Day Trips to the Villages

Villages and Communities on Kodiak Island
All the six villages of Kodiak Island are remote, accessible by boat or air, and have very few amenities.   On the most part, the visitors should not rely on having a restaurant or a convenience store in the village to buy food, sporting good supplies or emergency gear.  The infrastructure is such that the visitors are either arriving self-sufficient and capable of entertaining themselves or having made reservations in advance with a lodge owner or fishing boat captain to host their day of exploration.

Transportation

Island Air Service provides daily mail service to the villages and makes it affordable to ride along for the adventure.  The scenic flight will offer an overview of the terrain, wildlife on the hillside and photo opportunities as well.

There are several air charter services who offer transportation to the various villages for business, leisurely sightseeing, fishing and hunting charters. 

Kodiak Adventures Reservation Desk
Over the years, we have made friends with lodge owners and fishing boat captains who enjoy the ‘day trippers’ and are open to calling them 24-48 hours in advance to see if their schedule is open to host visitors.  Sometimes, the fishing is better on that side of the island and wilderness experiences are only found in remote villages.  If interested, ask us about it.

Akhiok
Population: 41.  It is 98 air miles from Kodiak City.

Kodiak’s southernmost village is located on Alitak Bay, Akhiok shoreline has narrow rocky beaches, surrounded by tundra like flatlands, valleys, and low rolling hills common to the south end of the island.   The tsunami of 1964 destroyed the village of Kaguyak, just to the east of Akhiok, and the villagers were relocated to Akhiok.   More than forty-six registered archaeological sites hold evidence of the area’s original inhabitants.  Today’s residents are Aleut, Caucasian and Filipino heritage with a strong Orthodox faith-based community.
The original village site on the Aliulik Peninsula is abundant to brown bears, Sitka black tail deer, five species of salmon and many other salt water fish species, all of which sustain the subsistence lifestyle of the majority of Akhiok residents. 

Karluk
Population: 27.  It is 88 air miles from Kodiak City.

On Kodiak's southwest coast, the village of Karluk sits astride the Karluk River. More than thirty registered petroglyphs archaeological sites along the Karluk River continue to render more evidence of the area's original inhabitants. 

The landscape is characterized by low-lying mountains cut by rivers and streams.  While fishing remains very strong in the Karluk region, the US Fish and Wildlife Service's agreement with Koniag Native Corp stipulates a maximum number of fishermen allowed on the stream for the king salmon fishing season for guided usage. Non guided users must draw a permit to use the river during this time and Fish and Game has implemented emergency orders to close the king salmon fishery for directed king fishing for two consecutive seasons.

Refer to the Kodiak Island Travel Directory for more information on Wilderness Adventures as True North offers guided services and great itineraries.

Larsen Bay
Population: 97.  It is 60 air miles from Kodiak City.

Situated southwest, in a scenic valley on a narrow fjord, Larsen Bay was named by a Russian skipper who sailed Kodiak Island waters.  A cannery was first established in 1912.  The village drew nationwide attention in 1991 when the Smithsonian Institution returned the remains of 756 Koniag Natives. Interred in a mass grave, the burial marked the largest repatriation of native remains ever conducted by the Smithsonian.    

During the summer months, the village of Larsen Bay more than doubles in population as commercial fishing gets underway.  Summer and fall are also characterized by an influx of visitors seeking to go sport fishing, bear viewing, deer and waterfowl hunting and view the wildlife. Area lodges lure anglers from around the world for some of the best fishing in the archipelago. 

Old Harbor
Population: 200.  It is 70 air miles from Kodiak City.

Nestled along the sheltered waters of Sitkalidak Strait, Old Harbor or Nuniaq, as it called in the indigenous Alutiiq language, is on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island. Tall peaks serve as a dramatic backdrop for the city, which faces Sitkalidak Island. Sitkalidak Island has the largest population of puffins on the Kodiak Island Archipelagos. Old Harbor boasts having the only glacier on Kodiak Island.

Many historic sites are found in the village or nearby. Three Saints Bay, located south of Old Harbor, is site of the first Russian settlement. Historic Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church is a hub of community activity and the picturesque centerpiece of the village.  Refuge Rock, site of a confrontation between the Alutiiq and the Russians was recently rediscovered.

Old Harbor is home to the world's largest caught salt-water King salmon. Local charter boat operators offer custom sightseeing, fishing and hunting excursions. See the world's largest Kodiak brown bear. Many native artists reside in the community of Old Harbor. 

Ouzinkie (Spruce Island)
Population: 191.  It is 10 air miles from Kodiak City; 60 minutes charter boat ride from Anton Larsen Bay to Spruce Island.  Anton Larsen Bay is 12 miles from the Kodiak Airport, and 18 miles from downtown Kodiak City.

Ouzinkie is located on the southwest shore of Spruce Island. It is characterized by swampy areas, volcanic and sedimentary rock and an abundance of tall spruce trees.  Sport fishing for king salmon, halibut, lingcod and black bass are very good surrounding Spruce Island and the immigration route for various species of whales through Marmot Bay and Whale Pass.

Ouzinkie was founded in the early 1800s by the Russian American Company as a retirement community for Russian workers who wished to remain in the Kodiak area. The Church of the Nativity, built in 1898, is tucked in a cove of spruce trees. Ouzinkie was home to St. Herman, the first canonized Russian Orthodox saint in North America. St. Herman's chapel is located at Monks Lagoon and can be explored with the local Russian Orthodox Church reader who explains the history of the holy sites and old grave stones. 

Port Lions
Population: 220.  It is 19 air miles from Kodiak City. 

A port served by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system.  30 minutes charter boat ride from Anton Larsen Bay.  Anton Larsen Bay is 12 miles from the Kodiak Airport, and 18 miles from downtown Kodiak City.
Port Lions is located near the mouth of Kizhuyak Bay at the north end of Kodiak Island and on the most part, experiences a moderate maritime climate, with winds from the northeast.  Sitka spruce, birch, alder and willow trees cover the mountainous terrain around Port Lions.  

The Village was established after the tsunami of 1964 damaged Afognak Village on Afognak Island.  It was named in honor of the Lions Club, the service group that helped relocate and build the new village. Many residents return to visit the old Russian Orthodox Church, the schoolhouse and other old buildings.  Petroglyphs that mark rock faces surrounding the old village stand as silent witness to a once thriving pre-historic community.   A causeway provides foot and bike access across Settler’s Cover for further exploration of the area.

The island paradise is known around the globe for its phenomenal sport hunting, beginning with North America’s largest carnivore, the Kodiak Brown Bear.  Excellent hunting is available near town.  The only one outdoor recreation activity that possibly outranks sport hunting is sport fishing.  The waters surrounding Port Lions support steelhead, freshwater trout, and five species of salmon, not to mention very large trophy-size halibut.  Wildlife viewing and photography are equally rewarding.  In addition to Brown bear, marine mammals such as sea otter, sea lions, Dall and harbor porpoise and several species of whales routinely cruise Marmot Bay.