Things To Do In Soldotna Alaska

Soldotna is known as the River City. Nestled along the banks of the world famous Kenai River, Soldotna is the home of the world record, trophy sized, Monster King Salmon.

SOLDOTNA, ALASKA

Location: Soldotna borders the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on the Kenai Peninsula and is about 140 miles southwest from Anchorage via the scenic Seward and Sterling highways. The city is just ten miles east of the city of Kenai, thus causing the two to be referred to as the “Twin Cities”.

Amenities: You can find just about everything you need to make your stay enjoyable including car and RV rentals, boat rentals and charter services, a great variety of restaurants, lodging from cabins to condos, groceries, artwork, souvenirs, RV parks and campgrounds and auto and RV repair stations.

Soldotna Visitor Information Center: Located south of downtown Soldotna, just south of the Kenai River Bridge on the Sterling Highway. This is the place to get information on local community information, maps and brochures. It is open from 9:00am to 7:00PM, seven days a week from May through September. During the fall and winter months it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. A 250-foot fish walk can be accessed at the bottom of the stairs from the visitor center. You can sit and revel in seeing the activities along the Kenai River. Some of these activities may include salmon fishing from boats and the public dock, wildlife viewing, and photography.

Area History: The name Soldotna comes from the Soldotna Creek that empties into the Kenai River. Open for the first time to homesteaders in 1947, preference was given to veterans that made this a popular destination for World War II veterans returning from the war. Read about the town history at the Soldotna Homestead Museum or at their website below.
Soldotna is the administrative headquarters of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.

Soldotna Homestead Museum: The community of Soldotna was the last place in America to incorporate as a city within the Homestead Act. The Soldotna Historical Society’s museum offers visitors a historical view of homesteaders cabins and other village buildings that are found on site. Within the buildings are native and original homesteader artifacts and wildlife displays. The cabins are furnished as they were during the time of the homesteaders. Also included is the first Chamber of Commerce log tourist center that was built in 1961. Many historical pictures are on display showing the progress of the peninsula. The museum is located near the Soldotna Visitor Information Center on the Centennial Park Road campground turnoff. It is open from May 15 through September 15. Click on the provided link and take the Virtual Tour. No admission fee is charged but donations are appreciated.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN SOLDOTNA

National Wildlife Refuge Center: The center is located on Ski Hill Road just off the Sterling Highway in Soldotna. The center plays movies hourly. Movie topics include Alaska and wildlife. You can also take walks, either guided or unguided, along the marked trails to Headquarters Lake. You can often see wildlife and many varieties of wildflowers can be seen in the area, so be sure to bring your camera. At the center you can find out more about the wildlife refuge that encompasses 1,865,000 acres along the western slops of the Kenai Mountains and lowlands bordering the Cook Inlet. The refuge was originally set up to preserve the moose population. There are over 200 miles of trails and canoe routes where you will view sea birds, Dall sheep, mountain goats, caribou, wolves, coyotes, bears, lynx and wolverines.

Centennial Park: Within the city of Soldotna you will find this park that offers a little of everything. It is within walking distance of town, rodeo grounds, Soldotna Historical Museum, ball fields and of course the Kenai River. It offers 176 campsites, some right along the Kenai River, all come with fire pits and picnic tables. There is over 650 feet of boardwalk that include 13 sets of river-access stairs to help gain access to the Kenai River. You will also have two boat launches to get your boat in the water. Water and pay phones are on site. It is located in Soldotna off the Sterling Highway. After crossing the Kenai River Bridge turn right onto Kalifornsky Beach Road and look for the park sign immediately to your right.

Soldotna Progress Days July 28 and 29, 2007: An annual community event that takes place in Soldotna during the fourth weekend in July. The parade starts on Saturday morning at 11:00 and includes over 100 entries from local businesses and organizations. Many other activities offer run and enjoyment for all ages. These include community barbecues, rodeo, arts and crafts booths, a quilt display and car races. Local businesses participate in the parade and offer discounts or specials for the weekend.

Fishing: There are many options to consider when thinking about fishing the Kenai River. You can fish from the bank from many parks along the river, some even have handicapped access. Rotary Park on Funny River Road, Swiftwater campground on East Redoubt near Fred Meyer, Soldotna Creek Park in the center of town, the Kenai River Classic Fish Walk below the Soldotna Visitors Center or maybe Centennial Park on Kalifornsky Beach Road. You can launch a boat from many boat launches in the area. Many guides and charter services are available and can provide half day to full day opportunities for catching salmon, trout, steelhead or Dolly Varden.

Golf Courses: On the Sterling Highway south of Soldotna you will find a nine hole privately owned public golf resort called the Birch Ridge Golf Course. Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna can be seen from an overlook near holes four and five. There is the opportunity to view moose or caribou on the course. You may want to remember your camera.
On Funny River Road you can find the Bird Homestead Golf Course and Driving Range. Call 907-260-4653 for more information.

Bird and Wildlife Viewing: There are bird watching and wildlife viewing tours available on the Kenai River. Many of Soldotna's parks offer views of the Kenai River where you will often see migrating salmon, bald eagles, beluga whales or maybe a bull moose or brown bear. Caribou and moose can also be seen along the roadways or in residential areas.Beluga whales are just not as common today due to a number of factors.

Indoor Activities: For those bad weather days or for those ready to take a break from the River Soldotna provides opportunities for bowling, tennis, racquetball, swimming, cinema, ice-skating, exercising at a fitness center or walking through the Peninsula Center Mall for some shopping.

Kenai/Soldotna Motocross Track: If you enjoy the thrill of watching men and machines in action, check out the Twin Cities Racing Lions Motocross track located off the Kenai Spur Highway between Soldotna and Kenai.

Wintertime: is fabulous in Soldotna. From snowmobiling to dog sledding the activities seem to never stop. Famous snowmobile riders like Dusty Van Meter, Mark Carr and Scott Davis, all champions of the grueling 2000 mile Tesoro Irondog Classic snowmobile race to Nome and back, call this area home. When it comes to dog sledding, look know further than the Iditarod veteran musher Tim Osmar. Winter presents new photograph opportunities of wildlife in unforgettable backgrounds of glimmering ice covered trees. View this just once on a crisp morning at sunrise and feel yourself slip back to those early days of wagons and wood stoves. If you enjoyed Soldotna in the summer, you will love it in the winter.

WHERE TO STAY WHILE IN SOLDOTNA

Camping: Soldotna has a couple of city parks that offer campsites for tents and recreational vehicles. Centennial Park and Swiftwater Park are both located on the banks of the Kenai river within walking distance of the shopping areas.

Soldotna offers a wide range of lodging options, one will surely fit your needs. There are a great variety of bed and breakfasts, hotels and motels. Several RV parks can be found in the area, as well as lodges and cabins. Many of the guide services also have lodging available for their customers.

Soldotna Alaska

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Escape the rush and noise of the city life through the charm of a Soldotna Alaska Vacation on the beautiful and scenic Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. There are cabins and campgrounds, hotels and motels, all inclusive lodges and Soldotna bed & breakfasts available for • Hunting • Fishing • Biking • Canoeing • Hiking • Honeymoons • Anniversaries • Summer Homes • Winter Retreats • Cabin Rentals • Vacation Rentals • Log Cabins • Romantic Getaways • Weekend Getaways • Kenai River Cabins • Kachemak Bay Cabins • Seaside Rentals • Beach Front Rentals • Mountain Views • Fly in • Boat In • Hike In • River Front • Wildlife Photography • Resurrection Bay Lodging • Kachemak Bay Lodges • Snowmobile • Snowshoe • and more.