General announcements

Please contact park staff to report problems, or to file complaints or compliments at 907-235-7024 or 907-262-5581. Email: eric.clarke@alaska.gov and 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.

Glacier Lake and Saddle Trails: A black bear has destroyed a tent at a camp about 1/2 mile from Grewingk Lake. The occupant was not in the area at the time the tent was destroyed. Please make sure there is no food, garbage, toothpaste, deodorant, or anything that could possibly be a bear attractant left in the tent. Bears are naturally curious and leaving any attractant in a tent is adding to their curiosity. If you are using a bear fence around a camp, make sure that it is installed correctly and charged. Extra guy lines could be necessary to keep the stakes upright and the fence taut.

Grewingk Lake: Campers at Grewingk Lake encountered a young black bear near their tent. A marine flare was set off and scared the bear away. Upon closer look, a couple of packs were missing and found torn up away from the tents. Garbage and cosmetics were found in the packs. Please ensure that all garbage and any potential bear attractants are properly stored in bear proof containers, like bear boxes, packable bear proof canisters, and/or behind a charged bear fence. Please do not use any type of flares as a bear deterrent because of the current fire danger on the Kenai Peninsula. Using bear spray, a portable marine air horn, and/or leaving the area can be just as effective.

Saddle Trail: Hikers encountered a black bear on the trail where the bear started approaching them and with making noise, moved off the trail about 20 yards. As they tried to pass, the bear stepped forward, started curling its lips, huffing and jaw popping. As the hikers moved forward, making noise, the bear watched them as they passed. The bear did not follow. Hikers had bear deterrent and were prepared to use it if necessary. When encountering a bear with this type of behavior, back away slowly, waving your arms, making noise, have bear deterrent ready to use, until out of the area. Wait 15-20 minutes to give the bear ample time to leave before attempting to approach the area again.

Black Bears: Multiple individuals including sows with cubs have been sighted in the Grewingk Valley along the Glacier Lake, Grewingk Tram, and Saddle Trails, and 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, stomping, and following. Brown bears frequent the Humpy Creek Area. Please be bear aware while hiking and report all stress related and aggressive behaviors and/or encounters; please call 907-399-2054. If contact from a charge and/or mauling occurs, call 911.

Brown Bears: Brown bears frequent the Humpy Creek drainage, especially during the pink salmon run in July/August.

China Poot Lake Trail: Access to the China Poot Lake Cabin is impassable via the China Poot Lake Trail. The China Poot Lake Trail continues to flood at Mile 2. It is about 750 feet in length and anywhere from 12-42 inches deep. The water is not swift, but it is moving. The bottom is mucky. There is a log bridge that is underwater spanning about 12 feet across an overflow channel that is 42 inches deep. China Poot Lake Cabin is not in the flooded area, only the trail. Other options are to fly into China Poot Lake or a 13-mile hike, one way, via the Moose Valley, Poot Peak South, and Wosnesenski Trails.

Saddle Trail Construction: Saddle Trail Construction: Construction ongoing for the last portion of the re-route between the Grewingk Valley and the Lagoon Trail and end by mid to late July. Work is being done with small equipment with most of this activity off the existing trail. Some construction activity will be evident along the existing trail and short delays can be expected. Please plan accordingly when estimating hiking time from Glacier Spit to Saddle Trailhead.

Trails report

Alpine Ridge: Open. Difficult and brushy.

Blue Ice Trail: Passable to difficult. Trail very obscure at the junction with Emerald Lake Loop.

China Poot Lake Trail: Difficult to impassable. The trail is impassable at mile 2 due to flooding. Access to the China Poot Lake Cabin by float plane or via Moose Valley, Poot Peak South Trails.

Coalition Trail: Passable

Coalition Loop Trail: Difficult. Impassable to the falls. Do not hike to the falls. (Trail opened and adopted by Boy Scout Troop 555)

Diamond Creek Trail: Passable to difficult. Portions of the trail have sloughed away in the slide area 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.

Glacier Lake Trail: Clear. Many bears, including sows with cubs are active in the area. Please be bear aware.

Goat Rope Trail: Difficult.

Grace Ridge Trail: Passable to difficult.

Grewingk Tram Spur Trail: Clear.

Grewingk Tram: Open. Suggest two people and gloves for operation.

Lagoon Trail: Difficult to impassable. Trail is difficult from Alpine Ridge Trail junction to Halibut Creek Flats. Bears are feeding along the trail in areas of devils club and blueberries. Impassable from Halibut Creek to the Halibut Cove Lagoon Ranger Station.

Mallard Bay Trail: Impassable

Mallard and Emerald Connection Trail: Impassable

Moose Valley Trail: Passable to difficult. Passable to Moose Valley Cabin and through the valley. Difficult heading up to the alpine.

Poot Peak Trail, North Route: Difficult to impassable.

Poot Peak Trail, South Route: Difficult to impassable. Impassable from Moose Valley Trail to Summit route. Do not hike. Brushy from Woznesenski River junction to Moose Valley Junction.

Poot Peak Trail, Summit Route: Difficult to impassable. Expect Snow. Steep climb up scree slope and there is a short climb to the actual summit. Rock is unstable near the summit.

Saddle Trail: Clear. Many bears, including sows with cubs are active in the area. Please be bear aware.

Sadie Knob Trail: Passable to difficult.

Tutka – Jakolof Trail: Passable. Trail traverses through an old forest clearing and can be obscured on the Jakalof Bay end. Expect snow in shaded areas.

Tutka Lake Trail: Passable. Multiple trees down.

Woznesenski River Trail: Difficult to impassable. An overflow channel has made the Woznesenki River Trail impassable from mile 3-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).