Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Alaska in July

I've just been offered (and accepted) a work trip to Alaska this summer. I will be heading up to Anchorage for a day or two of work in July and will spend another 5-6 days (can't use all my vacation before hunting season). I was thinking of taking the train to Denali to camp, hike and critter watch for the free time I have while I'm there.

I'm sure there are a ton of things to see and do, but any other specific recommendations of things for me to research. Not sure that I'd have enough time to head to Denali and do much else - but please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance, Mike.

Take the drive south from Anch to Seward, on the way stop in at portage glacier. Take a 3hrcruise in Res.Bay ( Seward ) & on the way back take a short detour to the russian river to see combat fishing, or
Could go to Homer & take a halibut charter however this would take up 2 days as its a 4hr drive one way, a day fishing & 4hrs back.
Lots of day hiking to be had just out of Anchorage if so inclined.
If going north Talketeena is 2.5 hrs & Denali is 4hr drive. IF you go all the way to Denali you can take a bus tour in the park & probablysee more critters than you will if you just drive the 10-16 miles that cars are allowed. Of course you can day hike & camp in the 1st part & still see, moose, bear, & sheep so ....
If you decide to do the train let me know, I may have a couple more ideas.

Thanks Greyghost.

I'll look into those.

Mike.

NH Hunter
I would say Denali is worthwhile, but it is WAY down the list of great things. Renting a car and remaining mobile would be far smarter IMO. Denali may very well be obscured the entire time you are there and wildlife viewing amounts to getting on a bus with a huge crowd to go look at stuff beside the road... Not my idea of AK.

The fishing will be incredible if you go to the right places and there are plenty of critters to see in almost all of them.
art

If you like flyfishing for monster rainbows check out www.justflyfish.net. I fished with these guys in 2005. I met the guide at the Talkeetna spur road, which is literally on your way to Denali. A little ways down the road is Montana Creek. No boats..and no planes..all you need is a car to get there. Its catch and release which was perfect for me because I didn't have a way to take care of the fish anyway. Guide was awesome and a half day trip is only $105...well worth it as he put me on fish immediately and he also provides the bear protection! :-). He set me up with pole, flies, waders...and it was nice stuff too. My only complaint...the fish were too BIG..couldn't turn these hogs once they got sideways to the current..what a hoot!

I agree with Sitka deer..I rented a car and didn't regret it. Went where I wanted, when I wanted...makes side trips like the one I described possible. Also enjoyed cruising Glenn Highway..gorgeous scenery and the only cost is gas.

Scott

The fishing out of Seward is tough to beat in July. Ling cod season open on July 1st, and the silvers start showing up in great numbers. On a combo charter, you can catch ling cod, rockfish, halibut and salmon. July is my favorite month of fishing, and Seward is probably my favorite destination because of the variety of fish you can catch.

+1 on Seward fishing in July. You can catch them all on a one day charter.

I belive the statistics are that the mountain is covered 70% of the time. It's such a cold rock at high latitude that it makes it's own weather.

However, if one is able to see it at ~20 miles distant (from McKinley R.) at an elevation differential of ~ 18,000 feet, it's stupendous.

Thanks everyone. Lot's to research.

Mike.

