| Explore the Kenai > Cities and Towns > Kenai | |
KenaiAbout the Area Kenai offers a rich cultural environment, including the historic Old Town district overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River and the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center, which is home to natural, cultural and historic exhibits about the area. Lectures by local experts are held throughout the summer at the center and feature such topics as wildlife viewing, Native Youth Olympics and even air rocketry workshops sponsored by the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, which is in Kenai.
The mouth of the world famous Kenai River drainage, where it meets
the ebb and flow of the Cook Inlet tides, can be viewed along the
bluffs of Kenai. Erik Hansen Scout Park is the perfect spot on the
bluff for relaxing and enjoying the view. In July, visitors can
watch Alaska residents dipnetting for salmon, while the commercial
salmon fleet travels between the processing plants and fishing grounds
of Cook Inlet. For a closer look at the tidal flats, a viewing boardwalk with spotting scopes is located along Bridge Access Road near the Kenai River bridge. A new wildlife viewing platform has been added nearby on Boat Launch Road. This is one of the best areas to spot Kenai's lowland caribou herd, as well as myriad of shorebirds and other wildlife. Three active volcanoes across the waters of Cook Inlet, Iliamna, Redoubt and Spurr, offer a stunning backdrop from this vantage point. Countless other recreational opportunities abound in Kenai. The
city has its own baseball team, the Peninsula Oilers, an elite collegiate
summer baseball team. The Oilers have had numerous former players
go on to careers in the major leagues in the team's 35-year history.
Only Alaska summers offer night games without any artificial lighting.
Where else can you tee off for a round of golf late in the evening
and have plenty of daylight left to get in a full 18 holes? Must-see in Kenai Links
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You
will want to make a point to tour Old Town, and see the distinct
architecture of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox
Church and nearby Saint Nicholas Memorial Chapel. This National
Historic Landmark is across from the Parish House and Fort Kenay,
a replica of the Russian Orthodox School of 1900 that was built
in 1967 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the purchase
of Alaska from Russia.
The
Dena'ina Athabascan Indians are the indigenous people of the area.
In the Dena'ina language, "Ken'ey" translates into two big flats
and river cutback.
