Kenai Peninsula Region

Fishing at its Best The Kenai Peninsula

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The Kenai Peninsula is a natural setting where time stands still; where spirits are lifted by rugged beauty. Exploration by any mode is truly a memory in the making. Many appreciate the flexibility of driving along various scenic routes. Discovery by rail is equally remarkable, as winding tracks take all aboard across massive gulches, past snowcapped peaks and raging rivers. Perhaps the most panoramic of ways to behold the grandeur of the peninsula is via flight. Helicopters and small airplanes afford a bird's eye view of exquisite landscape and geologic marvels like the Harding Ice Fields in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Perhaps the most famous activity on the Kenai Peninsula is fishing. There are so many options, the tough part is deciding where to wet your line first. The Kenai Peninsula rivers are among the most famous, most intensely managed, fresh water salmon fisheries in Alaska. Rivers and lakes are also teaming with Arctic char, resident and sea-run dolly varden, and trophy rainbow trout. Whether fly fishing all alone, drifting for kings or commissioning a deep-sea halibut charter, the Kenai Peninsula is a fisherman's paradise. Fishing is excellent year round including winter when a visitor can ice fish for salmon or trout on a peninsula lake.

Active volcano's can be viewed along the Pacific "rim of fire". Other sensational occurences are found along the Knik and Turnigan Arms where the only regular tidal bores occur. There is perhaps no natural wonder that can rival the stunning composition of wildlife. An estimated 8,000 moose join mountain goats, dall sheep, trumpeter swans, Canadian geese, bald eagles, all easily viewed by Kenai Peninsula visitors. Brown bears drench themselves in salmon streams eagerly clutching sockeye salmon, one after the other. Sea birds and pods of enormous humpback whales surface offshore.

Dozens of trails lead across mountain passes. Hiking and backpacking excursions are popular ventures. Others explore by horseback or mountain bike. Boating opportunities range from guided rafting to serene lake canoe trips. Sheer rock faces invite the mountaineer and rock climber, while coastal waters lure beginner and expert kayakers alike. Picnicing, camping, marine tours, gold panning, clamming, berry picking are all fun activities for family members of all ages. High rising peaks call to the daring ice climber. Snowmachiners and cross country skiiers can find powdery white slopes and the aurora borealis shimmering overhead.