General announcements
Please contact staff to report problems, file complaints, or compliments at 907-235-7024 or 907-262-5581. Email: eric.clarke@alaska.gov or jason.okuly@alaska.gov.
Advisory: Trails in Kachemak Bay State Park are rough, with steep grades in places, and in some cases only marked routes. It is advisable to add 1/3 to your average hiking time.
Leave No Trace: Please practice Leave No Trace ethics while hiking and camping. Pack out what you pack in.
Grewingk Tram is difficult to use. Staff suggests a minimum of two people in party, one assisting by remaining on the platforms to pull on the rope, reversing process when first person across completes trip. Gloves are recommended.
Bears: Multiple individuals including sows with cubs have been sighted in the Grewingk Valley along the Glacier Lake, Grewingk Tram, and Saddle Trails. Also at Grewingk Lake on the southern end where people camp. Please be bear aware. Keep food in bear proof containers or with you. While hiking, give them their space if encountered. They are becoming more human habituated and large groups do not scare them off, especially if cubs are involved. Staff asks the public to back away the direction you came until out of sight, and wait until they move off the trail and away. This could take 20-30 minutes and possibly longer if there are cubs involved and they show signs of stress with human activity. These signs are moaning, huffing/woofing, jaw popping, and stomping. Please be bear aware while hiking and report all negative encounters. 907-235-7024
China Poot Lake Trail: The trail can be, depending upon rain events, flooded in the China Poot Lake Valley (mile 2) for 500 feet. The depth can be from shin to waist deep, depending on rain events and snow melt and is not swift moving. China Poot Lake Cabin is not in the flooded area and is accessible, depending upon water depth. Hip waders are recommended. Moose Valley Creek has changed course permanently and until the new channel is entrenched and stable, continuing flooding is expected. A new bridge has been installed in Moose Valley.
Trails report
Alpine Ridge: Passable to difficult. Bears reported in the area, including sows with cubs.
Blue Ice Trail: Passable
China Poot Lake Trail: Clear. Trail can be flooded for 500 feet at mile 2. Sow and cub seen in the vicinity of Halibut Cove Lagoon.
Coalition Trail: Passable
Coalition Loop Trail: Passable to Difficult. Impassable to the falls. Do not hike to the falls. (Trail opened and adopted by Boy Scout Troop 555)
Diamond Creek Trail: Passable. Trail has firmed up with patchy muddy areas. Be aware that portions of the trail are close to bluffs above Diamond Creek. Please take caution when hiking with pets and children. Conditions can worsen after a rain event.
Emerald Lake Loop Trail: Difficult to impassable. Difficult from Humpy Creek to Blue Ice Trail via the Grewingk Tram. Difficult to impassable from Humpy Creek to Emerald via Portlock Plateau and between Grewingk Lake and Emerald Lake.
Estuary Trail: Clear. Sow and cub seen in the vicinity of Halibut Cove Lagoon.
Glacier Lake Trail: Clear. Bears reported in the area, including sows with cubs. Sow with cub seen/encountered in the camping area of Grewingk Lake.
Goat Rope Trail: Difficult
Grace Ridge Trail: Passable. High grass in sub-alpine on both ends.
Grewingk Tram Spur Trail: Clear. Bears reported in the area, including sows with cubs.
Grewingk Tram Open. Suggest two people and gloves for operation.
Lagoon Trail: Impassable
Mallard Bay Trail: Impassable
Mallard/Emerald Conn. Trail: Impassable
Moose Valley Trail: Passable to difficult. Passable to Moose Valley PUC. Expect high grass and obscured tread past the Moose Valley Cabin in the valley proper.
Poot Peak Trail, North Route: Difficult
Poot Peak Trail, South Route: Passable from Woznesenski River Trail to Moose Valley Trail. Impassable from Moose Valley Trail to Summit route. Do not hike.
Poot Peak Trail, Summit Route: Difficult. Steep climb up scree slope and there is a short climb to the actual summit. Rock is unstable near the summit.
Saddle Trail: Clear. Bears reported in the area, including sows with cubs.
Sadie Knob Trail: Difficult. Reports of high grass making challenging to follow the trail as elevation is gained.
Tutka – Jakolof Trail: Passable. Trail traverses through an old forest clearing and can be obscured on the Jakolof Bay end.
Tutka Lake Trail: Passable
Woznesenski River Trail: Difficult to impassable. An overflow channel has made the Woznesenski River Trail impassable from mile 3 to mile 9 from Haystack Rock. The main channel has moved along the north side of the river and is partially being diverted. Very brushy and many trees down from China Poot Lake (mile 11) to Woznesenski River Valley (mile 9).
