Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna

Because of their proximity to each other, the towns of Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna are often mentioned together, and all three are within the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Soldotna and Sterling, with their strategic location on the peninsula's northwest coast, serve as the Kenai Peninsula’s commercial and sportfishing hub. Along with Kenai, whose onion-dome Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church is a highlight of the old town, they are home to Cook Inlet oil-field workers and their families. Sterling and Soldotna's commercial center stretches along the Sterling Highway, making this a good stopping point for those traveling up and down the peninsula. The town of Kenai lies near the end of a road that branches off the Sterling Highway in Soldotna. Near Kenai is Captain Cook State Recreation Area, one of the least-visited state parks on the road system. This portion of the peninsula is level and forested, with numerous lakes and streams pocking and crisscrossing the area. Trumpeter swans return here in spring, and sightings of moose are common.