TravelAlaska.com

Located across Kachemak Bay from Homer, Kachemak Bay State Park is one of the largest parks in the state system, encompassing 120,000 acres with 280,000 adjoining acres designated wilderness. It is Alaska's only wilderness state park. Kachemak Bay State Park was also Alaska's first state park. Largely undeveloped, the park offers wilderness experiences combining ocean, forest, mountains, glaciers and a variety of wildlife. Scenic highlights and other attractions include Grewingk Glacier, Poot Peak, Gull Island, China Poot Bay, Humpy Creek, Halibut Cove Lagoon, Tutka Bay and Sadie Cove.

Activities and Attractions

Boating, sea kayaking, beachcombing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing and mountain climbing are major activities in the park. Protected waters of the park can be visited by large and small craft. Favorite destinations include Halibut Cove and Seldovia, located across the bay from Homer. Inter-tidal zones provide an excellent setting for marine studies. Visitors are cautioned to respect tides, weather and currents of coastal Alaska waters.

More than 85 miles of rugged hiking trials wind through the park. These include Alpine Ridge, China Poot Lake, Goat Rope Spur, Grewingk Glacier, Lagoon, Poot Peak, Saddle and Wosnesenski. For complete trail information, contact the Kenai Area State Parks headquarters in Soldotna or visit the website.

Wildlife

This park offers excellent opportunities for observation and study of wildlife, including seabirds, seals, sea otters, whales, eagles and bears. In spring, Eldred Passage hosts thousands of shorebirds that feed on the rocky islands. Black oystercatchers make Eldred Passage their nesting grounds all summer long. Gull Island is a popular viewing spot and the less visited 60 Foot Rock between Eldred Passage and Homer is a smaller version of the more well known bird aviary.

In Sadie Cove there are wild Mountain Goats on the cliffs close enough to the water they are easily seen with the naked eye. They are sometimes spotted on the beaches. Springtime is when kids are born and mothers with newborns can be seen resting on small shelves along the black rocky cliffs. As the young goats grow, they are seen leaping and charging at full speed from ledge to ledge. Viewing is best from the mouth of Sadie Cove up to the sole wilderness lodge located here. Mountain Goats can also be see on the outside coast in the area of Gore Point and beyond.

Access

This park is reached only by plane or boat. Air and water taxi services and charter boats are available in Homer. Private lodges within the park generally provide transportation from Homer.

Accommodations

There are 20 developed campsites and 3 public-use cabins in the Halibut Cove Lagoon area. Open campfires are permitted only on beaches or gravel bars. For all locations and other park regulations, visit the park website or contact the Soldotna park office.

A number of wilderness lodges and camps are located throughout the park, providing an option for those visitors who wish to experience the park, but are not interested in 'roughing' it. Most offer guided hikes, wildlife viewing and kayaking along with gourmet meals and comfortable beds.

Weather and Climate

Kachemak Bay is an arm of the North Pacific Ocean and is subject to severe and unpredictable weather. Visitors should prepare for a cool, wet, windy climate. Bring extra clothing and adequate rain gear. On clear, summer days, seas are usually calm until midmorning, when breezes begin, bringing southwest winds of 15 to 20 knots and seas of 3 to 6 feet. Conditions are often calm again in the evening.

Boating Safety

Kachemak Bay's tides, among the largest in the world, are a primary factor affecting boating in the area. The average vertical difference between high and low tides is about 15 feet. The extreme, on large tide cycles, is 28 feet. Tidal currents are substantial, and whitewater rapids are frequently created in narrow passages, between islands, in the open waters behind Gull Island and into China Poot Bay as well as at the end of the Homer Spit. These current can, and have been, deadly to boaters both experienced or otherwise. Caution is necessary and local knowledge can be very helpful. A tide book is essential. Use the tables for Seldovia, and be aware of local variations. For weather and tide information, contact the Homer harbormaster at (907) 235-8959.

Since the bay can be extremely rough, visitors should know the capabilities of their boats and themselves. Do not rush. Wait for poor boating conditions to improve as they often do in the evenings. Fjords, bays and coves of Kachemak Bay contain navigational hazards. Marine charts are available at sporting goods stores in Homer. Also, boaters should stay away from fishermen's buoys as their lines can damage outboard motors and propellers if run over, or the line may be cut. In July and August, commercial salmon seiners operate in the area and often stretch long distances across the water, and recreational boaters must carefully maneuver around them.

For more information

Alaska State Parks
Kenai Area Office
PO Box 1247
Soldotna, AK 99669
(907) 262-5581