Good advice from the Alsaka residents. I'm from PA and have been to Alaska 3 times in the last 10 years. Denali is great, but it is a long ways up from Anchorage and puts you that much further away from everything that is happening down south on the Kenai Penninsula. I have taken the cruise in Seward, there is a longer one that includes as salmon dinner. Saw whales, seals, bears on the shore, all kinds of birds, sea lions, glaciers calving into the ocean it was cool but kind of "family oriented". Definitely see Portage Glacier. Early July should have the Reds running thick in the Russian. Get a map and drive along Skilak lake along the Sterling Highway on your way down. Lots of hiking opportunities in that area. Check your regs if you fish the Russian, they use a smallish fly vs. spin N glows with egg sacks further south on the Kenai river. Charters on the Kenai are good, even further south in the Soldatna area you have the the Kasilof river with a good camping/parking area for Rv's in the state park. Deep Creek is also good. Lots of fishing from the banks in those areas. Locals will be sustinence fishing on the beaches for Reds down in Kasilof with long nets from shore. It's a big party scene with people camping during the run for over a mile along the shore. If you hit the tides right you can try your hand at razor clamming in the mud flats at dead low tide in the Ninilchik area. Check out the Russian church on the bluff while you are there. Further down in Homer you can fish in the Spit which is basically a big lagoon made out of riprap and boulders. Charters are available there too. You gotta put a few beers down in the Salty Dog Salloon while you are there. A few years ago it was voted one of the top ten sportman's bars in the world by Field & Stream. Also hit the Homer Brewery and get a few growlers (jugs) of the local homebrew. Just north of Homer you can also fish Anchor Point from the area near the bridge along the highway all the way to the beach. If you like to eat on the go there is a chain of hoagie stores called Jersey Subs. There are ones in Kenai, Soldatna, a bus in Kasilof on the spur and another in Ninilchik. The food is really good if you like Cheeseteaks and Italian Hoagies. The owner is a native New Jerseyan and is a real character. The Halibut fishing is great down in this area but it is'nt cheap. Not only the charters cost, but the packing and processing is pricy also. If you plan on bringing a lot of fish home, fish early in the trip so you can get the Halibut frozen and if you get salmon you may want to get it smoked, you got to allow time for that. One way to save money if you do not have a whole crowd is to get on a mixed boat. That can be iffy. You could get on one with kids and women puking their guts out or some bozo swinging 3 pound lead ingots around when they need bait looking for the crew. You have a 4 fish limit on the halibut, but the captain & crew usually let you fill their tags as well. If the fishing is good do not keep anything under 25-30 lbs. Most good captains will tell which ones to keep, a bad one will have you keep them as you catch them and high tail it back to the beach once the boat reaches its' limit.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. If you have not ever been there, you are going to love it.

The brewery truly is a great reason to visit Homer. Nothing fancy, just GREAT beer.

Have you had beer there lately? It used to be pretty good, but I just don't find it worth the price which is pretty high, IMO. I haven't gotten growlers filled there in about two years. Has it improved since then?

I've had some of the Kenai/Soldotna brews at restaurants and have been similarly unimpressed. Flat and no flavor.

Romac, That's a lot of information - thanks for your time - sounds great.

With regard to beer - do they serve Guinness in Alaska, just in case the others don't work out, of course

Thanks again everyone.

Mike.

You can buy Guiness, but I don't think many places serve it. You can certainly do much better with some of the micro breweries up here. On the way into or out of Anchorage it wouldn't hurt to stop at the mooses tooth for some pizza and beer, or just the beer.

For beer, just get Ak Amber on tap. Or Dos Equis.

Kenai Pen has lots of trails to hike if you are into that sort of thing. You wanna fish for rainbows or Dollys on the flat-land lakes down here, pm me. I might even loan you a canoe for a day or two. Or take you "personal use " fishing as an observer (you can drink the beer while I fish), if the timing's right. Know a dynamite high-mountain hike-in lake for rainbows. I get Fri-Sun weekends off. July 4th long weekend - I'll be in Montana.

The 7-Glaciers tour out of Whittier is worth doing.

+1. Now that's good beer, IMO!

Just remember two words.....pipeline....stout

I would also skip the whole denali thing and go fish/hike the Kenai.

The Kenai sucks.

yeah, take the train north, you don't want to head south on that pot holed two lane road.

I like their China Poot Porter. I only make it down there in the summer, so I usually miss out on their Stout, which they told me was a winter-only beer.

Moose's Tooth is excellent as well. I like their Pipeline Stout and Prince William Porter. Most of my friends like their IPA, but I'm not much of an IPA fan. I like the darker, maltier beers.