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.
Alpine Ridge Trail: Closed until further notice. A bear exhibiting predatory behavior was encountered on June 7. The bear followed hikers for about 1 to 1 1/2 miles before being sprayed with deterrent.
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 500 feet in length and anywhere from 12-40 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 40 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: On June 17, the contractor will be mobilizing small motorized equipment into the park via the Glacier Lake Trail to the Saddle Trail junction. Possible delays. Construction will then begin on 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: Closed until further notice. Aggressive bear.
Blue Ice Trail: Passable to difficult
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. Multiple trees down across the trail.
Coalition Trail: Passable
Coalition Loop Trail: Difficult. Expect snow. 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. A few minor trees across the trail Many bears, including sows with cubs are active in the area. Please be bear aware. Expect motorized equipment along the trail on June 17.
Goat Rope Trail: Difficult. Expect snow
Grace Ridge Trail: Passable to difficult. Expect Snow in alpine.
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/Emerald Connection Trail: Impassable
Moose Valley Trail: Passable to difficult. Passable to Moose Valley Cabin and through the valley. Expect snow climbing towards Poot Peak.
Poot Peak Trail, North Route: Difficult to impassable. Expect Snow.
Poot Peak Trail, South Route: Difficult to impassable. Expect Snow. Impassable from Moose Valley Trail to Summit route. Do not hike.
Poot Peak Trail, Summit Route: Difficut 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. Expect Snow in higher elevations.
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).
