The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner

Population: 6,626

The city of Kodiak is located near the northeastern tip of Kodiak Island, at the north end of Chiniak Bay, in the Gulf of Alaska, southwest of Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula. It is 55 minutes by air from Anchorage and 9-1/2 hours by ferry from Homer.

Visitor information:
Kodiak Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, 100 E. Marine Way, Suite 200, Kodiak, AK 99615; (907) 486-4782 or 1-800-789-4782; (email).

Kodiak is one of 6 incorporated cities located on Kodiak Island. Called Alaska’s “Emerald Isle,” Kodiak Island is the largest island in Alaska and the second largest island in the United States (after Hawaii). The city of Kodiak has one of the largest commercial fishing ports in the U.S., and the Coast Guard Base at Kodiak, which occupies the old Kodiak naval Station, is the largest Coast Guard base in the country.

Accommodations available in Kodiak at Best Western Kodiak Inn, Sheilikof Lodge and Inlet Guest Rooms. Afognak Wilderness Lodge on Afognak Island offers wilderness stays in their lodge or guest cabins. Dining at a variety of restaurants offering a wide range of menus and prices. Shopping is readily available for gifts, general merchandise and sporting goods. Northern Exposure Gallery has art, gifts, books and more. Car rentals downtown and at the airport from at Rent-A-Heap (email) and Budget (email). There is a movie theater and 750-seat performing arts center. Camping at state campgrounds located on Kodiak’s road system.

Kodiak Map

Attractions:

Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository houses artifacts from coastal sites around Kodiak Island.
Bear viewing by air is big in Kodiak. Try Sea Hawk Air, Kingfisher Aviation and Andrew Airways. These outfits also offer air charters for hunters, fishermen and other recreational pursuits.
Baranov Museum (Erskine House), maintained by the Kodiak Historical Society, is the oldest Russian-built structure in Alaska. A national historic landmark, the museum features many items from the Koniag and Russian era.
Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center features exhibits, hands-on interactive displays, a bookstore, public talks and films on Kodiak’s wildlife and Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers perform dances recreated from stories passed down through generations of the Alutiiq people, who have inhabited Kodiak Island for more than 7,000 years.
Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral, built in 1945, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church interior provides a visual feast, and the public is invited to attend services.
The Diocesan Museum of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, located at St. Herman’s Chapel on Mission Road, covers the history of the first Christian church in Alaska (1784). All Saints of Alaska log chapel, a scale replica of the original 1796 church building, is located on the grounds of St. Herman’s Theological Seminary.
Visit a brewery. Visitors may taste test local beer at the Kodiak Island Brewery, located in downtown Kodiak.
The 9-hole Bear Valley Golf Course, owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, is open to the public.
Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park,, located north of Kodiak on scenic Miller Point, offers picnicking and camping in a setting of lush rain forest, wildflowers, seabirds and eagles. The Kodiak Military History Museum features displays of WWII memorabilia, including relics from the Aleutian campaign.
Shuyak Island State Park, located 54 air miles north of Kodiak, is a popular kayaking destination (fly-in or boat-in) with 2 public-use cabins for rent.
Kodiak Island is in the center of a fine marine and freshwater fishery and possesses some excellent fishing for rainbow, halibut, Dolly Varden and 5 species of Pacific salmon.