Page 102 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

100  ALASK A AREA B Y AREA

Cooper Landing was one of
the few places in Alaska that
continued producing gold into
the 20th century. The town
sprawls along the Sterling
Highway in a string of eateries,
lodges, gift shops, and fishing
fitters. At the K’Beq Kenaitze
Footprints Heritage Site,
Dena’ina Natives share their
traditions through interpretive
walks featuring archeological
Lakeside views from the quaint vilage of Hope sites. Local artists make and
sell Dena’ina arts and crafts.
1 Hope passage of a mail-carrying dog
team. To the west of the Seward
88 miles (141 km) S of Anchorage. 4 Kenai River
Transport map B3. * 190. ~ Highway stands a land mark
_ Wagon Trail Run (3rd weekend waterwheel, con structed in Transport map A3. @ Anchorage–
in Jul). ∑ hopealaska.info 1976 by the Estes Brothers who Homer. 8
still run a gro cery located in the
The historic gold-mining town adjacent 1928 building. Moose Originating between high peaks
of Hope nestles at the mouth Pass sits on the south side of above the glacier-blue Kenai
of Resurrection Creek on the Trail Lake, and a local air taxi Lake, the Kenai River rushes
southern shore of Turnagain provides flightseeing trips. westward from Cooper Landing,
Arm (see pp84–5). Named North of Moose Pass, a where whitewater rafting,
after Percy Hope, a 17-year-old salmon hatchery next to North kayaking, and canoe ing are
prospector, Hope’s heyday was Trail Lake is the starting point on offer. The Kenai then passes
in the late 1890s, when it was of the 21-mile (35-km) Johnson the mouth of the Russian
a rollicking Gold Rush town. By Pass Trail. Following the lake- River before flowing out of
the end of the decade, however, shore, the trail climbs over its the mountains and onto
many of the town’s inhabitants namesake before descending the flats around Skilak Lake.
had pulled up stakes and headed to Granite Creek at Mile 62.9 Among the world’s most
for the Klondike goldfields. of the Seward Highway. productive salmon streams,
Today, despite its proximity the lower Kenai is the original
to Anchorage and the Seward combat fishing river, with fierce
Highway, Hope remains a quiet 3 Cooper Landing competition among anglers for
place. Most visitors stroll around 98 miles (158 km) S of Anchorage. fishing space. People flock to
town and visit the 1902 log Transport map B3. * 290. the river on summer weekends,
social hall and the old 1896 @ Anchorage–Homer. Tel 595- tempo rarily making the Sterling
general store, now home 8888. n Mile 48, Sterling Hwy. Highway one of Alaska’s busi est
to the Seaview Café and Bar. ∑ cooperlandingchamber.com roads. Continuing west from
Recreational opportuni ties here its Skilak Lake outlet, the river
include camping at Porcupine Named after Joseph Cooper, flows past innumer able public
Campground, rafting on Six- who was the first to discover campsites and pri vate cabins
Mile Creek, and hiking the Gull gold in the area in 1894, to its mouth at Kenai.
Rock Trail. More energetic hikers
can try the Resurrection Pass
Trail, which passes both historic
and modern-day gold diggings.
2 Moose Pass
98 miles (158 km) S of Anchorage.
Transport map B3. * 220.
@ Anchorage–Seward. Tel 288-3101
(Trail Lake Lodge). _ Moose Pass
Solstice Festival (weekend nearest
June 21). ∑ moosepassalaska.com
Moose Pass village began life
in 1912 as a construction camp
on the Alaska Railroad. The area
was named in 1903, after, it
is said, a moose blocked the A freezing Kenai River flowing past Cooper Landing
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp242–3 and pp251–2

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