About · Since 1952
One of Alaska's Oldest Log Roadhouses
Seventy years of meals, beds, river stories and community at milepost 52 of the Sterling Highway.
Before the Sterling Highway was paved, the drive from Anchorage to the Kenai was an all-day affair — and Gwin's was where you stopped. A hot meal, a warm bunk, gas if you needed it, and word of how the rivers were fishing. The log building that greeted those first travelers is the same one that greets you today, weathered and warm, hung with seven decades of fishing memorabilia.
1952
Gwin's opens as a log roadhouse on the young Sterling Highway, feeding and housing travelers bound for the Kenai.
1950s–60s
The roadhouse becomes the gathering spot for Cooper Landing — mail, meals, river news and the occasional dance.
1970s–90s
Cabins are added as sport fishing on the Kenai and Russian Rivers draws anglers from around the world.
2000s
The store grows into a full tackle, liquor and provisions stop; the pavilions begin hosting weddings and concerts.
Today
Still family-run, still hand-hewn logs, still the heart of Cooper Landing — now a full basecamp for the Kenai Peninsula.
