Kayaking in Alaska
On Alaskan Seas

Kayaking in Alaska can be a great way to get around and explore, but you do have to know what you are doing.



As with any water travel in Alaska, it can be extremely dangerous if you do not have enough knowledge of the area, or don't have the right supplies and equipment.

The rivers and ocean are extremely cold and can cause hypothermia very quickly if you were to fall in the water. Even lakes can be quite cold, though some do warm up enough to do a little swimming in mid-summer.

But if sea kayaking in Alaska is your passion, then try out some of these places to spend your vacation. And if you are not an expert, try some guided Alaska sea kayaking tours.

SOME SAFETY PRECAUTIONS for sea kayaking in Alaska:

• Stay in deep water at least 1/2 mile away from tidewater glaciers while kayaking. Glaciers move and roll and the largest part of a glacier is underwater. Huge pieces of ice fall off of them regularly which can cause very large waves.
• Pick a landing beach no closer than 2 miles from any tidewater glacier. Ice falling off of them can cause waves that could wash your kayak and supplies away, even when you are well above high tide marks.
• When kayaking in Alaska, have enough supplies with you to last several days longer than you expect your trip to be. You may have to wait out a storm before you can get out. If you are expecting an air or water taxi or charter to pick you up, they may not be able to reach you for days, depending on the weather.
• Ensure you have the proper Alaska tide tables with you. If you are kayaking without a guide, it is vital to know the tides and all safety precautions for the area you are in. This will be available at any ranger station or park headquarters.
• The weather can be quite unpredictable along any of Alaska's coastal areas. Storms are common in summer and temperatures can be as low as +40 degrees F. It generally does not go above 70 ° F. Bring plenty of warm clothing, rain gear and survival gear.
• Leave a copy of your plans with someone you trust. Let them know when you expect to return and how long they should wait before becoming concerned.
• File a back-country permit if you are in a National Park. They are not required in all parks but they do help the Agency that manages the park to get a better idea of how it is being utilized. And will also help to locate you if you do not return on time.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska - East Prince William Sound:

The Valdez Arm of Prince William Sound has three State Marine Parks within it, where you can camp along coastlines or on developed tent camping sites. There are Forest Service cabins and also a few State Park cabin rentals in the area.

Shoup Bay State Marine Park is only five miles from Valdez. It is the closest one to Valdez, on the north side of the Arm. Anchor in the lagoon for safety, which can be reached at high tide in small watercraft. Watch out for icebergs in the bay.

Jack Bay State Marine Park is located on the east side, about halfway up the Arm at 15 miles distance from Valdez. If you kayak in here, the best place to stay is on the eastern end of the small island located in the middle of the bay. There is a small, protected cove with some tent campsites there. Drinking water is not available on the island though. You can pick some up on the north shore of the Bay.

On the west side of the Arm, just opposite of Jack Bay, is the very protected area where Sawmill Bay SMP is located. Besides being a protected cove, the Park has two tent camping sites and a bear-proof food locker. Drinking water can be dipped from creeks within the Bay area.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska - West Prince William Sound:

If you travel to Whittier by road or railroad, you can try some kayaking in some of the many inland fjords in this area.

There are seven State Marine Parks located along these fjords, which gives you places to camp out. Three of them are at the entrance to Passage Canal, which is the waterway to Whittier. Decision Point State Marine Park is the closest, located on the mainland that forms the south side of the canal.

Further out are Entry Cove SMP on the north side and Surprise Cove SMP on the south side of the entrance to Passage Canal. Ziegler Cove SMP is on the north side of Pigot Bay, a short bay which is just north of Entry Cove SMP.

Three other State Marine Parks are located further out. South Esther Island SMP and Granite Bay SMP are located on Esther Island which forms the eastern boundary of Port Wells. Bettles Bay SMP is located in a large bay on the opposite side of Port Wells. Far south of this area, on Latouche Island is Horseshoe Bay SMP - the last State Marine Park in West Prince William Sound.

