Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski State Recreation Site

Overview

The first written descriptions of the land and people of the Kenai Peninsula are found in the 1778 journals from the British sponsored expedition of Captain James Cook. According to legend, Anchor Point got its name when Captain Cook lost an anchor near the mouth of the river. Homesteading began in the Anchor River area in the early 1900's. They came from Homer, to the south, and Kenai and Ninilchik, to the north, and survived by hunting, fishing, and farming. They were a hardy lot and many of them and their descendants still live in the area. Wildlife abounds around the Anchor River, with moose, beaver, mink, bald eagles and a variety of ducks along the river, and harbor seals, sea otters, and beluga whales near shore in Cook Inlet. Across Cook Inlet from Anchor Point three of seven volcanoes bordering the inlet can be seen. To the south, Mount Augustine, then Mount Iliamna, and Mount Redoubt to the north. Mount Augustine's last eruption was in March 1986; Mount Redoubt's latest eruption was in April 1990. No eruption of Mount Iliamna has ever been recorded. Anchor Point, where Anchor River State Recreation Area is located, is the most westerly point on the U.S. Highway System. Stariski State Recreation Site is situated on a high bluff overlooking Cook Inlet, offering spectacular views of Mount Augustine, Mount Iliamna and Mount Redoubt. The park is five miles north of Anchor Point with nine individual camp sites. A small, quiet campground away from the crowds. There is no fishing at Stariski SRS.

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