Stop by the official visitor center in a small town like Soldotna, and you’ll get more than a plethora of free brochures and guides. It’s where you can meet local experts and get first-hand tips, recommendations and ideas on how to enjoy your adopted city like a resident. Soldotna hugs the banks of the Kenai River closely, just ten miles inland from Cook Inlet. Many visitors are here for fishing and hunting, but there’s also plenty of opportunities for beach bums at Kalifornsky Beach, business travel and much more.

You’re within driving distance of Anchorage, Seward and Homer—but before you head to the bigger cities, discover the charms of small town life. At the middle of the Peninsula, you have unparalleled access to the wild of Alaska. There’s world-record salmon in nearby waters and herds of wild caribou.

An Insider’s Perspective

The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is located here, boasting almost two million acres of untouched wild. First dedicated in 1941 by President Roosevelt, Soldotna is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Also renowned for professional services and retail shops, a number of visitors from near and far flock to Soldotna for the rich resources.

In the Visitor Center, you’ll be treated to a display of animal exhibits such as the King Salmon. Get directions for a leisurely stroll along the river banks, lifted above sea level by the boardwalk. Next door is the Soldotna Historical society Museum where you’ll find structures built by early homesteaders as well as the town’s first post office.

What will you discover here?