Cooper Landing, Alaska
The Best of Both Worlds
Cooper Landing is a small, picturesque village tucked into the mythical Chugach Mountains along the Kenai River in southern Alaska. Home to just 300 families and frontiersmen, Cooper Landing is one of the last remaining vestiges we have honoring the pristine beauty and sheer splendor of America’s untouched wilderness. Yet, Cooper Landing is just a day trip away from big city life in
Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and cultural center. Meanwhile, Cooper Landing sits just 45 minutes from nearby
Seward, Alaska – home to Alaska’s famous
SeaLife Center and the Gateway to
Kenai Fjords National Park.
From the nearby urban comforts of fine dining, fine art, music, shopping and film to the quiet retreat of a small town life filled with days on the river and nights under the stars, Cooper Landing offers something for everyone. Here are just a handful of the things you can enjoy while vacationing at your home in Cooper Landing:
- Spend the afternoon sailing through the glacier and fjords, admiring the puffins, sea lions and even an occasional whale amidst the breathtaking landscape
- Enjoy a stroll on the shores of Lake Hood as you watch the comings and goings at the largest sea plane basin in the world.
- Tie flies and cast your line with some of the greatest fishing guides in the world along the Kenai River, right outside your backdoor.
- Take the kids out for a trail ride on horseback through the Kenai Peninsula’s forests, meadows, river shores and rock ridges.
- Relax in an old-fashioned float from Kenai Lake into the Kenai River, like Teddy Roosevelt and the frontiersmen used to.
- Celebrate the awesome splendor of Alaska’s mermaids, the sea lions and sea otters, at the Alaska SeaLIfe Center.
- Walk in the footsteps of Alaska’s indigenous people, the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, at local historical sites and learning centers.
- Earn your float plane pilot license over at Moose Pass.
- Explore 150 miles of hiking trails, including the local jaunt to Cooper Landing’s “secret waterfall.”
- Curl up by the fireplace with a great book or a game of Soduku, and just unwind in peace and quiet.
Outdoor Adventure in Cooper Landing
Locals and visitors, alike, enjoy uninterrupted, awe-inspiring opportunities to commune with nature, explore the wilderness and revel in all their favorite outdoor pursuits. The village sits at the confluence of the legendary Kenai and Russian Rivers along the Kenai Peninsula, home to world-class fly-fishing along the idyllic, turquoise glacial waterways. Meanwhile, Cooper Lake and an ancient waterfall, so secret no one calls it by name, greet visitors at the end of quiet dirt road. Whether you prefer to hike along more than 150 miles of well-marked trails maintained by the US Forest Service, or you feel up for a back country adventure, Cooper Landing will grab you and hold you as one of the most scenic, relaxing landscapes in all of Alaska, perhaps even the world.
First-class recreational activities abound in Cooper Landing. From hunting expeditions to photography treks, from horseback riding to mountain biking, river rafting, kayaking, camping, cross-country and downhill skiing, Cooper Landing offers year-round adventure – no matter your interests or lifestyle.
The Local Lifestyle and Cultural Activities
On days you feel like staying close to home, pop over to the Sunrise Inn and indulge in pancakes, waffles, and fresh omelets, or unwind with the locals at the Kingfisher Roadhouse where you can surf and turf it right on the Kenai Lake.
For a carton of milk, a dozen eggs or a bottle of cooking wine, swing by Local Market. Or tinker away with the handymen and good folks over at the Shrew’s Nest. For those harder to find items, you can head over to nearby Seward and Anchorage.
For more information about travel and tourism in Cooper Landing and throughout Alaska, visit www.alaska.com.