10 Charming River Towns In Alaska To Visit This Spring
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Courtney
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Alaska has more than 40% of the nation’s surface water resources including over 12,000 rivers, 3 millions lakes and numerous creeks and ponds. It is safe to say that those living in Alaska are natural born water babies. Whether we are wetting a line, floating down a river or kayaking into the back-country, there is no place we’d rather be than on the water. The sense of community, dedication to preservation and pride for Alaska’s natural resources is abundant throughout these ten charming river towns that you should definitely visit this spring.
Soldotna is known as Alaska’s Kenai River City. The world famous Kenai River runs through the town before it feeds into the Cook Inlet near Bridge Access in the neighboring town of Kenai. Soldotna offers a wonderful small town feel with friendly people, shops, eateries and multiple access points to the Kenai River. Visitors can fish for salmon, trout and dolly varden on the river. Other activities in town include hiking, biking, kayaking and more. It is a very family-friendly town with a bunch of fun indoor and outdoor activities all year-round.
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Anchor Point is a small town located on the Kenai Peninsula. This is where the Anchor River State Recreation Area is located and it is the most westerly point on the United States Highway System. The Anchor River is located on the Kenai Peninsula just north of Homer and south of Soldotna. King salmon draw the most anglers to the area but others come to fish for silver salmon, dolly varden and steelhead.
Cordova is a small town located near the mouth of the Copper River. In town visitors can enjoy beautiful landscapes, tons of activities and an abundance of wildlife. If you’ve never tried a Copper River red salmon, you simply MUST!
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Eagle is a city located along the south bank of the Yukon River. This is one of the original boomtowns of the Alaska mining era. Eagle is still a popular point for Yukon River travelers to put-in. Visitors to Eagle can enjoy float trips and exploring the town’s rich history.
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Fish, explore, relax! Cooper Landing is home to both the Kenai River and the Russian River as well as Kenai Lake. The most popular activity in this area is sport fishing. Others enjoy camping, dredging for gold, horseback riding, climbing mountains, wildlife viewing and more.
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This town is something to write home about! It’s quirky and very unique but it’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with it from the second you meet the unofficial town mayor (who is a cat named Stubbs). In town you can enjoy delicious food, fun shops, original artwork and live music. Water babies can enjoy a jet boat, raft or kayak trip down the Talkeetna, Susitna and Chulitna Rivers.
Healy is the closest year-round community to the world-famous Denali National Park and Preserve, home to the tallest mountain in North America, Denali. The town itself has great people who enjoy living away from the rat-race surrounded by wild Alaska. The Nenana River offers awesome float trips with riveting rapids and the ability to get off and float alongside the raft towards the end of the trip.
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The Chena River is a 100-mile tributary of the Tanana River in the Interior region of Alaska. It flows from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river. Fairbanks offers a ton of great activities for visitors to enjoy including riverboat adventures, museums, great restaurants, parks, farms and wildlife tours.
The Matanuska River is a 75-mile long stream in south central Alaska, closest to the town of Palmer. Downstream of its source, the river is joined by meltwater from Matanuska Glacier in the northern Chugach Mountains. The river is a popular destination for whitewater enthusiasts who float mainly in rafts or kayaks. In Palmer we definitely recommend checking out the Musk Ox Farm and the Reindeer Farm.
Sterling is a charming town on the Kenai Peninsula with lots of small businesses and local flavor. It is located between Cooper Landing and Soldotna and is home to the Moose River and access to the Swanson River. Generally visitors will fish the Moose River or float the Swanson River.
With over 12,000 rivers throughout Alaska, it’s no wonder that the beautiful 49th state would be filled with remarkable people that make up the communities throughout these must-visit river towns. For locals and visitors alike, these towns are sure to charm the socks off of you and have you falling in love with Alaska on a whole new level. Do you have a favorite spot to visit?
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