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Sterling

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Located 10 miles northeast of Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, Sterling is a full-service community geared toward visitors preparing to venture into the surrounding wilderness of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

About Sterling

In and around Sterling, campgrounds, state access sites and trails are plentiful but the crown jewel of local outdoor recreation options is the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

The area around Sterling has been home to Kenaitze Indians for more than 2,000 years. An archaeological site containing prehistoric house pits was uncovered at the Isaac Walton State Recreation Site just west of Sterling.

Things to do

Sterling serves as the base for anglers and canoers who arrive every summer to land trophy king salmon or paddle the wilderness waterways of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge encompasses 2 million acres and is home to the Swan Lake and the Swanson River canoe routes that connect 120 miles of lakes and rivers in an undulating landscape. The 60-mile Swan Lake route is the more popular choice for paddlers as it connects 30 lakes and the Moose River with portages. You could spend more than a week paddling this area and finish just west of Sterling at the Sterling Highway. For more information on paddling, canoe outfitters or drop-off services contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

Sterling

Nearby Parks

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

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Attractions

Canoeing +

Sterling is the gateway to the Swanson River and Swan Lake canoe routes, a chain of rivers, lakes, streams and portages in the northern lowlands of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The trips are perfect for novice canoeists, as rough water is rarely a problem and portages do not exceed half a mile in length on the Swan Lake system or a mile in the Swanson River area. The Swanson River system links more than 40 lakes and 46 miles of river, and a one-way trip is 80 miles, beginning at Swan Lake Rd and ending at Cook Inlet in Captain Cook State Recreation Area. The easier and more popular Swan Lake route connects 30 lakes with forks in the Moose River; the one-way trip is 60 miles.
Charter Fishing +

A number of charter fishing guides operate in the Sterling area and often use drift boats to float clients down the Kenai River. Four species of salmon; king, sockeye, pink and silver, spawn up the Kenai River at various times during the summer.
Izaak Walton Recreation Site +

The Izaak Walton Recreation Area offers boating, pcinicking and camping. Located in the Kenai River State Management Area.
Morgans Landing State Recreation Area +

Morgans Landing State Recreation Area is a 279-acre park just west of Sterling that features a 42-site campground and gravel trails down to the Kenai River. Morgans Landing offers excellent bank fishing opportunities to the Kenai River and chance to hook a king salmon from mid-June through July and other species the rest of the summer.