Destination Alaska Sea Kayaking
Homer is the premier destination for sea kayaking in Kachemak Bay. Surrounded by picturesque mountain peaks, remote fjords, and abundant wildlife; it doesn’t get any better than this.
Destination Alaska Charters Kayaking offers guided day and multi- day trips for beginning and experienced sea kayakers. Paddling among the sea otters, porpoises and even whales at times, including tide pooling, and learning about the local area greatly adds to your Alaska adventure. Our guides are experienced, knowledgeable, and helpful. Prior visitors to the Homer area have often mentioned kayaking as the highlight of their Alaska vacation. We use single and double person Necky kayaks that are very stable for beginners while providing the adventure a more experienced paddler is looking for.
-Guided Full-Day Paddle
Cruise from the Homer Spit across Kachemak Bay to Otter Cove Resort. Your guide will meet you there on the beach where you will receive instructions on paddling and safety. You will be fitted for your kayak, life jacket, and spray skirt to ensure your comfort. Paddle among the sea otters and other wildlife in the pristine waters of Otter Cove, Sadie Cove, Tutka Bay, and around Yukon Island. You’ll want to keep your eyes open for porpoises, sea birds, and other sea life. Your guide will customize the outing according to your needs and skills to ensure that everyone has a fantastic trip. You will stop along the way to observe the colorful invertebrates in the clear water tide pools as well as walk on the beach and eat lunch. Bring food and drinks along with a camera and other equipment you wish to use. Clothing and proper gear are crucial. You should bring warm layered clothes, comfortable hiking shoes, and light rain gear. We provide you with a kayak; spray skirt, paddle, life jacket, and round-trip water taxi. These trips depart at 10 a.m. daily for Otter Cove and return around 5 p.m. Check-in time is 9:15 a.m. at our office on the spit. There is a 2 person minimum for all-day kayak trips. Call for more information.
-Guided Half-Day Paddle
Guided half-day kayaking is a shortened version of the Full Day Sea Kayaking Trip. They depart at 12 noon daily for Otter Cove and return at 5 p.m. There is a 3 person minimum. Call for more information.
-Multi-day Trips
Join us for the ultimate outdoor paddling adventure. We offer fully customized, multi-day kayaking trips here in Kachemak Bay. Choose your own selection of guided trips, cabin rentals, hiking, and camping. We recommend that on your first day you go on a guided trip with one of our experienced staff to learn the area. If you’re a master paddler, you may wish to rent kayaks and paddle without a guide as there are 3 to 5 days of great paddling available here for you. While staying in the cabins at Otter Cove you will also have access to hiking trails to Sadie Knob and Grace Ridge as well as beautiful beaches to explore. Paddle in the waters of Eldred Passage, Sadie Cove, Tutka Bay, and the nearby islands. These waters are teeming with sea otters, sea birds, and other marine wildlife. Enjoy tide pools, walks on the beach and a hike into Kachemak Bay State Park on the Grace Ridge Trail. Bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, towels, bug repellent, personal items, groceries, light rain gear, and comfortable shoes for paddling and hiking. If you wish to take photos you should bring a camera and binoculars. Pack a tent if you plan on camping. We provide round trip water taxi service, kayak, life jackets, and spray skirts. Pricing depends on your itinerary. Call for more information.
Hiking in Kachemak Bay State Park
Destination Alaska offers full water taxi service through our partner, Homer Ocean Charters, to most points in Kachemak Bay. For this, we use a 28' Bayweld landing craft the "Baylink II", a six-passenger vessel. The Baylink II has an enclosed aft cabin for a smooth comfortable ride. The bow of the boat is large and open with a drop-down boarding/loading ramp and plenty of room for kayaks, mountain bikes, camping gear, freight, etc. Consider the Baylink II as your gateway to Kachemak Bay State Park.