There are many US Forest Service Cabin Rentals in these fjords and on a number of islands. Rent a cabin and take your kayak with you. It will give you a better means of exploring the fjords and getting closer looks at some of the glaciers.

If you stay within protected coves, lagoons, bays and in the deep fjords, you'll be able to do a lot of kayaking in Alaska, without too much danger. You do want to have a copy of the Alaska tide tables for your area however, and know when the high and low tides occur.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska - Kenai Peninsula:

Sea Kayaking - Resurrection Bay - Resurrection Bay has the port of Seward at its head and is a beautiful bay full of sealife, from seals to otters and whales. Caines Head State Recreation Area and several State Marine Parks are on this Bay and two more are east of the Bay.

Caines Head SRA can be reached by hiking from Lowell Point, kayaking or other boating or by water taxi. Only the pilings are left from the World War II army dock at the north beach, where most people land. But do not tie up to the pilings as they are unsafe.

Thumb Cove SMP is the closest in towards Seward and the most popular place to anchor.

The Sanspit Point SMP is a popular place for kayakers who want to camp out on the north side of the spit. It is a bit farther from Seward. The Park is on the northeast corner of Fox Island and faces the mainland but areas near the spit are not well-protected from weather.

Sunny Cove SMP is on the southwestern side of Fox Island. Because the land curves well around the cove, there is good anchorage here.

The next two State Marine Parks are on the opposite side of the land strip that forms the eastern boundary of Resurrection Bay.

Resurrection Cape juts way out into the ocean, so you wouldn't want to kayak around that. It is best to take a water taxi service to either Driftwood Bay SMP or Safety Cove SMP.

Driftwood Bay is exposed to the open waters of Blying Sound and is not a safe place to anchor. Safety Cove, being further north and close in to the mainland, is much more protected from bad weather.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska - Kenai Fjords National Park - The Park has several bays that are good for kayaking and camping. You'll have opportunities to see tidewater glaciers and numerous sea and land wildlife.

Aialik Bay is closest to Seward and has numerous coves with camping beaches. Seven of them contain food storage lockers for public use. This bay also has two public cabin rentals and a ranger station is located midway up the bay.

Harris Bay/Northwestern Fjord is the next bay west of Aialik. It also has numerous camping beaches and four food storage lockers.

Between these two bays, there are at least 7 glaciers and 15 suggested camping and landing beaches.

You can reach these bays by water taxi or charter service from Seward. It would be quite dangerous to kayak around the arm of land to get into either bay from Seward, so this is NOT recommended. There are long stretches of coastline with no landing beaches and the waters around the cape can be treacherous.

Nuka Bay is much further west and south, and can be reached by air charter from Homer, the closest airstrip.

These bays are definitely not for beginners. So hiring a kayaking guide is highly recommended.

Sea Kayaking in Alaska - Kachemak Bay - Kachemak Bay is a bay on the east side of Cook Inlet. Homer, the last town connected by road on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula, sits on the north edge of this bay. Since no roads go around the bay, you'll have to use one of the air or water taxi services to take you to the particular area you want to visit.

Though this is an inland bay, it is still very rough at times. And being part of Cook Inlet, there can be a difference of 15 to 28 feet between high and low tides. There are many nice coves and lagoons along its edge. But keep away from the open bay to avoid dangerous situations. And be sure you have the tide tables for this area.

The lands surrounding the bay are mostly part of the Kachemak Bay State Park. You'll find 6 State Park cabin rentals in here and 18 developed hiking trails. Tent camping is allowed in most areas of the Park, including shorelines. There are even some developed tent camping areas.

Sea kayaking in Alaska is really for the well-experienced person. But if you are not highly skilled, you can still spend your vacation on an Alaska kayak tour with a trained guide.

Or you can go kayaking in Alaska on one of our many Alaskan lakes. You'll find large and small fishing lakes along highways, lakes in almost every State Park and just about everywhere you look. You couldn't miss them if you tried. So have fun on your kayaking vacation, OR look into some rafting on Alaskan rivers...

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