Anchor River

The Anchor River is a stream on the Kenai Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Beginning near Bald Mountain on the eastern side of the lower peninsula, if flows generally west for 30 miles (48 km)[1] into Cook Inlet near Anchor Point on the western side of the peninsula.[3] The river mouth is 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Homer.[1]

Anchor River
Location of the mouth of the Anchor River in Alaska
Location
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	Kenai Peninsula
Physical characteristics
Source	Kenai Peninsula
• coordinates	59°48′19″N 151°10′27″W[1]
• elevation	1,424 ft (434 m)[2]
Mouth	Cook Inlet
• location	Anchor Point, 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Homer
• coordinates	59°46′58″N 151°51′38″W[1]
• elevation	16 ft (4.9 m)[1]
Length	30 mi (48 km)[1]

The middle reaches of the river pass through the Anchor River and Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area, meant to protect fish and wildlife, especially moose.[4] The lower river intersects North Fork Road and then the Sterling Highway before reaching Anchor and the Anchor River State Recreation Area (SRA) at the coast.[3]

Recreation Area

The Anchor River State Recreation Area is a popular spot for camping and fishing in the summer months, when there are salmon runs, and catch-and-release steelhead fishing. Anchor Point, the site of the SRA, is the most westerly point in the U.S. highway system.[5] From the beach at the recreation area you can see the distant peaks of the Aleutian Range, including the volcanoes Mount Augustine Mount Iliamna and Mount Redoubt[6] The area was also the site of gold mining activities in the 1890s.[7]

Anchor Point does not have a harbor, but it has a boat-launch service at the beach that uses tractors to pull boats from shore to deeper water.[8]

See also

• List of rivers of Alaska

References

1. "Anchor River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
2. Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
3. Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2010. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-89933-289-5.
4. "Anchor River/Fritz Creek — Critical Habitat Area". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
5. "Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski State Recreation Site". Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
6. Anchor River SRA Alaska Department of Natural Resources
7. The Milepost 2018 edition, page 562,ISBN 9781892154378
8. Jackinsky, McKibben (May 10, 2007). "New Owners Launch Business, Fishing Season at AP Beach". Homer News. Homer, Alaska. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2013.