Kenai Lake

The feel

Kenai Lake is an impossibly turquoise glacial lake hugging the highway, and every pullout is a photo op. The color comes from glacial silt, rock flour so fine it stays suspended in the water. The lake is zig-zag shaped and can be reached from both the Sterling Highway and the Seward Highway. The Seward Highway runs right along the water, with pullouts where you can stand at the edge.

From the Cooper Landing boat launch viewing deck you can look north to see Dall sheep on alpine meadows and south for mountain goats. Cooper Landing and Primrose sit on the shore, and about two miles east of Quartz Creek Campground the lake becomes the Kenai River.

What to expect

What it is

A glacial lake on the Kenai Peninsula, 22 miles long at its maximum, with a maximum depth of 569 ft, and the headwaters of the Kenai River.

Parking

Pullouts along the Seward Highway, and access points near Cooper Landing, Primrose Campground and Quartz Creek.

Fees and passes

No admission fee.

Hazards

The water is very cold and conditions can go from calm to rough. Glacial winds can shift the weather fast. Wear a life jacket on the water.

Season and access

About two and a half hours from Anchorage by road.

Mingo says

Pick a calm day for the water, since the lake can turn rough quickly. Rainbow, lake trout and Dolly Varden are in the lake if you fish.

Before you go

• Launch boats at the Quartz Creek Campground ramp, which has 46 campsites.
• There is no admission fee to visit the lake.
• Call (907) 288-3178 with questions about the lake.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.