Erik Hansen Park & Kenai Bluff

The feel

Erik Hansen Scout Park is a small community park on the bluff in Old Town Kenai, with benches, a Boy Scout statue, interpretive displays, two flower gardens and a viewing telescope. A gravel walkway leads to the bluff's edge, where the view takes in lower Cook Inlet, tidal lands and the mouth of the Kenai River.

Salmon converge in the river from June through August, and the sockeye run peaks in July. Harbor seals and beluga whales can be tracked from the park, and in summer 5,000 to 10,000 nesting gulls dot the flats.

What to expect

Route and terrain

Out and back, 1 mile, with about 50 ft of gain. A gravel walkway to the bluff's edge, with a walk on to the Meeks Trail and Kenai North Beach.

Time

About 0.5 hour.

Crowds and best time

July brings dipnetters on the beach below.

Parking

Thirty-minute parking is enforced during July. The park is at 913 Mission Ave.

Kids

Rated easy.

Hazards

The bluff can be unstable and collapse without warning, so stay back from the edge.

Season and access

Overnight camping is prohibited.

Mingo says

Watch for belugas just after low tide and well before high tide. July is the time to come if you want to see the dipnetters.

Before you go

• Bring binoculars or a spotting scope for seals, whales, moose and caribou.
• From Kenai Spur Highway take Main Street south, then turn right on Cook Avenue; the park is on the left on Mission Avenue.
• Expect thirty-minute parking in July, so plan a short stop then.

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