Active Pursuits

The best map of the Kachemak Bay area is produced by Alaska Road and Recreation Maps and is available all over town.

On the Homer Side of Kachemak Bay

Tide Pooling -- Exploring Kachemak Bay's tide pools is the best way to really get to know the sea and meet the strange and wonderful animals that live in it, and it doesn't cost anything but the price of a pair of rubber boots. First, check a tide book, available for free in virtually any local store, or ask a local to check one for you. You'll do best on a low tide of 2 or lower, meaning that low water will be at least 2 feet below the normal low, some 25 feet below the high. Extra-low tides expose more of the lower intertidal zone that contains the most interesting creatures. At a -5 tide, you could find octopus and other oddities. Also, the lower the tide, the more time you'll have to look. Keep track of the time: The tide will come in faster than you imagine, and you could get stranded and drown in the cold water.

The best place to go tide pooling right in town is reached from Bishop's Beach Park, near the lower end of Main Street. Walk west on the beach toward the opening of the bay to Cook Inlet. It's at least a half-hour brisk walk to the Coal Point area, where the sand and boulders end. This is where you'll find pools of water left behind by the receding tide, many full of life. Explore patiently and gently -- look at the animals and touch them, but always put them back as they were and try not to crush them underfoot. Marine invertebrate identification keys and many other field guides are sold at the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, above under "Visitor Information," where rangers happily give advice. They also offer ranger-guided tide pool beach walks. If you want to keep going beyond Coal Point, there's usually a raft of sea otters offshore about 3 miles down the beach. Just continue walking, keeping your eyes on the water. As always with watching wildlife, binoculars will improve the experience.

Hiking and Nature Walks -- The Wynn Nature Center, operated by the nonprofit Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (tel. 907/235-6667; www.akcoastalstudies.org), offers a chance to learn about the ecology of the area and see its birds and wildflowers on an easy walk or hike while taking in sweeping ocean views. The center encompasses 140 acres of spruce forest and wildflower meadow off Skyline Drive, with an 800-foot boardwalk accessible to people with disabilities. This is a lovely area, and the center has done a fine job of adding an educational component without diminishing it -- including a log cabin where you can meet a host and ask questions. The center is open daily from 10am to 6pm mid-June through Labor Day, with guided walks twice a day. You can also hike on your own with a printed guide. Fees for adults are $7, seniors $6, younger than age 18 $5. Call about interesting weekly programs as well.

More ambitious hikes explore more of the bench of land above Homer or the mountains across the bay at Kachemak Bay State Park . The 7-mile Homestead Trail is an old wagon road used by Homer's early settlers. The largely informal trail is lovely and peaceful, tunneling through alders, crossing fields of wildflowers, and passing old homestead cabins. From a hilltop meadow, you can see all the way to the inlet and the volcanoes beyond. The eastern trail head is at the reservoir on Skyline Drive -- drive up West Hill Road from the Sterling Highway, turn right, and follow Skyline to the fourth left. The western trail head is on Rogers Loop, which branches from the Sterling Highway just before it crests the last big hill before entering Homer. (That's also the place to join Homer's outstanding cross-country ski trails.) A map and guide produced by the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust is available at the visitor center.

Driving of Mountain-Biking -- Several gravel roads around Homer make for exquisite drives or bike rides. Mountain-bikers can use the Homestead Trail, too (it is described under "Hiking"). A lovely drive leads out East End Road, through seaside pastures, a forest, and the village of Fritz Creek, then follows the bluff line through meadows toward the head of the bay. When the road gets too rough, explore onward on a mountain bike. Skyline Drive has extraordinary views of high canyons and Kachemak Bay; drive up East Hill Road just east of Homer. Homer Saw and Cycle, the bike shop listed above, under "Getting Around," can give you many more ideas. The great mountain-biking across the bay is described below.

Horseback Riding -- Ranchers have worked around Kachemak Bay for decades. Drive east of town on East End Road to see pastures overlooking spectacular marine and mountain views. Go beyond the road, and you're in some of Alaska's most beautiful untamed country. Mark Marette guides trail rides to the head of Kachemak Bay, leading every group himself, as he has since 1986. Guests used to typical, boring tourist horseback riding come back thrilled at how adventurous their ride has been. Marette's business is Trails End Horse Adventures (tel. 907/235-6393), 11 1/2 miles out East End. He charges $25 per hour, or $80 for a 4-hour trip, although fuel prices may force an increase. He takes all ages and raw beginners.

On & Across Kachemak Bay

Along the south side of the Kachemak Bay, glaciers, fjords, and little wooded islands are arrayed like a smorgasbord before Homer. A quick boat ride puts you there for sea kayaking, mountain-biking on unconnected dirt roads, hiking in the mountains, or eating sushi in a top-flight restaurant on pilings. Or gallery hopping, or resting at a remote lodge, or studying at a nature center, or walking the streets of a forgotten fishing village. The far side of the bay has no road link to import the mundane, mass-produced world, but it does have people, and they make the landscape even richer and more enchanting than it would be alone. And underneath the water, there's a wealth of halibut and salmon.

