Kenai Peninsula Getting there & around

Getting there & around

If you've ever been stuck in a Soldotna traffic jam or huffed fumes behind a string of Seward-bound RVs, you'll know: the Kenai Peninsula is a place of vehicles. Two busy, paved highways extend through this region. The Seward Hwy runs south from Anchorage to Seward, while the Sterling Hwy spurs westward off the Seward Hwy to Soldotna, then drops down to Homer. If you don't have your own wheels, you could either rent in Anchorage. Alternatively, hop aboard a long-haul bus. Homer Stage Line (868-3914; www.homerstageline.com) operates daily between Anchorage, Homer and Seward; Seward is also connected to Anchorage by a couple of other operators.

The best alternative to a road trip is to see this region from the water. The Alaska Marine Highway (800-642-0066; www.ferryalaska.com) hits three of the Kenai's most compelling communities - Seward, Homer and Seldovia. While it won't get you to the Resurrection Pass trailhead or the fishing grounds on the Russian River, it'll spare you from high-season automotive gridlock - and that might make all the difference.

A third transport possibility is rail; the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad (265-2494, 800-544-0552; www.akrr.com) is at Seward, which is visited daily by trains from Anchorage.

Finally, as with everywhere in Alaska, there's always flying. Homer and the city of Kenai are served by ERA Aviation (235-7565, 800-426-0333; www.flyera.com); many of the peninsula's other towns also have airstrips and scheduled flights.