Best Place to Retire in Alaska?

[Doc Holliday]

If you don't have horses or a plane, what are some recommended areas in Alaska that have nearby access to decent big game hunting, fishing, as well as relatively close to a regional airport and a town with a grocery store.

 

[EastMT]

Glenn Allen/Copper Center area. Salmon runs, all the big game, short drive to Valdez for halibut.

No property, income, sales taxes last I heard.

 

[Beendare]

Juneau might work for ya. Southern AK.

Its the state cap so regular air service, its got some small town attributes but also big town facilities.Good hunting-bear,deer.... and fishing of course...
If you want smaller in the same general location, Wrangell and Petersburg have air service too but much smaller towns.

North of Anchorage by an hour you have Wasilla. Fairly big town, lots of services but you can live on the outskirts which can be very rural. From Wasilla you can fly out for great moose hunting, sheep, goat...or drive north into more remote country. Sarah Palin likes it

Some of those outpost cities like Magrath are so small....one 7-11 type store and one restaurant....I don't see that being fun unless you are a recluse.

 

[AK Troutbum]

My vote would probably go to the Kenai Peninsula, or maybe Talkeetna.


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[Ray]

Very few regional airports here with scheduled service that are also on the connected road system. Kenai and Homer are the two obvious ones.

For retiring up here you have to consider how comfortable you are spending huge amounts of money for things that are dirt cheap in the states.

Then you have to think about how cold you like being. Then you have to think about how cold and wet you like being. Do you enjoy darkness a lot. Three to four hours on an icy two lane road to get to town is fun, or is it?

The answers to these questions are what you need to find first.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

What's ur definition of regional airport and grocery store??

Does AC value and pen air count?

Or you looking for Alaskan airlines jet and Fred Meyer?

 

[Bulldog2nine]

Homer gets my vote. Made port their several times, decent population with access to plenty of stores.

 

[Doc Holliday]

What's ur definition of regional airport and grocery store??

Does AC value and pen air count?

Absolutely, they do.

On the Homer recommendations, my wife and I stayed there for a week in 2016. Caught some king salmon and halibut, had a rental car, poked around the area a good bit and liked it. I'm thinking that would be the "busiest" I would want an area to be.

 

[Nick Muche]

Fairbanks if you like hunting more than fishing.

Somewhere further south if you like fishing more than hunting.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Where do you live now?

How long do you plan to be in Alaska?

Are you currently retired?

what is you game plan for the months of October to may?

And lastly what's ur ideal home that you find worth investing money into?

 

[william schmaltz]

Does AC value and pen air count?

O man, if you're counting on Pen Air make sure you're willing to be 1-3 weeks late on all travel plans and just assume your luggage will arrive 3 days after you!

I would probably vote somewhere like Soldotna where I could fish the river, be close to Kasilof for kings, within a couple hours of both Homer and Seward, and great bear hunting. Another vote towards Glenn Allen if you can rough out the winter. Only a few hours from bigger airports in Los Anchorage or Fairbanks and that whole being able to hunt sheep in the park would be worth living there.

The statement that hunting is better up north and fishing is better down south is true. But if you're retired and can drive to either place during the respective season for multiple weeks that kind of goes out the window. If it were me and i was retired, I would rather have awesome fishing out my door for most of the year and then spend two months up north every fall. UNLESS you run a trap line.......then everything changes again. There is no wrong answer

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Op never followed up..

I'd buy this spot and never look back

Real Alaska begins when the road is ends.



Access Denied

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Lots of cool places, just depends if you want to be on the road system or in a “city” with roads.

I like the “city” with roads and access to tons of hunting and fishing. If there’s regular flights to and from anchorage and an AC general, a few small reataraunts, liquor store and a hospital....I’m all good.

