Travel Guide Kenai

With its 7,740 inhabitants, this town is the largest on the peninsula. Before it became a Russian trading post, the Dena'ina community lived there mainly by fishing, hunting, trapping and trading with neighboring tribes. In 1791, it became the second most important Russian trading post in the region. A fort was built and many fur traders settled there. In 1848, the U.S. Army built a fort shortly after an important gold discovery in the river. In the 1950s, oil and natural gas led to the development of several industrial sites. The old center and the replica of its fort will immerse you in the atmosphere of the time for a moment... In spring, birdwatchers and photographers come to observe the thousands of snow geese that come to nest in the lowlands of the estuary. People come here to buy groceries in the supermarkets and gasoline mainly.