Hiking in Kachemak Bay State Park offers many great hiking trails, tent camping, park service rental cabins, clamming, fishing, sightseeing, and many other opportunities. You can also rent kayaks from us to paddle around the many protected bays and stay in the beautiful cabins at Otter Cove Resort.
Access to Great Hiking
Don't miss the great hiking opportunities in Kachemak Bay State Park. Join us for a guided hike from Glacier Spit to Glacier Lake or Sadie Knob. See trail details and descriptions below. These guided hikes are offered daily and provide an opportunity for you to hike in the state park with a knowledgeable guide who will truly enhance your hiking experience!
Interpretive Hike to Grewingk Glacier
Water taxi across Kachemak Bay to Glacier Spit in Kachemak Bay State Park and join your guide for a hike to Grewingk Glacier Lake. Your guide will identify and allow you to taste edible vegetation along the way, point out the stages of reforestation along the glacial moraine, and provide you with a wealth of information you would not obtain walking this trail on your own. The trail crosses flat terrain, through stands of cottonwoods and spruce and across the dry outwash plain of the Grewingk Glacier. It ends at the broad, open beaches of Grewingk Glacier Lake. This trail offers superb views of the glacier and its surrounding peaks. Icebergs floating in the lake present opportunities for great photos. The tour includes round trip water taxi, guide and state park fee. Not included are sales tax, gratuity, and food or drink. Wear warm layered clothes and comfortable walking shoes, bring light rain gear, camera, binoculars, and your drinks and snacks for the day. There is a 2 person minimum for these trips and they are available Memorial Day to Labor day. Departure and return times will be arranged upon booking. Cost is $160 per person.
You may also wish to visit Otter Cove Resort and stay in the cabins with access to the Sadie Knob Trail right outside your cabin door. Or, you can take our water taxi and hike the spectacular Grace Ridge Trail. If you are an avid hiker, you can do both trails! These trails are often underrated and ignored, but those who hike them are so glad they did. Both the Sadie Knob and Grace Ridge Trails are beautiful!
Guided hikes for these trails can also be arranged upon request.
GLACIER LAKE TRAIL - Trail access is a short ride across Kachemak Bay on our water taxi the Baylink.
Length: 2.2 mi/3.5 km
Rating: Easy, popular family hike
Camping: Small camping area at Glacier Spit Trailhead; Right Beach (accessible at low tide from Glacier Spit); Rusty's Campsite; Grewingk Lake.
Camping Advisory: Please consider camping on higher portion of Grewingk Lake flats; landslides from area ridges falling into lake could generate splash waves of 50 feet or more along the shore.
Hiking Time: 80 minutes from Glacier Spit Trailhead (wind exposed beach: morning drop off best, afternoon/evening pickup at Saddle Trailhead) hike to trailhead at junction of Grewingk and Glacier Lake trails (1 mile).
Water Availability: Right Beach; Rusty’s Campsite; small stream near the junction of the Saddle Trail.
Trail Description: A popular loop route joined by the Saddle and Grewingk trails. The trail crosses flat terrain, through stands of cottonwoods and spruce, and across the dry outwash plain of the Grewingk Glacier. It ends at the broad, open beach of Grewingk Glacier Lake. The trail offers superb views of the glacier and its surrounding peaks. This is an excellent day hike.
SADDLE TRAIL - Trail access is a short ride across Kachemak Bay on our water taxi the Baylink.
Length: 1 mi/1.6 km
Rating: Moderate, short steep climbs
Hiking Time: 25 minutes
Elevation Gain: 350 feet
Camping: None at trailhead; stream near Grewingk Glacier Lake sites
Water Availability: Right Beach; Rusty’s Campsite; small stream near the junction of the Saddle Trail.
Trail Description: Leading over a low ridge between Halibut Cove and Grewingk Glacier, this trail provides a popular loop with the Glacier Lake Trail. The trail switches back through steep, forested terrain and it accesses the Alpine Ridge and Lagoon Trails. Cliffs prohibit hiking the beach from the trailhead to the Right Beach Beach Campsite – boat transportation is necessary.
