Week 19 - Kenai River
The Last Days of the Journey
Two bald eagles resting along the Kenai River, completely at home in the rhythm of the water.
After our time along the coast in Kenai Fjords, we traveled inland to Kenai Riverside Lodge, where the landscape shifted again. The ocean and glaciers gave way to forests, mountains, and the turquoise waters of the Kenai River winding through the valley.
All of our gear was waiting for us at our cabin when we arrived. Alaska Wildland Adventures operates several lodges throughout the Kenai Peninsula, and the transitions between locations felt seamless. The river lodge itself is made up of log cabins tucked among the trees, giving the whole area a quiet, serene feeling.
The log cabins at Kenai Riverside Lodge, tucked quietly among the trees along the Kenai River.
Meals at the lodge were served family-style, with assigned seating times. The food was surprisingly gourmet, and dinners often became a time to share stories from the day’s adventures. Compared to the more remote lodges we had stayed in earlier, there was a little more movement here, with guests coming and going — many visiting specifically for the salmon fishing along the Kenai River.
The main lodge at Kenai Riverside Lodge, where each day slowed down and stories were shared around the table.
For the two full days we spent at the lodge, two excursions were planned. The first was a rafting trip down the Kenai River.
From the shoreline the water looked fast and a little intimidating, but once we were on the river the experience felt completely different. It felt calm in a way that was hard to expect from the shore.
Along one bend in the river we floated past a fallen stump where two bald eagles sat watching the water below. A little farther downstream we caught a glimpse of a black bear and her cub moving quickly through the forest along the riverbank. It happened too fast for a photograph, but it was still thrilling to see.
Floating down the Kenai River, taking in the landscape as it slowly unfolded around us.
Eventually we reached the point where our raft met a larger motorboat that would take us across to the shoreline for the ride back to the lodge. The river opened up quickly as we approached Skilak Lake, and the water felt noticeably rougher where the boats came together.
For a moment, it wasn’t entirely clear if the transfer would work. Our guide mentioned that if we couldn’t safely connect, we would bring the raft to shore and hike out to a waiting van back to the lodge. Climbing from the raft to the boat felt a little adventurous, but it all came together, and before long we were on our way back.
Where the river opened into Skilak Lake, the landscape widening in every direction.
Field Note: The Kenai River
• The Kenai River is one of Alaska’s most famous salmon fisheries.
• Sockeye and king salmon return here each summer after years in the ocean.
• Glacial silt carried in the water gives the river its distinctive turquoise color.
Fishing is central to life along the Kenai River. Back at the lodge we watched as salmon from the river were prepared — bright red fish that had returned from the ocean to the very rivers where they were born.
Salmon from the Kenai River, a reminder of how deeply connected this place is to the rhythms of the water and the life it sustains.
The following day we explored the surrounding hills on a hike along Hideout Trail in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. In several places we could see where a wildfire had moved through the landscape. There were many dead trees, but the hillsides were also filled with bright pink fireweed, giving the area a different kind of beauty.
Fireweed covering the hillsides, bringing color back to a landscape shaped by fire.
Field Note: Fireweed
• Fireweed is one of Alaska’s most recognizable wildflowers.
• It is one of the first plants to grow in areas disturbed by wildfire.
• Hillsides that appear burned or damaged often return quickly with vibrant fireweed blooms.
We didn’t see wildlife on that final day at the river lodge, but the quiet hike was still a lovely way to end this part of the journey.
Fireweed growing through a landscape shaped by wildfire, bringing new life to what was once burned.
After traveling through so many different parts of Alaska — coastal bears, the vast landscapes of Denali, and the glaciers of Kenai Fjords — these last days along the river felt quieter. A chance to slow down and take in the final moments of the trip.
Small details along the trail, where the color of late summer seemed to be everywhere.
The next morning we packed our bags and began the drive back to Anchorage.
The photographs, the notes, and the transcripts I recorded along the way would eventually become something more — the beginning of a book that would tell the story of this journey through the lens of a photographer.
One last look at the Kenai River valley before the journey home.
