Have you wanted to visit Kodiak, Alaska but you just don’t know enough about it or what there is to do? Well, I’m here to help because Kodiak is perhaps one of the coolest destinations in Alaska and it’s 100% worth planning a visit. Known for its amazing population of Kodiak brown bears, this beautiful island isn’t difficult to get to, but it’s visited much less than other destinations like Homer or Denali National Park. Wildlife, fishing, and amazing beaches are what you’ll find on Kodiak.
My interest in visiting Kodiak started when I was a little kid and saw Kodiak brown bears at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. I remember being fascinated by how huge they were and how different they were from the black bears we’d see everywhere. It turns out that Kodiak actually is much more than its bear population and it’s a fun place to explore. If you have any questions about things to do in Kodiak or the logistics of getting there, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help YOU plan an unforgettable adventure, especially to Alaska!
15 Best Things to Do in Kodiak, Alaska
As I go through the many fun things to do in Kodiak, keep in mind that a visit to the island is going to blend history, nature and fishing culture no mtter which way you slice it. The historic Russian settlements paired with long-existing Alutiiq Alaska Native population makes for a unique community with both indigenous culture and Russian influences and traditions. And whether you’re into fishing or not, you’ll find that visiting Kodiak is going to immerse you in both deep sea fisherman culture and local salmon fishing among the bears. There are lots of different things to do in Kodiak that are both really active and more relaxed, so it’s an easy place to find something to enjoy. It’s the perfect addition to a Coastal Alaska adventure!
Where Is Kodiak Alaska
When you look at a map of Alaska, you’ll find Anchorage on the coast in the middle at the end of the Cook Inlet. If you follow that body of water south along the Alaska Peninsula or Kenai Peninsula, you’ll come to Kodiak Island. It’s very large, but not all of it is developed or accessible once you arrive. The main town is Kodiak, which is in the northeast quadrant of the island, and this is where our things to do are all based from. Visiting the more remote villages or fishing lodges is a different sort of trip, but exploring the main part of Kodiak is fun and easy to plan, even on a budget.
How do you get to Kodiak, Alaska?
The logistics of getting to Kodiak are surprisingly easy given that it’s a remote destination and is such a wild place. Daily flights on Alaska Airlines from Anchorage make it easy to plan and even inexpensive if you have Alaska’s Atmos mileage to use. It’s a short flight of just around an hour. The airport is very small, and when it’s time to depart, they don’t even board the plane in groups. It’s kind of funny.
You can also take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Homer to Kodiak. Leaving from the western side of the Kenai Peninsula, from the Homer Spit the crossing to Kodiak takes between 10 and 12 hours. It’s usually a nighttime departure, so you can either book a sleeping birth or sleep casually about the ship. You’ll see people with sleeping bags or just sitting up in seating areas trying to sleep. I liked having a sleeping birth with a bathroom in the hallway nearby.
Renting a Car in Kodiak
While there are some destinations, like Juneau or Ketchikan, that don’t require a car for exploring, Kodiak is one that you definitely need a rental car. Some people visit for just a day from a cruise ship, and they usually find things to do just in town or do a guided tour, but if you’re here for a few days you’ll want to drive around to explore. There are some wonderful state parks and beaches, as well as wildlife hotspots to check out. Rental cars are available for pickup at the airport through either Avis or Kodiak Car Rentals. You can also use Turo to rent a car. Turo functions like AirBNB, but for privately owned cars.
Where to Stay in Kodiak
As you’re planning your visit to Kodiak, you’ll see that there aren’t tons of options for where to stay, but there are a few good ones, and depending on the type of visit you’re planning, some lodging options are better than others. Since you’ll have a car, I highly recommend staying outside of town. There are some wonderful cabin and short term rentals to consider, which are great if you’re visiting Kodiak with kids. I LOVED staying in the Chiniak area at Friends By the Ocean, which is a small resort on the water south of town (more on Friends By the Ocean below).
If you want to stick with a hotel, your options are mostly right in town The Best Western Kodiak Inn, Kodiak Suites and the Shelikof Lodge are all walking distance from the ferry terminal and the museums in downtown Kodiak. The Quality Inn Kodiak is located directly next to the airport, and although it doesn’t look great from the outside, the rooms are nicely renovated and it’s a great location for being close to wildlife viewing areas and the airport.
Staying at Friends By the Ocean, Kodiak
I wish I could’ve stayed at Friends By the Ocean for a whole week. Built by the Friend family (their last name), this small resort in Chiniak is a collection of beautiful, brand new cabins and a large house that can be rented. The property is on a beautiful black sand beach cove and there’s wildlife all around. The owners are Kodiak locals and are the most kind people. They also have built a small winery onsite that makes Alaskan fruit wines (like rhubarb or raspberry), as well as a wellness center that is available for relaxing, fitness activities, and it can be rented for retreat space. The setting of Friends By the Ocean is beautiful, and it’s maybe the most peaceful place I’ve ever stayed in Alaska.
