Why Go? Southwest Alaska stretches 1500 miles into oblivion, and is about as remote as you can get in a state that prides itself on hard-to-reach places.

It boasts the world’s largest bears, on Kodiak Island; Alaska’s richest salmon runs, in Bristol Bay; and the larg-est gathering of nesting seabirds in the world, on the tiny Pribilof Islands.

It is mostly an island-studded region with stormy weath-er and violent volcanoes. This is the northern rim of the Ring of Fire. Along the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands are 46 active volcanoes – the greatest concentration in North America.

But you can’t drive to Southwest Alaska, making the re-gion hard to reach, expensive to visit and easy to bypass. However, the adventurous do fi nd their way here, because even in Alaska there are few experiences quite like riding a ferry across the North Pacifi c or watching 1000lb bears gorge themselves on salmon.

When to Go

Jun Decent bear viewing and salmon fishing but with fewer crowds at the hot spots.

Jul Salmon are running, bears are fishing, and humans are hoping to glimpse them both.

Aug Salmon, ber-ries, salmonber-ries, bears. Need we say more?

F DNOSAJJMAMJ

Kodiak°C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm

0

2/50

4/100

6/150

8/200

10/250

-30/-22

-10/14

10/50

30/86

-20/-4

0/32

20/68

Kodiak Island ................326Kodiak ........................... 327Around Kodiak..............336Alaska Peninsula .......... 337King Salmon .................338Katmai National Park & Preserve .......................339The Lower Peninsula ....342Aleutian Islands ...........343Unalaska & Dutch Harbor ..........................343

Best Places to Eat » Old Powerhouse (p 332 )

» Chart Room (p 347 )

» Donut Hole (p 342 )

Best Places to Stay

» Channel View B&B (p 331 )

» Brooks Camp (p 342 )

Kodiak, Katmai & Southwest Alaska

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

324

KODIAK, K

ATMAI & SO

UTHW

EST ALASKA

BayKuskokwim

SEABERING

St George

St Paul

Unimak

FalsePass

FortGlenn

Nikolski

Akutan

Yukon DeltaNational

Wildlife Refuge

Izembek National

NationalAlaska Maritime

Wildlife Refuge

Wildlife Refuge

166ºW168ºW170ºW172ºW174ºW60ºN

164ºW168ºW170ºW172ºW 166ºW

58ºN

56ºN

54ºN

IslandNelson

Pribilof Islands

NunivakIsland

IslandUnimak

FoxIslands

Unalaska

60 miles100 km

00

�1 Photographing brown bears as they snap salmon from Brooks Falls (p 339 ) in Katmai National Park & Preserve

�2 Feasting on king crab in Unalaska (p 347 ), where it’s as fresh as can be

�3 Riding the MV Tustumena (p 336 ) out the long arm of the Aleutian chain

Southwest Alaska Highlights