Touring Alaska - On the Sterling Highway

Cooper Landing, Alaska - Part C

July 22 - 24

The Alaskan Adventure - 59 Days - 5,787 Miles

Kenai Princess Lodge RV Park

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While talking with the Pricess Lodge campground managers, we were told about an interesting hike to the Russian River falls. The trail head was about 5 miles down the road. It would be our best chance of seeing bears and also salmon jumping up the falls.

If we were lucky, we would even see a bear or two fishing at the falls. They sit in the water just above a falls and then grab the salmon as they try to jump up the falls.

Hiking on the Russian River Falls trail.
It is 3 miles to the falls. The trail gradually raises 900 feet for the first 1.5 miles and then gradually drops about 500 feet for the remainder.
There were a lot of humps and dips along the way, but it was a smooth surface. Much better than walking up to the glaciers on the muddy, rocky moraine!

One of the viewing platforms at the falls.
It sits about 35 feet above the falls and gives a very good view of that section of the river. About every minute a salmon will jump one of the falls. The problem is that there are many falls and it happens so fast it is hard to get a picture.

I hiked down to the waters edge to take this picture.
In each pool below each of the falls are dozens of salmon waiting for the right time to jump to the next level.

I just caught one as it was re-entering the water after jumping a falls.
It is in the center of this picture.

This is the last picture with the fish enlarged.
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