Is Kodiak Island Worth Visiting
When I think about whether or not Kodiak is worth visiting, I think it all boils down to your interests and how much time you have. Even though it’s easy to get to from either Anchorage or Homer, visiting Kodiak is a multi-day trip. If you want to see wildlife, enjoy hiking and explore landscapes unlike anywhere else in Alaska, then yes, you’ll love Kodiak and it’ll wow you. If you like fishing, both saltwater and river fishing, then yes, you’ll enjoy the different opportunities for multi-species fishing on Kodiak. If you want adventure activities, like ATVs and helicopter flights, that’s NOT what you’ll find here. Kodiak is a living community that welcomes tourism, but tourism isn’t the main focus.
I think what sets Kodiak apart from many other Alaska destinations is how unique the landscapes are. The town is set on a hill with harbors, and then Near Island is just across the bridge. There are tons of beaches all around the community and as you drive south beyond Womens Bay towards Chiniak and Pasagshak, the scenery becomes even more epic. Black sand and white sand beaches, rolling hills that look like California wine country, picturesque farms with red barns… Kodiak has such beautifully diverse scenes that are all drivable from the main town. It’s a privilege to get to visit.
Best Time To Visit Kodiak Alaska
Like with any destination in Alaska, summer is the best time to visit Kodiak. You’ve got beautiful weather (usually), lots of wildlife activity, and the salmon runs are happening all around the island. Fall is great too because it’s less busy and you’re getting really active bear viewing. Spring is wet but the days are getting longer and longer. Winter in Kodiak is less harsh than other parts of Alaska, including Anchorage, but you’ll be really limited in activities.
Summer in Kodiak
Summer in Kodiak is absolutely amazing. The rolling hills and forest trails are beyond beautiful and the wildlife is just everywhere. Sitka black tailed dear, red foxes and cross foxes, brown bears and so many birds everywhere make it a bonanza. And while you might not think of Alaska as being a beach destination, Kodiak has some beautfiul beaches. From soft white sand to long stretches of black sand, rocky coves or amazing surfing beaches, Kodiak has them all. And yes, there is a surf shop if you need it.
What brings most people to Kodiak in the summer though is the fishing. There are several rivers in the main accessible areas of Kodiak, and then there are even more that you can do fly-outs to. When you are leaving, the airport is INSANE with people flying with fish and fishing poles. It’s really crazy to see the backup for checking bags due to all the boxes of processed salmon from fishing trips.
NOTE: if you’re checking a bag, get to the airport extra extra early so you can get it checked in. I can’t be too clear about how long the luggage check line in summer is due to shipping fish. Try to only do carry on luggage if you can.
Fall Visit to Kodiak
Fall is always my favorite season in any part of Alaska, and Kodiak really shines in autumn. You’ll need to time it right before the available tourism options shut down for the season, but if you can get to Kodiak in September, the weather, the wildlife and the beginning of changing colors make it unforgettable. Weather stays pretty okay into October, but then you do start to get storms moving up off the Gulf of Alaska or across from the Bering Sea.
Off-season Travel to Kodiak
If you really want to visit Kodiak in the off-season, you’ll be welcomed, for sure, but you’ll be limited for activities. The museums will be available to you, and if you have a vehicle you’ll be able to enjoy hiking and exploring, but be aware of the cold. Kodiak doesn’t have as harsh of winters as Fairbanks or the Kenai Peninsula but it still gets very cold and they do get snow. Kodiak isn’t built for winter tourism like Palmer or Girdwood are, so if you’re planning a visit, be ready to relax at your lodging and embrace the long nights.
What To Do In Kodiak Alaska
I love talking about the things to do in Kodiak because they’re so wildlife and scenery-forward. Yes, I’ve included the different museums and historic sites in the activities, but the natural beautify you’ll find on Kodiak is what I think is the most memorable. Choose the things to do that suit your interests best, but of all things, at least make sure that you see some bears!
Kodiak Brown Bear Viewing
I always like to remind readers that wildlife is WILD, so it’s never a guarantee, but also Kodiak is such a wonderful place with so much untouched nature and such healthy ecosystems that it feels like seeing bears and other animals is a given. Driving south from the town of Kodiak, you can have great luck seeing brown bears from the road as you cross the many streams and rivers. There are usually pull-off spots so you can safely be out of the road to watch the bears, so keep your eyes peeled!
