Overview

No lions and tigers, but oh, my, the bears - about 3,000 Kodiak brown bears, as a matter of fact. And fish, from salmon to halibut the size of your front door. This, make no mistake, is Alaska. And when the locals call this the "Emerald Isle," don't think it's just a case of misguided northern exposure humor: Because of the strong marine influence, it's rain, not snow, that shapes the landscape - which does turn a dazzling green in summer.

Summer is when most visitors arrive for the hunting and fishing. In recent years, eco-tourism has also been a catchphrase here, with tours (some of them by kayak) for bear-watching and whale-watching (gray whales during spring or fall migrations, orcas in spring and summer). The wildlife is abundant (Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covers about two-thirds of the island), the hiking trails plentiful. And when the call of the wild slows down a bit, residents here find amusement with a rodeo, a carnival, a music festival, even a golf "tournament" of sorts (only one hole, up the side of 1,400-foot-high Pillar Mountain).

A commercial fishing center since the late 1800s, Kodiak has survived hard times and natural disasters, from volcanic eruptions to earthquakes and tsunamis. It's not your palm-tree-and-mai-tai tropical getaway, but if you're happiest with a fishing rod in hand or photographing some of the best nature has to offer, you probably won't be disappointed.

 Plan Your Trip

FISHING

Kodiak's waters are home to all five salmon species, but it's the fishing just for the halibut, one might say, that is special. They call the big ones "barndoors," and fish over 100 pounds are frequently caught (the sports record is a whopping 450 pounds). Spruce Cape and Woody Island are among the favorite hot spots during the peak summer season.

HIKING

A steep trail near the end of the airport runway leads up through heavy brush on the northeastern ridge of Barometer Mountain, a 2,500-foot climb that, because of the views, is generally considered the island's most popular hike. Figure about two hours to the top.

CULTURE

In the late 1700s, more than 6,000 Inuits lived on Kodiak, much as they had for perhaps 8,000 years. The arrival of Russian traders lusting for sea otter pelts was the first sad step in the decimation of the local culture. To get a hint of the native past, visit the Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository (established, somewhat ironically, through a grant derived from the Exxon Valdez oil spill funds). Then make your way to the Baranov Museum, housed in a log home built by a Russian fur trader in the early 1800s.

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