Paddling the Kenai River – Soldotna to the Kenai River Mouth on Cook Inlet

I’m always looking for interesting places to kayak and when given the opportunity, and someone kind enough to run a shuttle for me, a river is just damn awesome! It doesn’t even have to be serious whitewater challenge, though I do love playing in moving water! Since we were camped right on the Kenai River in Soldotna, Alaska, I thought, what the hell, it’s only about 20 1/2 nautical miles or 23 ½ miles (38 km) down to where the Kenai River flows into the ocean. With a decent current flowing, that wouldn’t be a bad half-day paddle.

The start of my paddle at the Swiftwater Campground Boat Launch

The Kenai River flows from Kenai Lake, up near Coopers Landing, down to the town of Kenai on Cook Inlet. Coopers Landing is a small town and is a major destination for people wanting to fish. All along the river there are many river-side lodges and lots of guided fishing operations, especially drift fishing in river dorys, and guided raft trips.

The water of the Kenai River is a beautiful silty green colour and is icy cold. In the upper section from Coopers Landing to Soldotna there are some nice class 3 and 4 rapids, which would have been fun with some paddling partners, but on the section from Soldotna to Kenai, I would just be dealing with class 1 and 2 water. In this case, I felt very comfortable paddling solo.

Crowded Fishing on the upper Kenai

Drift Fishing near Coopers Landing

The largest recreational fishery in Alaska is supported by the Kenai River, and there are huge runs of Chinook, Coho, Sockeye and Pinks, as well as other fish species such as Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. The crowds that show up for the salmon runs that usually get into full swing around the end of June, are nothing short or amazing. Practically every accessible section of the river around Soldotna has staircases and fishing platforms. Fishing lodges and fishing charter operations are everywhere. There is even a dip net opening exclusively for Alaskan residents to fish for sockeye or ‘Reds’ as they call them.

There are lots of charter fishing boats on the river

Fishing Charters, Fishing Lodges and Fishing Platforms are everywhere!

During the first half the trip the river flows a pretty decent 4 – 4 ½ knots, so I was ripping right along and I was able to find a few small but decent waves to surf as well as some big boulders that provided some fun eddy turns. After that it begins to slow down and near the end the current is less than 2 knots at low tide.

The Kenai River is affected by tides for quite a few miles upstream, so if you time the tides wrong, you may find yourself working against the current as you get closer to the ocean. Fortunately, the day I paddled low tide wasn’t until 10:30 AM, and I didn’t actually pick up any opposing current until I was just about at the river mouth.

Fast water, small rapids

Playing in the eddys

A pleasant, less congested section of the river

I was hoping to spot a bear or moose or something along the way but my wildlife sighting were restricted to a couple of beavers, a fair number of Arctic Terns and Bonaparte gulls and a lot of bald eagles, most of them immatures.

I chose not to fish as fishing licenses are not cheap, the fish weren’t running and my skills as an angler are poor. The fact that the major fish runs hadn’t started yet didn’t stop others however. There were lots of folks fishing from the river banks and many charter boats on the water.

Beaver

Bald Eagles are a common sight

Bald Eagle on “The Pasture” near the river mouth

Immature Bald Eagle near the river mouth

As you get down river into the tidal affected areas, the river begins to remind me of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with the large muddy banks, large mud flats, and muddy coloured water. It’s just not not red that distinguishes the Bay of Fundy mud. There are very large tidal ranges here as well, around 20 feet (6 m).

Mt Spur comes into view near Kenai

Mountains, Mud & Water

Large tidal fluctuations are apparent as you approach the river mouth near Kenai

Approaching Kenai Beach at the end of the trip.  Kenai is to the right.

The passage through the waters around the town of Kenai were uneventful, but you have to be mindful of boat traffic through here. The river opens up into a large circular bay with a large sandbar across the entrance, leaving a narrow opening to the ocean. I crossed the bay and landed on on the north shore, on Kenai Beach where Linda was waiting to pick me up.

Kenai Beach

Map