The BEST way to see brown bears though is by doing a morning tour with the Kodiak Bear Bus. This is a van tour lead by a naturalist to some of their own favorite bear viewing spots. Leaving from downtown or picking up somewhere else if you arrange it, the Bear Bus takes visitors on a two hour photography tour to a variety of habitats looking for bears. On my Bear Bear tour, we saw nine brown bears, both near roadways and through the woods on short jaunts from the van. They customize the tour per the guests and the bear activity of the day, making it one of the best ways to get to see Kodiak brown bears! Book the Kodiak Bear Bus here!
Are there also Black Bears on Kodiak?
No, there aren’t black bears on Kodiak, just coastal brown bears. While you may see a bear or two that’s very dark in color, the only species on the island is the brown bear (grizzly). These bears are HUGE and beautiful, and although they may be very active in areas with people nearby, they are still very much wild. In late spring you can watch for the mamas to show up looking for berries and root with their new cubs, and then as summer progresses they turn to fishing. Black bears also fish, but brown bears are amazing at it and they are so much fun to watch!
Wildlife Tours on the Water
Like you can do from Homer or Seward, there are a few different wildlife excursions to get out on the water from Kodiak. Being a part of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, the waters all around the island are teeming with wildlife. Look for whales, seals, sea lions, eagles, horned and tufted puffins, and sea otters. It’s such a fun experience to be just off shore watching the animals enjoying life in Alaska. It’s one of the best things to do, especially with kids or people that aren’t up for hiking. Book Kodiak Scenic Tours here or Kodiak Discovery Tours here!
Kayaking on Kodiak
I love kayaking, whether it’s on a glacier lake in Valdez or watching seaplanes take off over my head in Kodiak. Kayaking Kodiak goes from Near Island just off downtown and leads paddlers across the bay to Puffin Island, encountering wildlife all along the way. Being on the water for three hours may seem like a lot, but where there is so much to take in and such great animal experiences as you kayak, the time flies by.
I’ve done tons of kayaking all around Alaska and this was the first time I actually got to paddle with puffins. They are my favorite bird and I am mildly obsessed with them. Kayaking Kodiak and their guides understand how to approach wildlife respectfully and calmly to be able to get guests wonderfully close to the puffins and sea otters. It’s such a special experience and one of my most highly recommended activities both in Kodiak and in Coastal Alaska in general.
Fort Abercrombie State Park
Hiking is always a hit with our family, and it doesn’t need to be crazy intense hikes up mountains, which is why visiting Fort Abercrombie State Park is one of the best things to do in Kodiak. There are lots of trails through the mossy forest or to the different beaches and coves. Gertrude Lake is beautiful, and the beach overlook is one of the best places for a picnic anywhere in town. Something else that’s kind of cool and fun to explore at Fort Abercrombie State Park is the actual army bunkers from WWII. During the war Kodiak had a population of 50K, so there’s actually quite the abandoned military complex to explore in the hills of the state park.
NOTE: this is a big bear area too, so be sure that if you’re hiking you are practicing bear safety techniques and have bear spray.
Buskin River State Recreation Area
This one’s for my fishermen out there… or my bear viewing friends. Buskin River State Recreation Area has quite a few river access spots that are great for salmon fishing, Easy embankments to get down to the river make it a good spot for fishermen will all abilities. You can either be upriver at the first access point or go all the way to the mouth where there’s a beach and lots of space for fishing.
And you have to remember that where there are salmon, there are bears! Buskin River State Recreation Area is actually a great place for bear viewing early in the morning or in the early evening. Be VERY BEAR AWARE whatever time of day you go, because the Kodiak brown bear population is very active here. Whether it’s fishing or just looking for wildlife, visiting Buskin River is one of the best things to do in Kodiak.
Drive the Chiniak Highway
I’m all about road trips in Alaska, but when you’re on an island like Kodiak, you’re limited with how far you can actually drive, and it’s certainly not an overnight trip. For a beautiful activity that feels like a mini-road trip, spend a day driving the Chiniak Highway and Pasagshak Road to see the sights and look for wildlife. On the Chiniak Highway you’ll get to pass beautiful spots like Womens Bay, Anton Larson Bay Road, and lots of coastal overlooks. When you head west on Pasagshak Road, you’ll get to wind through farm country and the hills before coming down to Pasagshak River State Recreation Area, which is another wonderful fishing and wildlife spot. Keep going and you’ll come to the Pacific Spaceport where they actually do rocket launches from. Visit the beaches, walk some trails and enjoy this beautiful escape from town.
Pacific Spaceport and Fossil Beach
Speaking of the Pacific Spaceport, after Pasagshak State Recreation Area you’ll head back up the hill and around to the massive rocket launch compound. While most of it is not accessible, there is a cool rocket to check out, and then if there’s a launch scheduled you can hang out and watch. Beyond the Spaceport, if you keep driving beyond the paved road you’ll head down a rough gravel road to Fossil Beach. Located on Narrow Cape, Fossil Beach is a great place for beachcombing. Look for all kinds of fossils, both washed down from the land and washed ashore by the waves. Be careful getting here though and only try to visit if you have a 4WD/AWD vehicle with high clearance, because the road is more rough than you might expect.
