Seldovia is a coastal village situated across the bay from Homer (a popular Alaskan town) and is completely off the road system in Alaska. It is only accessible by boat or plane so it’s always been a place of intrigue that we wanted to visit at some point! Only about 300 people live there year round.
Seldovia History
Athabascan Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos have camped at Seldovia long before there was outside influence. However, it was greatly influenced by Russian fur traders and missionaries.
The salmon and herring runs supported several canneries in the 1920s and Seldovia was an important supply hub. However, when the Sterling Highway was completed to Homer, Seldovia’s importance dwindled. After the 1964 earthquake the canneries shut down and the town needed to be rebuilt as the town settled 4 feet during the shake.
Our Trip
The first portion of the trip requires getting to Homer, which is about 6 hours for us. We were originally supposed to take the Seldovia Bay Ferry at 6:15pm, however, they had to shutdown at the last minute due to a necessary engine repair.
We decided to fly one way and hope that the ferry would be back by the time we wanted to leave so we could experience both.
When we got to Homer, we didn’t have much time, but I wanted to show Jimmy Alpha Kilo Metalworks. I have taken 3 silversmithing workshops there and wanted him to see it! We also bought him a wedding ring. He was in the market for a new one and there was a cool sandblasted option in his size. I love having unique items from local makers and a story behind it. If you are ever visiting Homer, I highly recommend stopping in for a silver gift or taking a workshop class!
Flight to Seldovia
Our flight with Smokey Bay Air left at 4pm and was beautiful! The plane was a Cessna 185, which can hold 6 people. It’s always fun to see the Homer Spit from the air and besides that, there is a lot to look at when you are over the coast.
Fly In Flour drop
When we arrived at the Seldovia airport, it was packed! There was a fly in and flour drop competition happening. A flour drop is where a pilot and passenger team fly over a target on the runway and try to drop a sack of flour closest to the target. It was so fun to watch!
Accommodations
We were invited to tag along on a trip that Jimmy’s aunt and uncle had won in an auction. So next we went to check out our digs. The house was right on the ocean/slough so it is built on stilts (or pilings).
It was so fun to be able to watch the tide come in and go out multiple times a day. Bald eagles frequently visited and were picking up snacks as the tide went out.
Activities
Seldovia is very small! There is not much of a town – there’s a grocery store, a couple restaurants, a coffee shop, a museum, and a couple of gift shops. There are other recreational activities as well, kayaking, hiking, fishing, etc.
We drove most of all the main roads and enjoyed looking at the houses and the scenery. We drove all the way to the head of Jakolof Bay, which is only about 10 miles but it takes over 30 minutes to drive because you’re typically going 30 mph or less.
There are a few different hiking options: the Otterbahn trail, Red Mountain Mine, and the Tutka/Jakolof Trail.
We did the Tutka/Jakolof Trail. The ‘trailhead’ is past the Jakolof Bay dock at a very nondescript pullout. It was a nice 2 mile trail out to the Tutka Bay Lagoon. It took just under an hour one way and is only an elevation gain of 250 ft.
When we got to the lagoon we could see salmon rolling all over the bay. There were also people working at the hatchery bringing up and sorting salmon which was cool to see.
Summary
Aside from seeing what Seldovia had to offer, we enjoyed sitting on the deck, enjoying the sun, reading, and playing games with the family! Because it’s so small and limited in activities, we probably won’t go back, but it was certainly fun to cross off the list! I think 2 or 3 full days is plenty of time to see most of what Seldovia has to offer.
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