Homer Alaska
A bayside town rich in history, culture, and natural beauty.
Homer Alaska
A bayside town rich in history, culture, and natural beauty.
Homer Alaska
A bayside town rich in history, culture, and natural beauty.
An Alaska-Style Beach Town
Every small town in Alaska is unique, but Homer is especially so. There's nowhere else like it in the state. It blends a rich history of Native Alaskan cultures with longstanding Russian influences, a vibrant artists' scene with a productive fishing industry, and popular hobbies like gardening and backcountry skiing into a single vibrant community. It's also a fantastically beautiful place to visit.
Homer built up on a bluff along Kachemak Bay. Across the bay are enclaves like Halibut Cove and Seldovia, but beyond those waterside communities a vast mountain wilderness rises high. The area is also home to diverse and abundant marine wildlife. Humpbacks and minkes, orcas, sea otters, seabirds, eagles, starfish, sea lions, and harbor seals populate the cold bay water. Birders especially enjoy Homer where every year a shorebird festival celebrates the return of migrating waterfowl to the area wetlands.
Homer's four-mile spit is the town's most notable feature. It's a natural land form, likely the remnants of a glacial moraine, although modern manmade support has kept it from washing away with the tides. Beaches, galleries, fishing charter offices, water taxis, gift shops, and restaurants (as well as the infamous Salty Dog Saloon) dot this fun and bustling area.
What to Do in Homer
Although halibut fishing draws a lot of visitors to Homer, there are many ways to enjoy the town's natural surroundings. Among our favorites are hiking and kayaking in Kachemak Bay State Park. On rainy days, which are not uncommon with Homer's maritime climate, visitors can tour the Pratt Museum and Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center. Homer also hosts a fantastic farmers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the summer.
Where to Stay in Homer
Homer offers many lodging choices, from campgrounds and RV parks to hostels, bed and breakfasts, and motels. We highly recommend the Homer Aspen Suites Hotel. The Aspen is an all-suites property offering guests full kitchenettes. The hotel is next door to the Alaska Island & Ocean Visitor Center and has walkable access to the interpretive trails and Bishops Beach.
How to Get to Homer
Most visitors reach Homer by rental car. The town is 225 miles from Anchorage, or about a five-hour drive. Homer has a small airport with regular summer plane service from Anchorage. Homer is also served by the Alaska State Marine Highway. In the summer months, smaller cruise ships occasionally visit Homer as a port of call.
