Weather & Tides

Kachemak Bay State Park and Wilderness Park: Kachemak Bay State Park and Wilderness Park are located on the lower Kenai Peninsula across the bay from Homer, Alaska. Together these parks consist of 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, hills, valleys, and beaches. Within the magnificent park boundaries there are countless opportunities for recreation. Among these are hiking, camping, fishing, claming digging, berry picking, marine wildlife viewing, bird watching, tide pooling, and beach combing. To access the back country of the park system, the visitor will be delighted to find 80 miles of trails for their hiking enjoyment.

Kachemak Bay is a critical habitat area which is rich in marine life. When upon the waters of Kachemak Bay is commonplace to see a variety of marine mammals and seabirds such as sea otters, puffins, porpoise, and cormorants, just to mention a few. Eagles can be easily spotted on the tree tops along the shorelines of the bay. Moose, mountain goat, black bear, coyote, and wolves inhabit the lands of the park system, but are not often seen by visitors.

There are some great opportunities for camping in the park as it is permitted in most areas. You may wish to find a nice flat spot above the high tide line on the beach, pitch your tent atop a mountain, or camp with a view of a glacier. The choice is yours! Some campsites have been equipped to accommodate campers and may include the following: fireplaces, tent platforms, outhouses, tables, and food caches. Wherever you camp, be sure to enjoy the beautiful scenery and help keep the park clean by packing out whatever you bring in.

Kachemak Bay State Park also offers 8 Public Use Cabins for rent by reservation. These are located in Halibut Cove Lagoon, Leisure Lake (China Poot Lake), Moose Valley, and Tutka Bay. Contact the State Park for reservations. Try to reserve them as early as possible because they fill up fast on the big dates.

For more information on the park, trails, and cabin rentals try the links below, but allow Smoke Wagon Water Taxi to provide your transportation. We'll drop you off and pick you up when you want. Our schedule is flexible! Click 'booking info' for pricing. Call us or email for reservations.
 

Glacier Spit: The hike to the Glacier Lake is one of the more popular hikes in Kachemak Bay, and for a good reason. It's a relatively easy hike with spectacular scenery. The hike to the lake from the drop-off spot at Glacier Spit Trail head can be completed in an 1 hour 20 minutes at a moderate hiking pace. The hike out to the pick-up spot at the Saddle Trail takes about 45 minutes. We usually suggest 3 & 1/2 to 5 hours depending on how long people want to hang out at the lake. Many other great and more challenging hikes can be accessed from the Glacier Spit Trail head as well. Among these are the Alpine Ridge Trail, Grewingk Glacier Trail, Hump Creek Trail, and the Emerald Lake Trail. Back to top
 
Halibut Cove Lagoon: The Halibut Cove Lagoon is a great starting point for your State Park adventures. There are two trail heads here: the Ranger Station Trail head and the Halibut Cove Lagoon Trail head. The Ranger Station Trail head. is located only a few steps from the Halibut Cove Lagoon Public Dock. Here you will find public restrooms, public use cabins, and lots of valuable trail information. To reach the Halibut Cove Lagoon Trail head., park visitors are dropped off on the beach. The Trail head. is at the top of the beach right next to 2 great campsites equipped with fire pits, picnic tables, and an outhouse. Both of these drop off points provide access into the heart of the State Park. From here hikers can reach China Poot Lake (Leisure Lake), Poot Peak, Wosnesenski River Trail, and much more! There are many options. Back to Top
 
Tutka Bay & Sadie Cove: Located 25 Minutes from the Harbor, Sadie Cove, Tutka Bay and Jakolof Bay offer camping, fishing, access to Kachemak Bay State Park trail system, great waters for kayaking, and the Sea Star Public Use Cabin. Among the great hiking trails in this area are the Sadie Knob Trail, the Tutka Lake Trail, and the Tutka/Jakalof Trail. Grace Ridge, shown at right, is particularly spectacular due to the high altitude you reach at the top. At the waters edge, the are 7 campsites to choose from. From Jakolof Bay Public Dock visitors can reach Seldovia via a gravel road which is an easy and scenic bike ride. Back to Top
 
Humpy Creek: Besides great sport fishing for pinks, chums, and dollies, Humpy Creek is the starting point for many great hikes. Via the Humpy Creek trail hikers can reach the Mallard Bay Trail and the Emerald Lake Trail. The Emerald lake trail is a moderate to difficult hike which has an elevation gain of 1650 ft at its highest point. The views on this hike are spectacular and the beautiful alpine lake make it well worth the effort. Going the other direction, Humpy Creek Trail takes an easier route across the glacial plane to the Grewingk Creek tram. From here, hikers can cross the creek using the tram and continue on to Glacier Lake. For details on hike duration or to get a better idea of how the trails interconnect in this area, return to the links provided for you above. Back to Top
 
China Poot Bay: China Poot Bay boasts great clam digging, beautiful tide pools, red salmon fishing, and lots of marine wildlife. At the head of the bay, the Coalition Loop Trail begins. This trail forms a big loop that passes the banks of China Poot Lake and connects up with the China Poot Lake Trail. This is a moderate hike that reaches an elevation of 400 ft. Hiking time for the entire loop takes about 3 to 4 hours depending on the pace. Camping is allowed at the China Poot Bay trail head and there are established campsites at China Poot Lake and in Halibut Cove Lagoon. Back to Top
 
Gull Island: Located at the mouth of China Poot Bay, Gull Island is just a short ride from the Homer Boat Harbor. We offer gull island tours and marine wildlife tours that include a visit to gull island. Of all the places in Kachemak Bay, Gull Island is a must see. Click on 'marine wildlife tours' at the left of your screen for more details on what you will see there. Go to 'booking information' for pricing. Back to Top
Trails along the way are well marked, as you can see here at this trail junction.
During high water at the Saddle Trailhead, hikers get dropped off and picked up right at the steps.
There lots of wildflowers to look at along the trail, especially in the alpine country.
Hmm mm, salmon berries. August is best to take advantage of the abundance of wild blueberries, salmon berries and raspberries.
Local hiker Mike Illg takes a break after a long hike to the top of Red Mountain. This is a great option for a hike and bike combo. Call for more information!
Yet another spectacular view in Kachemak Bay State Park!
Smoke Wagon Water Taxi & Charter
Homer, Alaska
(907) 399-2376