Anchor Point - Home to Station KNLS

Anchor Point, the home of station KNLS, stretches along the Sterling Highway, down through the valley of the pristine Anchor River, and atop the bluffs overlooking Cook Inlet. Just 200 miles south of Anchorage, an hour drive from world famous Kenai River, and twenty minutes from the grandeur of Kachemak Bay, Anchor Point is a destination choice of visitors from around the world.

Early inhabitants of the Anchor River valley and the beach along Cook Inlet, into which Anchor River empties, were Tenaina Indians.

In the summer of 1787 Captain James Cook and the crews of the Resolution and the Discovery sailed into the Inlet looking for the Northwest Passage. Anchor Point was given its name after Captain Cook lost a large kedge anchor to the powerful tide currents.

During the spring of 1896 gold fever brought a group of men and one remarkable woman to the beach south of the "Point" to sluice and pan for the fine beach gold brought in by the tides.

A hardy group of missionaries and homesteaders arrived during the post-war era beginning in 1945, planting crops, raising livestock, and building homes and schools. Many of those early settlers, and their growing families, continue to live in the area and enjoy the beauty and bounty that attracted the native families centuries earlier.

The view across Cook Inlet from Anchor Point includes four volcanoes, Mt. Spurr, Mt. Redoubt, Mt. Iliamna, and Mt. St. Augustine, all members of the Pacific Ring of Fire. On a clear day, Cape Douglas can also be seen from the beaches and bluffs of our community.

Anchor Point is the "North America’s Most Westerly Highway Point" accessible by a continuous road system. A sign, with viewing deck and telescopes, designating this point is located at the end of the Beach Road.

A drive around the North Fork Loop Road offers some spectacular scenery and a chance of seeing wildlife in their natural habitat. Beginning in the heart of Anchor Point, this road winds through the lush green hills surrounding Anchor Point, rising to offer a panoramic view of Cook Inlet and the adjacent mountain range, then dropping back into the lowlands along Anchor River and meeting the Sterling Highway again eight miles south of town. From this road a connecting road will take you to the Russian village of Nikolaevsk.

As a rural Alaskan community, wildlife is an integral part of our daily lives. Anchor River is home to beaver and river otter and they can often be spotted swimming the river or scurrying along its banks. From the beaches of Anchor Point seals and otters are a common sight as they dive for food or float along with the tides. Anchor Point has a large bald eagle population and it is common to see them gliding with the air currents or feeding along the river and beaches. Our moose population is large and encompasses the entire area, early morning and late evening are the best times of day to spot this largest member of the deer family during the summer months. Our area is also home to brown and black bear, mink, coyote, fox, and wolf although these animals are much more rarely seen as they usually stay away from the more populated areas.

This story courtesy of the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.anchorpointchamber.org.