Planning an Outing

Central Charters, 4241 Homer Spit Rd., Homer, AK 99603 (tel. 800/478-7847 or 907/235-7847; fax 907/235-2895; www.centralcharter.com), is a long-established booking agent that represents businesses for many of the most popular activities, including halibut fishing, water taxis, boat tours to Seldovia and Halibut Cove, and even local theater. They have a ticket office on the right side of the spit as you drive out.

Transportation Across the Water -- Many water taxis operate from Homer to wilderness cabins, kayaking waters, hiking trails, and mountain-biking roads accessible from the Jakolof Bay Dock, Seldovia, Halibut Cove, Kachemak Bay State Park, and other remote points. Rates vary little; it's around $70 per person to get to Kachemak Bay State Park, plus a $4 park fee, for example. Water taxis can be booked through Central Charters, mentioned above. Mako's Water Taxi (tel. 907/235-9055; www.makoswatertaxi.com) has experience and a good reputation. Mako Haggerty also rents sea kayaks and drops them off; with his advice, you can plan a one-way paddle, with the water taxi providing a lift at each end. Karl Stoltzfus's Bay Excursions Water Taxi and Tours (tel. 907/235-7525; www.bayexcursions.com) offers transportation across the bay, but also specializes in small-group tours -- he takes no more than 12 at a time -- for serious bird-watching or, on other days, to encounter sea otters as well as see the bird rookeries. Stoltzfus rents kayaks, too.

Gull Island -- The island is a rock across the bay from Homer Spit that is a busy bird colony in the summer. It's easy to get to and boats can edge close, as the water is deep all around. You can often see tufted and horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, red-faced and pelagic cormorants, pigeon guillemots, and glaucous-winged gulls. Tour boats to Halibut Cove or Seldovia may cruise by the island, and if you are taking a water taxi to Halibut Cove Lagoon, ask to take a look on your way.

Jakolof Bay -- A state-maintained dock opens an area of gentle shorelines and abandoned roads to visitors who seek the wilderness without paying to stay at a wilderness lodge. West of Kachemak Bay State Park and east of Seldovia, the lands have roads, but the roads aren't connected to anything and are used as much by mountain-bikers as by anyone else. You can take a water taxi straight to the Jakolof dock. Lodgings are nearby at Across the Bay Tent and Breakfast. There's plenty to do in the area. The waters of Jakolof, Little Jakolof, Kasitsna, and Little Tutka bays, and the tiny Herring Islands, are appealing and protected for sea kayaking. Supreme mountain-biking trails lead along the shore and right across the peninsula through forest and meadows for berry picking. The Red Mountain and Rocky River roads are prime routes, different each year depending on washouts and intermittent maintenance -- that's part of the adventure. A maintained 10-mile road west leads to the charming village of Seldovia, described above.

Kachemak Bay State Park -- The park comprises much of the land across the water that makes all those views from Homer so spectacular. For around $75 you can be dropped off there after breakfast, walk the beach, hike in the woods, climb the mountains, and meet your boat in time to be back in Homer for dinner. Enough people are doing it now that some water taxis offer scheduled service to the most popular trail head -- perhaps with a stop for espresso at a floating coffeehouse in Halibut Cove on the way home. If you want to be on your own, there are plenty of lesser-used trails as well.

Its center is the summer-only ranger station in Halibut Cove Lagoon, where there's a dock and mooring buoys for public use, three public rental cabins over the water, a campsite, and excellent king salmon fishing in mid-June.

The park has about 80 miles of trails, many linking at the ranger station; a free trail guide is available there, but you're well advised to get a good map before you leave Homer. The trails generally start at tidewater amid a lush, mossy forest and rise into the craggy mountains -- up sharp peaks or, if you don't want to climb that much, over the hills to the next secluded beach. The most popular is the Saddle Trail, which rises through forest from a staircase at the east side of Halibut Cove over a low ridge to the icy lake in front of Grewingk Glacier. It's an easy hike of around 3 miles total. If you want to be away from other hikers, however, discuss choices with a ranger or your water taxi provider, as there are plenty of quieter trails; since some trails are not adequately maintained, local advice is critical.

All hikers should prepare with proper shoes and clothing, and bring mosquito repellent. Review bear avoidance skills. Cell phones work many places on the bay, so bring one along if you have it.

Besides the three cabins at Halibut Cove Lagoon, you can hike to two more public rental cabins less than 3 miles from the lagoon's dock. The park's fifth cabin is on Tutka Bay, off the Halibut Cove trail network. Cabin permits are $65 a night and usually must be reserved 6 months in advance. Seven remote yurts with wood stoves and sleeping platforms are for rent from a concessionaire, Nomad Shelter (tel. 907/235-0132; www.alaskanyurtrentals.com), also for $65, and may be easier to reserve. You can use any of these places as a base for self-guided sea kayaking, and most are at trail heads.

