Kodiak

Wild, remote and stunningly beautiful, the city of Kodiak is a rugged outpost on Alaska’s famed “Emerald Isle.”

Accessible only by plane or ferry, Kodiak is nearly 200 miles offshore from Homer and truly off the beaten path. But a visit here will find you in a different Alaska—one of extreme wilderness and beauty, populated by hearty, friendly frontier folks.

Climb lush mountains rising out of the sea, fish meandering rivers filled with salmon, beach comb surf-pounded sand beaches while spotting for whales and look for the famed Kodiak brown bear. You’ll also find a small, cosmopolitan city—with excellent museums, talented artists and fine food. Here’s why people come:

Things to Do

• Explore the history of Kodiak at one of the city’s museums: the Alutiiq Museum, the Baranov Museum or the Maritime Museum
• Visit Fort Abercrombie State Park—hike the trails and beaches and visit the Military History Museum

• Learn about the fishing industry and play with tidepool creatures at the Fisheries Research Center
• Celebrate! Visit during April’s WhaleFest, Memorial Day weekends Crab Festival, or late summer’s State Fair and Rodeo.
• Visit the harbor and look for trollers, crabbers and seiners. See if you can find any of the boats from Deadliest Catch!
• Drive out to Pasagshak Beach, look for fossils in the cliffsides and check out the Alaska Aerospace Corporations launch tower.
• Watch Kodiak Brown Bears feeding on salmon, or join a photography tour to learn how to photograph them in the wild.
• Hike one of the local trails
• Go fishing—whether casting in the Buskin River or chartering a boat, this is the place to catch the big one.

Getting Here

You can get here by ferry in nine hours from Homer, which is 4-5 hours drive from Anchorage. Ferry travel needs to be arranged well in advance and is not frequent. For all these reasons, flying is your best choice for getting to Kodiak.

You can get here in just 1 hour and 10 minutes on Alaska Airlines (typically 1-2 flights daily). Be aware that Kodiak can get socked in by weather, which may delay your flight in or out of town.

Click here for an itinerary that includes Kodiak.