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Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park | Seldovia
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park
10 miles southeast of Homer.
Getting Here and Around
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park are accessible by boat or bush plane.
Essentials
Visitor Information
Kenai State Parks Office.
907/262–5581, 907/235–7024 | www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/kbay/kbay.htm.
Exploring Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park.
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park protects more than 350,000 acres of coast, mountains, glaciers, forests, and wildlife on the lower Kenai Peninsula. Recreational opportunities include boating, sea kayaking, fishing, hiking, and beachcombing. Facilities are minimal, but include 20 primitive campsites, five public-use cabins, and a system of trails accessible from Kachemak Bay.
Where to Stay in Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park
Alaska State Parks Cabins.
$ | RENTAL | Three public-use cabins are within Kachemak Bay’s Halibut Cove Lagoon area, another is near Tutka Bay Lagoon, and a fifth is at China Poot Lake. All but the lakeside cabin are accessible by boat; China Poot can be reached only on foot from the boat landing on the beach or by floatplane to the lake. The cabin furnishings are sparse, but include wooden bunks and sleeping platforms, a table, and chairs; there’s no running water or electricity. Four of the five cabins sleep up to six people (the other, the Overlook cabin at Halibut Cove, sleeps eight), and all can be reserved up to six months in advance. Pros: solitude; views. Cons: remote locations with no amenities. | Rooms from: $50 | 907/262–5581 | www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/cabins/kenai.htm | 5 cabins | No credit cards.
Camping on Kachemak Bay
Homer is a gateway to some truly remote destinations, as well as a few that are only seemingly remote. After a day or two of the bustling commerce of Homer, an overnight camping trip just across the bay may be just what it takes to feel like you’re really experiencing Alaska.
Alaska State Parks Campsites. Twenty primitive, free campsites with pit toilets and fire rings are scattered along the shores of Kachemak Bay across from Homer and are accessible by boat (water taxis operate here daily in summer). The sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and camping is allowed nearly everywhere in the park, not restricted to developed sites. | 907/235–7024 or 907/262–5581 | www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/kbay/kbay.htm.
Kachemak Bay Wilderness Lodge.
$$$$ | RESORT | Across Kachemak Bay from Homer, this luxurious lodge provides wildlife-viewing opportunities and panoramic mountain and bay vistas in an intimate setting for up to 14 guests. The main log building has a piano and a big stone fireplace to warm you after a day of hiking, fishing, kayaking, or touring in one of the lodge’s five guided boats (some of the guided fly-out trips may cost extra). Scattered through the woods, the rustic cabins, all with electricity, full baths, and decks, are decorated with antiques, original artworks, and homemade quilts. Cabin layouts differ slightly; some are suited for couples, some for groups or families. Dinners spotlight seafood—clams, mussels, and fish—caught in the bay. There’s a three-night package for $2,400 per person and a five-night package for $3,750 per person; kids 13 and under are about two-thirds the price. Pros: extraordinary facility in a stunning location; sauna and outdoor hot tub. Cons: its remote location makes the lodge fairly pricey. | Rooms from: $1750 | 907/235–8910 | www.alaskawildernesslodge.com | 4 cabins, 1 room in lodge | Closed Oct.–Apr. | All meals.
Seldovia
16 miles south of Homer.
The town of Seldovia is another off-the-road-system settlement on the south side of Kachemak Bay that retains the charm of an earlier Alaska. The town’s Russian bloodline shows in its onion-dome church and its name, which means “herring bay.” For many years this was the primary fishing town on the bay, but today the focus is on tourism. The town was heavily damaged in the 1964 earthquake, but a few stretches of old boardwalk survive and houses stand on stilts along Seldovia Slough. Seldovia has several restaurants and lodging places, plus a small museum and a hilltop Russian Orthodox church. The area abounds with hiking, mountain-biking, and sea-kayaking options.
Getting Here and Around
Access is via the Alaska Marine Highway ferry (twice weekly from Homer), aboard a water taxi ($40–$50), or by air from Homer ($65).
Where to Stay in Seldovia
Across the Bay Tent & Breakfast Adventure Co.
$ | B&B/INN | A step up the comfort ladder from camping, this beachfront establishment is reachable via water taxi from Homer. You stay in sturdy canvas-wall tents with carpeted floors and twin beds, and a large common room has hardwood floors and a piano. Prices vary depending on whether you do your own cooking or eat the gourmet seafood meals prepared by the staff. A propane stove and grill, as well as pots, pans, and picnic tables, are provided. Otherwise, host-prepared meals are hearty and served family style, and include garden-grown greens. A beach is great for walking and beachcombing; guided kayak trips and mountain bikes are available for an extra charge. Pros: friendly owners; excellent food; beautiful grounds. Cons: although comfortable, you’re still sleeping in a tent. TripAdvisor: “yummy food,” “relaxing adventure in a beautiful setting,” “lovely owners.” | Rooms from: $75 | Mile 8, Jakalof Bay Rd., 8 miles east of Seldovia | 907/235–3633 in summer, 907/345–2571 in winter | www.tentandbreakfastalaska.com | 6 tents | Closed Labor Day–Memorial Day | Rooms from: $75 | 907/235.
Seldovia Boardwalk Hotel.
$ | HOTEL | This hotel with a fabulous view of the harbor has immaculate modern rooms, half of which face the water. The rooms are bright, with white walls and ceilings, lots of plants, and locally produced artwork and Alaskana. A large, sunlit parlor downstairs has a woodstove and coffee service. The proprietors can also arrange charter-fishing or sea-kayaking trips; one-night, two-night, or two-nights-plus-all-day kayaking tour packages are also an option. You can also rent bikes and fishing tackle here. Pros: in-town location. Cons: few on-site amenities. | Rooms from: $100 | Main St. | 907/234–7816 | www.theseldoviaboardwalkhotel.com | 14 rooms | Breakfast.
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