Skilak Lake
Encyclopedia
Skilak Lake is a large lake
on the Kenai Peninsula
, Alaska
. The lake is part of the Kenai River
system but also contains glacial runoff. The water is exceptionally clear with a mostly rocky bottom, relatively free of aquatic vegetation. It is within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
, and can be accessed by Skilak Lake Loop Road via the Sterling Highway
. Maximum depth is 528 feet (160.9 m), it is 15 miles (24.1 km) long and up to 4 miles (6.4 km) wide in places. Early Russian explorers mistakenly believed Skilak and Tustumena Lake
to be a single body of water. It is a popular destination for Alaskans due to it being only about a half hour drive from Soldotna, and about two hours from Anchorage. There are two campgrounds at the lake, one is a developed campground with a host, the other is unhosted and has only basic facilities.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The lake is part of the Kenai River
Kenai River
The Kenai River called Kakny in the Dena'ina language, is a river in the Kenai Peninsula of south central Alaska. It runs westward from Kenai Lake in the Kenai Mountains, through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Skilak Lake to its outlet into the Cook Inlet of the Pacific Ocean near Kenai...
system but also contains glacial runoff. The water is exceptionally clear with a mostly rocky bottom, relatively free of aquatic vegetation. It is within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.92 million acre wildlife preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. The refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai Moose Range, but in 1980 it was changed to its present status by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act...
, and can be accessed by Skilak Lake Loop Road via the Sterling Highway
Sterling Highway
The Sterling Highway is a 142-mile highway in the Southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, leading from the Seward Highway at Tern Lake Junction, south of Anchorage, to Homer....
. Maximum depth is 528 feet (160.9 m), it is 15 miles (24.1 km) long and up to 4 miles (6.4 km) wide in places. Early Russian explorers mistakenly believed Skilak and Tustumena Lake
Tustumena Lake
Tustumena Lake is a lake on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska, near the town of Kasilof. The lake is long and up to wide and receives drainage from Tustumena Glacier. The outlet forms the headwaters of the Kasilof River. The lake and the area around it are known for...
to be a single body of water. It is a popular destination for Alaskans due to it being only about a half hour drive from Soldotna, and about two hours from Anchorage. There are two campgrounds at the lake, one is a developed campground with a host, the other is unhosted and has only basic facilities.