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Kodiak Archipelago
Kodiak is the principal town on Kodiak Island and the home to a
major fishing fleet. Established as the first capital of Russian America
in 1792, reminders of this era can be found at the Holy Resurrection
Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Baranov Museum – formerly a fur
storehouse and Alaska's oldest wooden structure.
e original inhabitants of Kodiak were the Alutiiq people – 7,000 years
later, their descendents still live on the island. Visit the Alutiiq Museum
Archaeological Repository in downtown Kodiak and get a glimpse into
Alutiiq history and culture. Villages scattered throughout the archipelago
offer insights into traditional Alutiiq lifestyle.
e Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covers two-thirds of Kodiak Island,
offering protected habitat for world-famous Kodiak brown bears – the
world's largest land carnivore. Visit the refuge interpretive center and
catch a floatplane to backcountry viewing destinations. e Kodiak
Island Archipelago offers a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities,
including hiking, fishing, kayaking, whale watching and bear viewing.
Originally a WWII coastal fortification, Fort Abercrombie Historical State
Park was one of the first radar installations in Alaska. It is now a national
historic landmark and provides a forest setting for day hikes, picnics
and camping.
Bristol Bay
Scheduled air service from Anchorage to Dillingham, King Salmon and
Iliamna provides access to Bristol Bay's numerous fishing and outdoor
recreation opportunities. Many indigenous cultures also meet here,
including Yupik, Alutiiq and Athabascan.
King Salmon is the gateway to Katmai National Park and Preserve, an
excellent place to view brown bears. Visitors can explore the Valley of
Ten ousand Smokes, a striking landscape created by the 1912 eruption
of Novarupta Volcano. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve offers a
wilderness of seacoast, mountains, glaciers and lakes filled with trophy-
sized rainbow trout.
When visiting Dillingham, be sure to try your hand at landing some of
Alaska's famous salmon or watch for the area's plentiful wildlife. Dillingham
is the gateway to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Walrus Islands State
Game Sanctuary and Wood-Tikchik State Park – the largest state park in the
United States.
Lake Iliamna drains into the Kvichak River drainage, an important habitat
for sockeye salmon and possibly the largest contributor to the Bristol Bay
fishery. It is also the only state-designated trophy sport fishery.
Southwest
Pribilof Islands