 

[blasterak]

Somewhere in the MatSu valley is an option. Close enough to Los Anchorage to get to Airport and Costco's in a few hour drive. Access to good fishing and hunting, having the right toys definitely helps(boat, snowmachines,etc). Kenai Pen. is an option if you like fishing more, can get crowds in summertime but fishing is great and weather is mild. Glennallen area is spectacular, access to good hunting areas and less population than most areas on road system. Good fishing to be had with copper river nearby. Plenty of small remote creeks/streams that hold awesome grayling fishing. But the weather is much colder there in winter than down south. Lot of options. I live in Matsu valley and love it.

 

[AK_hunter]

I wouldn’t consider retiring in Alaska. It’s too expensive and too cold. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, but things are just tougher living here.

Anything on the road system is going to mean too many people. Sure you can get out to Glennallen, Tok, Healy, etc, but then you’re too far from services you’re going to want as an older person, and then cost of living is going to be twice as much as living near more populated areas. Winters are going to be hell in those parts too. Suffer through the 7 months of winter for 5 months of summer fishing and hunting, no thanks.

Hunting up here is tough and expensive. If you can drive there, so can everyone else. Have a boat and want to get away? Same story. Have a plane? Now you’re talking, but that’s a serious commitment.

The southeast may be an ok option. Juneau, Sitka, or Ketchikan might be good options. I could see myself down that way, but cost of living is still going to be crazy. That and I’ll end up going stir crazy from being stuck on little islands and will be itching to get outside every now and then.

My imagine of retirement would be somewhere in the lower 48, western part. Hop in my truck, drive a couple of hours and be into elk, deer, varmints, whatever. Then when I’ve had my fill head back home. Easy, relaxing, and fun. Add boat and planes into the equation just means more fuss and $$$, neither of which I want to deal with when I’m retired.

Again, don’t get me wrong, Alaska is an amazing and special place. Hunting and fishing up here is unlike anything the lower 48 has to offer, but it’s a lot of work, a lot of money, or both to get away from the crowds and into the “real” Alaskan.

Then again, if you can afford to snowbird and have the best of both worlds, by all means come on up!


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[Nick Muche]

90% of my annual hunting is done from the road system and I have yet to run into crowds. Flights in to hunt are fun and I do them as well, but they are not required. I see more people when I've done boat based hunts than when I use my Tacoma and two feet.

Think outside the box, avoid popular registration caribou road hunts, avoid popular trails and access points, be willing to hike and hunt during the week whenever possible.

Flights for moose are pricey statewide, caribou as well. You need neither to be successful on those species. Flights on Kodiak are a bargain when going with a small group or even just two people, and the hunting is phenomenal.

Figuring the logistics side of hunting Alaska can be as daunting as one wants to make it.

There is no where else in the US that allows a person to hunt the variety of game annually that Alaska has to offer. I've hunted in several Western states, both as a NR and a Resident and it is my opinion that the hunting in Alaska is easier than anywhere I've been.

I hate fishing but I go because fishing in Alaska is easy and I like to eat them.

 

[oldgoat]

Arizona?

 

[Clarktar]

90% of my annual hunting is done from the road system and I have yet to run into crowds. Flights in to hunt are fun and I do them as well, but they are not required. I see more people when I've done boat based hunts than when I use my Tacoma and two feet.

Think outside the box, avoid popular registration caribou road hunts, avoid popular trails and access points, be willing to hike and hunt during the week whenever possible.

Flights for moose are pricey statewide, caribou as well. You need neither to be successful on those species. Flights on Kodiak are a bargain when going with a small group or even just two people, and the hunting is phenomenal.

Figuring the logistics side of hunting Alaska can be as daunting as one wants to make it.

There is no where else in the US that allows a person to hunt the variety of game annually that Alaska has to offer. I've hunted in several Western states, both as a NR and a Resident and it is my opinion that the hunting in Alaska is easier than anywhere I've been.

I hate fishing but I go because fishing in Alaska is easy and I like to eat them.

Nick, what part of AK do you live in?

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[go4thegusto]

Fairbank Arizona....LOL

 

[fatbacks]

Get an RV... live in Alaska for the summer, hunt for the fall months and then park that sucker on the Baja Peninsula for the winter!