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The city of Kenai is on the eastern shore of Cook Inlet at the mouth of the Kenai River, 156 road miles south of Anchorage and 90 miles north of Homer. Kenai is the transportation hub of the Kenai Peninsula home to the peninsula's biggest and busiest airport. Dubbed the `oil capital of Alaska", Kenai's economy has traditionally been based on the oil and gas industry and commercial fishing. Over the past few years, tourism is playing a more important role. The city boasts magnificent views of Cook Inlet and Mt. Redoubt, Mt. Spur and Mt. Iliamna. One of Kenai's best-kept secrets is its public beach. Within a short drive from Kenai, lies Captain Cook State Park, the Swanson River canoe system and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. You can reach Kenai from Soldotna by taking the 11-mile Spur Highway at Mile 95 of the Sterling Highway. History Shortly after establishing Kodiak as a trading center in 1784, the colonizing Russians began to look for other places where similar communities could be set up as "controls" for area rule. Kenai was the first of these "controls." In 1791, Russia built Fort St. Nicholas (also known as Saint Nicholas Redoubt) in the midst of an Athabascan Dena'ina community near the present site of Kenai. This became the Russians' second permanent settlement in Alaska. The Dena'ina hunted, fished, farmed, and trapped in this area but the Russians were only interested in the fur trade. Alaska became part of the U.S. in 1867. The U.S. Military in Kenai established Fort Kenay from 1867 to 1869. A post office soon followed and a village grew up around it. In 1957, oil was first discovered in Alaska near the Swanson River in Kenai and oil's "boom years" were ushered in. Today, Old Town Kenai still shows remnants of its Russian history. A self-guided walking tour takes visitors to the site of the old Russian parish, and the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church where church services are still held. Many Alaska Native and Russian artifacts are on display at the Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center, where walking tour maps can be had at no charge. Information The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center is located in the heart of Kenai and is a must stop for anyone visiting Kenai. The Center features a cultural museum & wildlife displays. Make sure you stop by to see the summer art exhibition

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