Alaska's Cook Inlet

The City of Anchorage, Alaska, overlooks Cook Inlet, named for Captain James Cook who explored this area in his vain search for a northwest passage across the top of the North American continent in 1778. The inlet , surrounded by mountains and filled with glacial silt, extends from Anchorage 150 miles to the open Pacific Ocean. These waters are ferocious and wild, with whirlpool currents and a tidal range of almost 40 vertical feet. However, a navigable passageway is kept open, allowing Anchorage to be a major ocean port, as well as a favorite destination for numerous cruise ships.

At Anchorage, Cook Inlet divides into two arms, Knik Arm extending to the northeast, and Turnagain Arm extending to the southeast. This photo of the Cook Inlet, framed with mudflats and fireweed, was taken from Anchorage along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. The small boat you see in the center is actually a very large ocean freighter making its way toward the Port of Anchorage.

This view of Mt. Susitana across the Cook Inlet, is taken from Resolution Park in Anchorage. According to an ancient native legend Mt. Susitana is a giant sleeping lady. When friends came to tell her that her lover had been killed in battle, they could not bear to wake her. Instead they asked the gods to protect her until peace returned forever to the land. The gods complied and now she sleeps under a blanket of grasses in summer and soft snow in winter.

In summer pods of 15 or more Beluga Whales may sometimes be seen from this point. In the distance they appear as small white specks, as they search for spawning Salmon making their way up the Cook Inlet.On a clear day you can see Mount McKinley from this point, 120 miles to the north.