SADIE KNOB TRAIL- in Kachemak Bay State Park with trail access from Otter Cove
Length: 4.5 miles
Rating: Moderate to difficult (long climbs)
Hiking Time: 3 hours to Sadie Knob
Elevation Gain: 2100 feet
Water Availability: Seasonal creeks at trailheads; small streams near low areas; no water on summit.
Trail Description: Sadie Knob Trail accesses an alpine ridge (visible from Homer) between Sadie Cove and Kachemak Bay. It does not access Sadie Peak to the south. The Ridge Route climbs through a spruce forest, flower meadows and along a subalpine lake. Emerging above the timberline, and marked only with rock cairns or orange trail markers, the trail follows the ridgeline to Sadie Knob. Hikers gain superb and expansive 360 degree views of Kachemak Bay, Sadie Peak, Sadie Cove, Eldred Passage and Cook Inlet volcanoes. Watch for mountain goats, black bears and eagles along the way. $195 per person includes water taxi to the trailhead.
GRACE RIDGE TRAIL - in Kachemak Bay State Park trail. Access is a short ride in our water taxi across the bay from Homer or from Otter Cove.
Length: 8.2 miles
Rating: Moderate to difficult (long climbs)
Hiking time: 1.5 hours to first alpine knob; 2.5 hours to summit; 6-8 hours entire trail
Elevation Gain: First knob at 1745 ft.; summit at 3145 ft.
Trailhead: North end is at Kayak Beach campsite and south end in Tutka Bay across from the Sea Star public use cabin.
Camping: Kayak Beach has a campsite at the trailhead
Water availability: Seasonal stream at Kayak Beach; good stream near mile 1.6; no water on ridge; seasonal creeks near South Grace Trailhead.
Trail Description:The trail begins on left side of gravel beach at Kayak Beach Campsite (an area once used as a gravel quarry). It follows an old road now densely inhabited by alders, and then begins climbing through an old-growth Sitka spruce forest. Mile 1.4 offers an excellent view of Sadie Knob. Huge spruce trees dot the narrow ridge and the roar of hidden waterfalls below can be heard. At mile 1.6, a creek rushing along the trail offers a good water source (before climbing to the alpine areas). Climbing through subalpine alders and meadows to mile 2.9, an alpine knob offers an excellent destination for a half day hike. Stunning views of Eldred Passage, Sadie Peak, Cook Inlet volcanoes and beyond are available here. Watch for mountain goats, black bears, golden and bald eagles. To continue, follow the marked route through the alders to the southeast, cross a saddle, and climb the alpine ridgelines to the peak. Good spring skiing in the bowls of this area. The alpine portion of this route are up; unmarked, but it is easy to follow the "knife" ridges. Descending into the alders again, the trail switchbacks into the spruce forests and ends at Tutka Bay. $195 PP includes water taxi to trailhead.
Brand New Tutka Backdoor Trail!
At the end of 2019, Ground Truth Trekking completed the clearing of the 21-mile Tutka Backdoor Trail! This trail effectively connected Taylor Bay to Tutka Bay. There is over a 6000 ft. elevation gain over the course of this trail, taking you high into the alpine of the Kachemak Mountains! Depending on ability and pace most groups budget between 3 and 5 days to complete this trail. There is a fair level of difficulty in traversing this mountain range as there are sections that require river crossings and minor climbing. Let us take care of the logistics and enjoy your backpacking trip! We offer round trip service for this adventure! Our de Havilland Otter or Cessna 206 will drop you off in Taylor Bay at the trailhead on day one. We can recommend a water taxi you can arrange for a pick up in Tutka Bay. Once you are back in Homer we can assist transportation back to your vehicles. For more information and pricing give us a call at (907) 235-9191. For a more detailed look at the trail check out the link below!
2019 Trail Map (Trail has since been completed in 2020)
