Captain Cook State Recreation Area, State recreation area in Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Captain Cook State Recreation Area covers roughly 3,400 acres along Cook Inlet and brings together beaches, forests, lakes, and hiking trails in one coastal setting. Discovery Campground with about 50 campsites sits north of Kenai and offers access to water, restrooms, and picnic areas.

The park was authorized in 1971, making it one of the oldest in the Alaska State Park system, with major capital improvement projects in 1978 and 2010. Archaeological evidence and Captain Cook's 1778 observations indicate the Dena'ina people gathered salmon here before the park existed.

The Dena'ina Athabascan people established fishing camps along these shores and practiced salmon harvesting according to traditions passed down through families. The coastal landscape today reflects this long relationship between local communities and the waters.

The site is best visited during low tide when the mudflats become accessible and walking is easier. Discovery Campground sits about 25 miles north of Kenai and serves as a good base for exploring the area.

The park is the northern terminus of the Swanson River canoe trail, and its Stormy Lake has been the target of two campaigns to remove invasive species. The lake's small campground can only be reached by boat.