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Alaska State Marine Parks

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Alaska State Marine Parks

Enclosed by high mountains and glaciers, and protected from the high seas by barrier islands, Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay represents one of Alaska's premier recreation areas for water-based activities. Fjords, bays, coves, lakes, glaciers, mountains and hundreds of islands provide scenic settings for visitors that arrive in kayaks, pleasure boats and sailboats. Activities in the parks range from fishing, clamming and island camping to wildlife viewing and visiting one of the world's largest fish hatcheries.

The 20 parks are divided into four areas in which they are best accessed from. There are eight parks in the Whittier Area with Decision Point State Marine Park, Entry Cove State Marine Park, Surprise Cove State Marine Park and Ziegler Cove State Marine Park located closest to the small community. Further away in the Prince William Sound are Granite Bay State Marine Park, South Esther Island State Marine Park, Bettles Bay State Marine Park and Horseshoe Bay State Marine Park.

In the Valdez Area are Shoup Bay State Marine Park, Sawmill Bay State Marine Park and Jack Bay State Marine Park and in the Cordova Area are Canoe Passage State Marine Park, Boswell Bay State Marine Park and Kayak Island State Marine Park. Located 50 miles southeast of Cordova, the lightly visited Kayak Island preserves the site where the first European, Georg Steller, set foot in Alaska in 1741 as part of the Bering Expedition.

The Seward Area includes Thumb Cove State Marine Park, Sandspit Point State Marine Park, Sunny Cove State Marine Park, Driftwood Bay State Marine Park and Safety Cove State Marine Park. Thumb Cove, only 9 miles south of Seward on the east side of Resurrection Bay, showcases Porcupine Glacier which towers above the 720-acre park to provide a dramatic backdrop to Seward's most popular marine destination.

Alaska State Marine Parks Map

Facilities
The parks range in size from the 360-acre Entry Cove near Whittier to the 4,560-acre Shoup Bay in the Valdez Area. Most of them offer boaters protected anchorages and kayakers beaches and shorelines where they can land. Campsites are found at seven parks; Ziegler Cove, Surprise Cove, South Esther Island, Decision Point, Shoup Bay, Jack Bay and Thumb Cove while Sawmill Bay features two tent platforms, a fire ring and a bear proof food locker. Three public-use cabins are available for rent at Shoup Bay and two at Thumb Cove.

Zeigler Cove and Sunrise Cove have picnic facilities and shelters. Located at South Esther Island in the Whittier Area is Wally H. Noerenberg Fish Hatchery which offers tours. Parks with trails include Sunrise Cove, South Esther Island, Thump Cove and Shoup Bay. The trail at Shoup Bay winds 7 miles back to the city of Valdez, making the park the only one that can be accessed on foot as well as by water.

Fees
There are no fees or permits required to land or camp at the marine parks. There is a nightly fee for public-use cabins which can be reserved online through the parks reservation system.

Accessibility
Access to any of the parks in the State Marine Park system is by floatplane or boat with the exception of Shoup Bay which can be reached on foot from Valdez. The gateway communities of Whittier and Valdez can be accessed via road and the Alaska Marine Highway. Cordova can be reached by the Alaska Marine Highway but does not have road access and Seward no longer is a port of call for Alaska Marine Highway ferries. Cordova, Valdez and Seward all have regular scheduled air service.