This site is information we have gathered in our search for adventure in south central Alaska.
We have accumulated information to assist the seasoned hiker on trip planning in this beautiful country.
This is not a complete guide, but contains pertinent information on our recent trip during the fall of 2007. This site does not cover the whole peninsula, but just the east central and south portion along the Seward highway.
It is our intention that our research and planning may be of value to anyone who is interested in hiking in this wild and diverse country. If you only had one week to visit, then I suggest that you stay within a 200 mile radius of Anchorage to maximize your backcountry time.
We choose the Kenai Peninsula, due to its close proximity to the ocean and mountainous terrain. Our goal was to backpack and kayak,
so this was the logical choice.
The Kenai Peninsula is only a short drive from Anchorage airport and is accessible via the Seward highway. One can easily arrive in the early afternoon, gather supplies and rental car and be in camp by nightfall. Anchorage airport has several airlines and car rentals available. By carefully shopping early and booking your flight and rental car during the shoulder season, costs can be significantly lower. I highly recommend the "shoulder" months of early May and mid September. You will avoid people (which is why you came here in the first place) and also miss the bugs. Car campsites are free after Labor day weekend and almost empty, we stayed at the Granite Creek and Primrose sites. Two very good harbors with kayak rentals and water taxis are Whittier and Seward. You can be dropped off at any one of the several forest service cabins with your kayak rental or just go on a half day guided tour. I suggest that you call ahead and make sure that they are going to stay open. About the second week of September, everyone is closing shop for the winter.
I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the Seward highway. A great source for this is the Alaska scenic byway website. The Seward highway is a 127 mile stretch of road that links Anchorage and Seward, with mile zero starting in Seward. The drive shows the incredible diversity of the Kenai Peninsula. The highway wanders through green maritime forests, coastal fjords and lush alpine meadows. Keep a lookout for wildlife such as moose, bears and Dall sheep. There are plenty of turnouts also to take pictures along the way, so take your time and enjoy the view.
Hiking- There are numerous short trails and not very many long ones. Resurrection pass trail's 38 miles is the exception, it goes from the picturesque community of Hope in the north to Cooper landing in the south. This trail has many public use cabins that should be reserved well in advanced. There are a few very good books that describe these hikes in detail,so I won't go into depth on those specifics. You can find them on my reference page at the end. A good website for trail research and tips is Alaska Hike search by Chugachman. For more links and suggested guide books, Please visit our resource and links pagefor more information.
Our hike was on the Summit creek trail just 4.4 miles north of the Devil pass trail head. These two trails will take you to the Resurrection trail where a loop trip or an out and back can be accomplished. Hiking in the Peninsula does require some routefinding skills with a map and compass. The weather can quickly change and reduce your visibility within minutes. A GPS is a good backup also, we had no signal problems. Always carry a detailed topographical map and compass and know how to use it.