General announcements
Please contact staff to report problems, or 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 KBSP 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 suggest 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. Bears are feeding in areas of ripe berry patches. These include Devils Club, blueberries, salmon berries, black currants, etc. 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.
Trails conditions
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: 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 Halibut Cove Lagoon Ranger Station.
Mallard Bay Trail: Impassable
Mallard/Emerald Connection 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: Difficult from Woznesenski River Trail to Moose Valley Trail. Expect high grass in sub-alpine obscuring the 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: Passable to difficult. Difficult from North Eldred Trailhead to the junction with the portion of the trail going to alpine and South Eldred Trailhead.
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).