White Sand Beach and Termination Point
The things to do in Kodiak read as a list of places to see bears, but that’s just how it is! White Sand Beach lies at the end of a mellow, winding tidal river with a strong salmon run… making it a prime spot to watch for wildlife. The beach itself is a beautiful cove with lots of sand, fire pits, picnic spots and trails. One of the most Alaskan activities to do on Kodiak is found here at White Sand Beach above the parking area. You’ll see a buoy swing hanging from a tree on the hill above, and if you see for long enough you can watch locals climb the hill and swing out on the buoy. It’s not something I’m recommending you do, but it’s there…
Hiking on Kodiak
One of the best activities on Kodiak is hiking. It’s free, it’s fun and you’ll get to enjoy some beautiful nature. I mentioned Abercrombie State Park for some hiking options earlier, but there are lots more to pick from. From White Sand Beach you have the Termination Trail, and from Miller Bay Road you have the Spruce Cape Trail. There are hiking spots from one end of the road to the other. Here are our top picks for hiking activities on Kodiak:
- Fort Abercrombie State Park Moss Trail, Gertrude Lake Trail and Cliffs Trail
- Termination Point Trail from White Sands Beach
- North Sister Trail
- Near Island Trails (a whole system of paths)
- Boy Scout Lake Trails (by Buskin River State Recreation Area)
- Pilar Mountain Trail
- Bear Mountain Trail (off Anton Larsen Bay Road)
Kodiak History Museum
A must for anyone who’s interested in history or just wants to understand the town of Kodiak a bit more, the Kodiak History Museum is small but packs a punch. Housed in the oldest building in Alaska, the structure itself is uniquely built and cool to see, as it’s all notched logs that have withstood centuries, including the big 1964 earthquake that dropped the elevation of the whole town five feet. The exhibits range from very old Russian Orthodox church relics to antique dishes and fishing exhibits. It’s pretty cool.
Alutiiq Museum
I love the Alutiiq Museum! This is a whole museum dedicated to the Alutiiq peoples of Kodiak and the surrounding islands, and it run by the native corporation, so the art and informational exhibits are all created and shared from this special Alaska Native point of view. Between the art and artifacts, you’ll see that the Alutiiq Museum is very different from other similar museums like the Sheldon Jackson in Sitka or the Haines Sheldon Museum in how the exhibits are curated and assembled. I think it’s a special thing to do when you come to Kodiak and is a must-visit for anyone. It’s very different than the museums you might visit in Valdez or Ketchikan.
Katmai Bear Viewing Day Trip
Katmai National Park is amazing and it’s a completely different sort of bear viewing experience than what you have on Kodiak Island. Leaving daily during the summer months, seaplane tours from Kodiak across the Shelikoff Straight to Katmai National Park take guests to a few different parts of the park: Hallo Bay, Geographic Bay or Brooks Falls. Most of the Katmai NP tours from Kodiak visit the coastal parts of the park, but Brooks Falls can be an option too, depending on salmon/bear activity and permits.
This is a premium experience, meaning that if you’re planning on doing a Katmai trip from Kodiak, it’ll run you about $1500 per person. If that’s what fits your time and budget, great. A more cost effective option is to visit from Anchorage on a day trip with Rust’s Flying Service, and then you can choose from either Katmai or Lake Clark National Park. They both have exceptional bear viewing opportunities and are also a little easier on the wallet.
Fishing from Kodiak
So Homer is known as the Halibut Capital of the World, but that doesn’t mean that Kodiak doesn’t have awesome halibut and salmon fishing. Charters from Kodiak go out for half and full day trips for halibut, cod, rockfish and salmon. You can book a strictly halibut or a mixed species fishing trip, depending on your goals. Book saltwater fishing from Kodiak here!
You also can stay on land and do river fishing, either on your own or with a guide. You’ll need a valid Alaska fishing license whenever and wherever you’re fishing, but you don’t always have to use a guide. Easy places for river fishing in Kodiak include the Buskin River, Russian River, Pasagshak River and countless streams. Be sure that you’re aware of any fishing restrictions before casting, and ALWAYS BE BEAR AWARE.
This should be plenty to both inspire you and get you well on your way to an amazing trip to Kodiak. It’s such a cool place and really does show off the best elements of Alaska. All it’s missing is glaciers. If you have any questions about planning your trip to Kodiak or would like some additional recommendations for visiting Alaska, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan an incredible, unforgettable adventure!
