Page 110 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

108  ALASK A AREA B Y AREA

8 Sterling
134 miles (215 km) SW of
Anchorage. Transport map A3.
* 5,000. @ Anchorage–Homer.
The name of the game in the
5 mile (8 km) strip known as
Sterling is fish. Nearly all the
businesses along the Sterling
Highway cater to the anglers
who flock to the town when
the salmon are running. This
community is also home to
numerous private recrea tional
cabins on the banks of the
Kenai river.
Anyone who has ever
wanted to try their hand at
landing a monster salmon will
find plenty of equipment and
advice in Sterling, as well as
along the highway between
here, Soldotna, Kenai, and
Homer. The area’s most worth-
while site is Skilak Lake, which
features lovely wild lakeside
campsites and hiking trails.
In the winter, the area’s many
frozen lakes, including Seven
Lakes and Hidden Lake, make a
pretty sight, but in the sum mer,
the congestion around this Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church, Kenai
area can be frustrating.
fast-food franchises, stores, 0 Kenai
and visitor accommo dation 11 miles (18 km) NW of Soldotna.
9 Soldotna options. Founded in the 1940s Transport map A3. * 7,000. ~
as a retail hub at the junction
148 miles (238 km) SW of Anchorage. @ Anchorage–Homer. n 11471
Transport map A3. * 4,000. ~ of the Sterling and Kenai Spur Kenai Spur Hwy; 283-1991. _ Kenai
@ Anchorage– Homer. n 44790 Highways, it was incorporated River Festival (2nd week end in Jun).
Sterling Hwy; 262-9814. ( Farmer’s only in 1967. While the area ∑ visitkenai.com
Market, 10am–2pm Saturdays in sum- experi enced steady growth,
mer. ∑ soldotnachamber.com unbri dled sprawl, and con- The Kenai Peninsula’s largest
gestion in the late 20th century, city, Kenai also ranks as one
As the primary commercial much of the surrounding of Alaska’s best-preserved
and service center of the Kenai land remains protected historic communities. In 1791,
Peninsula, Soldotna features under federal management. Russian fur traders came
Five sites around town – in contact with the region’s
the Soldotna Visitors’ Center, Dena’ina Athabaskan people
Rotary Park, Soldotna Creek and established St. Nicholas
Park, and the Centennial and Redoubt, the second perma-
Swiftwater Campgrounds – nent Russian settlement in
have set up “Fishwalks” along Alaska. In 1869, two years after
the Kenai River. These board- the purchase of Alaska, the
walks, designed to protect the US Army built Fort Kenay to
fragile riverbank, allow public provide a military presence
access to the river for fishing in the Cook Inlet region.
and salmon-viewing. Extensive oil exploration began
On Centennial Park Road, in the 1950s, and the Tesoro
the Soldotna Historical Society Alaska refinery at Nikiski is
Museum features a collection now a major economic player.
of homesteaders’ cabins from Visitors can stroll around
the 1940s. It also has a Territorial the historic Old Town near
Log cabin at the Soldotna Historical log school, Native artifacts, and the beach, which has the 1881
Society Museum a collection of stuffed wildlife. Parish Rectory House, the 1906
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp242–3 and pp251–2

108-109_EW_Alaska.indd 108 02/05/17 2:30 pm