We arrived in Cooper Landing, Alaska and parked the RV at our campsite in the United States Forest Service (USFS) Quartz Creek Campground, located in Chugach National Forest. We had the rest of the day to explore the area around Cooper Landing and along the Sterling Highway on the northern Kenai Peninsula. We stopped along Kenai Lake at the headwaters of the Kenai River. There is a short nature trail with some interpretive displays. We were able to view some Dall Sheep high up on a mountainside. The color of the lake is a beautiful turquoise blue from the rock flour of the snow and glacial melt.
The Sterling Highway parallels the Kenai River to its confluence with the Russian River, one of the most famous sockeye salmon fishing regions in the state. This is where “combat fishing” is the norm during the salmon run. “Combat fishing” is when fishermen standing almost shoulder to shoulder all cast a short distance upstream and let their lines float downstream and then repeat until someone gets a fish on. Then you get to try to land the fish without getting tangled up with other lines. You know the fishing is good when fishermen are willing to fish in such close quarters. There is even a ferry which takes fishermen across the river (for a fee plus a fee to park in the lot) to the hottest action. It was a little slow right now, not many fishermen around. I hear it is best to fish with a Russian River Fly, which you can purchase at a number of local tackle shops. The area campgrounds fill up during the sockeye runs in June & July, so you should make reservations in advance.
The Russian River Ferry at the confluence with the Kenai river takes anglers across to the prime locations
A little further down the road we entered the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. We were heading to the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area, which is located along the 17 mile gravel Skilak Lake Road. This drive is scenic and has numerous hiking trails and several campgrounds, access to lakes, and boat ramps. We stopped at several overlooks, many had interpretive displays. We saw numerous birds, but no other wildlife. The road is in fair condition with some sections of washboards and potholes.
We spent the afternoon exploring the Skilak WIldlife Recreation Area
We stopped to hike the Bear Mountain Trail to its scenic overlook. This trail is only 1.6 miles roundtrip but has 500 feet elevation gain, which means it has quite a bit of ascending to get to the viewpoint at the top. It was a very overgrown trail for many sections with a few areas of less vegetation for reprieve. At the top, there were excellent views of Skilak Lake and the Kenai Mountains. The area is described as prime brown bear habitat, so we were making plenty of noise the entire time. We saw only one other group of hikers while on the trail.
Bear Mountain Trail was quite overgrown in many sections as seen here
View from the top of Bear Mountain Trail
View #2 from top of Bear Mountain Trail
On the way back to our campground, we stopped to have dinner at the Kingfisher Roadhouse. There are numerous lodges and B&B’s in the region. There are also many guided fishing services. Cooper Landing is a small town with a population of about 300. There are multiple dining options in the region. We saw one small grocery store and a gas station. Cooper Landing is located about 101 miles from Anchorage and only 8 miles from the junction of the Sterling and Seward Highways. This is a great base for your salmon fishing and for outdoor enthusiasts.
