It's hard to imagine a more dramatic setting than the sliver of land that Seward clings to at the base of Marathon Mountain on Resurrection Bay. Granite peaks loom in every direction. Beyond the headlands lies Kenai Fjords National Park, and over the Kenai Mountains sprawls the massive Harding Icefield.

But sports buffs don't come all the way to the end of the road just for the scenery. Hikers and bikers head into vast wilderness, kayakers paddle to tidewater glaciers, and the world's anglers try to land trophies in Alaska's finest salmon rivers.

All prices in U.S. dollars
 

Access
Major airlines serve Anchorage, 125 miles [201 kilometers] north.

Fishing
The action on the Russian River gets so frenzied during salmon runs that it's known as combat fishing. Instead, drift down the tranquil Kenai River with Russian River Fly Fishers ($195 per person; 888 613 8687 [U.S. and Canada only]) for rainbow and Dolly Varden trout, and red, silver, and pink salmon.

Resurrection Bay is also celebrated for its trout and salmon.

Biking
A local favorite in the Chugach National Forest is 7.6-mile [12-kilometer] Lost Lake Trail, which starts just north of town off Route 9 and climbs 1,500 feet [457 meters] to Lost Lake.

Seward Bike Shop (+1 907 224 2448), which is housed in an old railroad car, provides information, repairs, and rentals ($27 per day for a front-suspension model).

Hiking
To explore a glacier, drive to the ranger station at the end of Exit Glacier Road in the national park, then hike a quarter mile [0.4 kilometer] to the toe of Exit Glacier. From there, a 4-mile [6.4-kilometer] trail ascends a lateral moraine through 2,500 vertical feet [762 meters] up to the vast Harding Icefield.

Kayaking
Resurrection Bay offers superb paddling, but beyond the headlands to the southwest lie truly spectacular Aialik Bay and Northwestern Lagoon. Only experienced kayakers should risk the passage.

Five-day excursions to Northwestern Lagoon with the Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking Company ($1,299; +1 907 224 8810; www.sunnycove.com) include wilderness camping and paddling past tidewater glaciers.

Room and Board
Seward Windsong Lodge (doubles $179; 888 959 9500; www.sewardwindsong.com), on the banks of the Resurrection River, is connected to a roadhouse that serves Alaskan microbrews.

Resources
Seward Chamber of Commerce (+1 907 224 8051; www.seward ak.org);
Kenai Fjords National Park (+1 907 224 2132; www.nps.gov/kefj)

Chugach National Forest (+1 907 224 3374; www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach