Kenai River Estuary, Alaska, United States

5David C 5:00 PM Aug 26, 2018

Timing is everything on the Bridge Access Road
There are 3 locations you can stop on this road to do some viewing. the closest to the town of Kenai is the Marina. There you will see the small harbor and Kenai River entrance which feeds into the harbor. The tides here are substantial 20' to 35'. at times the harbor is all but gone. The 2nd location is a pullout that provides a 360-degree panorama of the estuary, there is a platform to walk out on and on a clear day, you get a magnificent view of the Aleutian Mountain Range across the Cook Inlet. The 3rd location is just on the opposite side of the Kenai River Bridge. That provides you best view and access to the Kenai River itself. Be careful during low tides because the bank is muddy and you could get stuck in it and drowned when the ocean tide rises (it raises the rivers banks too). As to animals, there is a herd of Reindeer (Caribou) that romes the estuary. You can also see a moose or 2 near the road generally close to or in the trees at either end of the Bridge access road. Eagles and Seagulls are often seen. Bears not usually seen in this area.

4Jan K 5:00 PM Jul 9, 2019

Convenient and worth a stop
Especially for bird watchers, this stop is worth taking. In the early morning or late afternoon, chances of seeing caribou are greater. Birds frequent the estuary all day but seem to come in to feed in the later afternoon. The walkway has interesting fact boards to help with identifying the birds.