Fun on the Kenai? (Valdez, Seward: camping, taxi, cabins)

[1stimestar]

After being in Alaska for almost 10 years, I've yet to explore the Kenai. I've gone down to Seward to spend time on a friends boat once but we were out at sea for a week and didn't spend much time in town. I've spent the weekend in Valdez once but just hung out at the campsite for the most part because I had my kids with me. So this summer, I am going to be kidless and have 11 days to just explore. The amount of trails and cool things to see is overwhelming so I am asking for your favorite spots or trip plans and/or reports.

What would YOU do with 11 days just to do what ever you wanted? I like to camp and hike and back pack and take photos... I wouldn't mind a museum or good visitor's center. I want to do the Whittier Tunnel and McCarthy.

[Chilkoot]

One option would be to drive down to Cantwell and drive the Denali Highway over to Paxson. Along the highway is an old mining road up Windy Creek Trail. We saw lots of caribou there last fall. A stop at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Copper Center before going to McCarthy is good. Along the road to McCarthy is the Gilahina Train Trestle that makes for some short but fun exploring. In McCarthy you can hike to Root Glacier from the Kennecott Mill, about 2 miles one way. From the mill you can also do a strenuous hike up to the mines that are high above the mill. Returning from McCarthy you could head to Valdez and take the ferry over to Whittier.

[bongo]

Are you looking for fun on the Kenai?

If so, the 40 mile backpack traverse on the Resurrection trail is a lot of fun- especially if you can reserve the USFS cabins along the way. It's a pretty easy hike, really.

[starlite9]

Well there is a lot if neat places down here to see, camping or fishing. Know a couple of folks that can take you out to find some halibut type stuff.

[heathen]

Several of my favorite dayhikes and overnighters are around Seward - Exit Glacier (must see!), Lost Lake, and the Caines Head beach and alpine trail. Kicking around Kachemak Bay on the water taxi is awesome (Halibut Cove, Seldovia, etc), and there's good hiking across the bay too, to Greywicke Glacier and the alpine trail above it. There's whitewater rafting on Six Mile Creek, the train from Portage to Grandview, glacier cruises to Kenai Fjords National Park out of Seward, and of course lots and lots of fishing, although that's not really my thing.