Sterling, AK

Sterling is a Kenai Peninsula Borough census-designated place, bordered by Soldotna, Ridgeway, and Funny River and close to the Kenai River. The community was first opened for settlement in 1947 under the name Naptowne, which gives it a postwar Alaska homesteading feel. Scout Lake, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and nearby state parks help define the setting. Sterling is not a dense town center; it is a spread-out Peninsula community built around roads, rivers, lakes, and access to outdoor country.