let's take a brief tour of Exit Glacier.  Only an 8 mile drive from the main highway, Exit Glacier offers an excellent opportunity to experience a glacier up close.  Here you can literally walk up to Exit Glacier for a close up look at the blue ice.  Visitors are cautioned not to walk on the glacier itself because of possible hazards.  However, you can take some excellent photographs and the glacier is only a brief walk from the parking lot.  Exit Glacier is one of the fastest retreating glaciers in Alaska.

Leaving Exit Glacier and back on the road toward Soldotna, there is another turnoff to a little town called Hope.  Once a bustling town of 4, 000 during the gold rush in Alaska, Hope is now a small, close knit community with a few hundred residents. Hope receives only a few tourists each year, but it is worth a visit to see the quaint structures and friendly people. Hope does have a lot to offer. Visitors are encouraged to pan for gold in Resurrection Creek or fish for pink salmon when the run starts in July. There are also several shops that offer native Alaskan art as well as gold nuggets, jewelry, moose horns and various other items of interest. White water rafting is also popular in nearby ten mile river and several local proprietors offer guided trips.

Back to the Sterling highway, you would drive west toward Soldotna and the fabled Kenai River.  Along the way, you will pass the very large Kenai Lake at the headwaters of the Kenai River.  A little farther down, the road parallels the river and you will come to Cooper Landing. This is a popular spot for anglers who fish the Russian River for sockeye salmon in the summer. The Upper Kenai River flows 23 miles from Kenai Lake, through Cooper Landing, and finally into Skilak Lake. From here it flows a final 50 miles to Cook Inlet near the town of Kenai. After leaving Cooper Landing, you will exit the mountains and after a 30 minute drive you will come to the town of Sterling.

Between Sterling and Soldotna look for a road to the right called Swanson River Road.  This road leads to many fishable lakes and eventually to the Swanson River.   The river is wadable and has excellent trout and silver salmon fishing.  A canoe, small boat or float tube is recommended for fishing the lakes but fishing from shore is also very productive. There is also a canoe trail for traveling the river and several lakes.

Drive for another 10 to 15 minutes and you will be in Soldotna, the heart of fishing activity on the Kenai River.  Along the Sterling highway on the left side of the road as you drive into Soldotna, you will notice Fred Meyer, a shopping haven for clothing, food, camera accessories, fishing gear and just about anything else you can imagine.   The first signal after Fred Meyer is East Redoubt Drive.  Turn left on East Redoubt and proceed approximately 5 miles and you will be at Moose Horn Hollow and our Edgewater Lodge.  Our location is very easy to find.

If you proceed along the Sterling Highway west, you will cross over the Kenai River bridge.  The road from here directs you southbound through several small communities that border Cook Inlet.  The first of these communities is Kasilof and the Kasilof River.  A bit farther down the road, you will come to Clam Gulch, an area famous for digging Razor Clams. 

Next you will come to the little community of Ninilchik. A Russian community from over a century ago, Ninilchik offers a view into the scenic past of Alaska. A Russian church still stands on the hilltop and is supported by a sizable local population of Russian Orthodox. Don't be surprised if the people in this area speak Russian instead of English.

A little farther down the road you will pass through several other communities.  Deep Creek is known for halibut fishing and hundreds of boats launch from the beach here daily during peak summer months.  As you drive farther south, you will pass through the Town of Anchor River.  The Anchor River offers excellent fishing opportunities for salmon, Dolly Varden and steelhead trout.

A little farther south and you will be approaching Homer, the halibut capital of the world. Be sure to stop at the turnout off the highway for some photos overlooking the Homer Spit and Cook Inlet.  The view here is spectacular. 

Homer is a quaint community and primarily a fishing village.  However, there are some great places to dine and shop in Homer.  Many shops along the Homer Spit offer furs, whale bone art, moose horns, and various other forms of native Alaskan artwork.  A visit to Homer is a must on any visit to the Kenai Peninsula.  The more adventurous can take a taxi boat over to the landlocked community of Seldovia on the other side of Kachemak Bay.  Here one can sight see as well as dig for steamer clams.