Selsovia -- This historic fishing village is like Homer without all the cars and people: just a lot of quiet, the lovely ocean waters, and some nice places to stay. It belongs in this outdoor section only because there's nothing at all to do there other than bike, paddle, or fish (you can do nothing there very well, too). The trip across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia is one of the best parts of going there. For most people, the Rainbow Tours (tel. 907/235-7272; www.rainbowtours.net) daily round-trip is the practical alternative. They leave Homer Harbor at 9am and return from Seldovia Harbor at 5pm. After subtracting the time on the boat, you have 6 hours free in the village -- plenty of time for lunch, a bike ride, a kayak tour, or seeing the town. While visitors are in Seldovia, the boat continues on for whale-watching. Round-trip fares to Seldovia are $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 children 12 and under; one-way $20 for everyone. Go sea kayaking in Seldovia with Kayak'atak (tel. 907/234-7425; www.alaska.net/~kayaks). The couple doing the tours, longtime Seldovia residents, take pride in showing off the wildlife and beauty of this little-used area. They charge $120 for a 5-hour tour, including lunch, or $80 for a 3-hour tour, without lunch. They also rent kayaks and offer overnight trips. For a less taxing look at Seldovia Bay, take their evening skiff tour for $35 per person (with two to four passengers). King salmon are stocked in Seldovia Slough, which passes right through the town. The run peaks in mid-June, and you can fish from shore. Seldovia also has an edge for halibut anglers, because you start out an hour closer to the halibut grounds than Homer, potentially giving you more time to actually fish. Get more information from the Seldovia Chamber of Commerce by leaving a message at tel. 907/234-7612, or check the town's extraordinary web portal, www.seldovia.com.

Activities

Fishing

Homer is known for halibut, those huge, flat bottom fish, and the harbor is full of charter boats that will take you out for the day for around $275 per person in the high season. Every day, a few people catch fish that are larger than they are, and halibut over 50 pounds are common. Using gear and lines that look strong enough to pick up the boat, you jig the bait (chunks of herring or cod) up and down on the bottom. Halibut aren't wily or acrobatic, and fighting one can be like pulling up a sunken Buick. Regulations currently allow anglers to keep two halibut per day in this region, as opposed to one in Southeast Alaska, but those rules could change; if keeping fish is important to you, check before you go. You can download the Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulation booklet from www.adfg.state.ak.us (follow the links to "sportfish"). Getting out to where the fish are plentiful requires an early start and a long ride to unprotected waters. People who get seasick easily shouldn't go, as the boat wallows on the waves during fishing. One good full-day operator is Silver Fox Charters (tel. 800/478-8792 or 907/235-8792; www.silverfoxcharters.com).

Half-day charters have less chance of getting way out to the biggest fish but cost a lot less. Rainbow Tours (tel. 907/235-7272; www.rainbowtours.net) operates a big boat for the shorter outings, charging $95 adult, $85 senior, and $75 junior. This choice makes good sense if you are not a fishing fanatic or are taking kids along, as full-day halibut fishing is exhausting and can be tedious.

Salmon use Cook Inlet year-round, not only when they're returning to the streams to spawn, and Homer anglers pursue them with trolling gear even in the dead of winter. The town has a Winter King Salmon Tournament in March (check with the chamber of commerce). Most people, however, fish salmon in summer. Although it lacks the great road-accessible streamside fishing spots found farther north, the bay does have some good salmon fishing in saltwater. A small inlet called the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Spit is stocked with king and silver salmon by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Kings return to the lagoon from late May to the end of June. Silvers arrive in mid- to late July, peaking in early August and finishing by midmonth. These salmon have nowhere to spawn, so all must be caught. At the end of the runs, Fish and Game may announce that snagging is permitted, which is something like mugging salmon and can be a lot of fun, if not something you'll brag about later at the Rod and Gun Club. For saltwater salmon fishing in a more natural setting, head across the bay to Halibut Cove Lagoon or Seldovia. Back up the Sterling Highway, the Anchor River is a lovely fishing stream with steelhead and rainbow trout (both catch-and-release only), salmon and Dolly Varden char. Several popular fishing streams cross the Sterling Highway farther north toward and Soldotna. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains a fishing hot line at tel. 907/235-6930. They're located at 3298 Douglas Place (tel. 907/235-8191).

Getting Your Fish Home -- An angler can easily comes back from a halibut charter with 60 pounds of fish that, when cleaned, will yield 30 pounds of filets. A serving is around half a pound of halibut. Eat as much fresh as you can, as it will never be better, but be prepared for how you will deal with the rest of your bounty, which, if bought in a grocery store, would cost as much as $500 (it's illegal to sell sport-caught fish). If it is properly and quickly frozen, it will retain much of its quality well into the winter; if not, you waste this superb food. If you're lucky enough to catch that much salmon, the problem is even more immediate, as salmon is more sensitive to proper handling. Most fishing towns have a sport processor who can vacuum-pack and flash-freeze your catch for $1 to $1.25 a pound. The least expensive way to get it home is as checked baggage; the processor can provide sturdy fish boxes and cold packs. If you aren't leaving right away, processors may be willing to hold the fish, and many hotels have freezer facilities. If you have to ship it, use an overnight service (expensive) and make sure someone is there to put it in the freezer on the other end. Above all, keep the fish hard frozen; thawing and refreezing diminishes the quality of any fish and can turn salmon into mush. Consider having some of your salmon smoked, if possible, making it a ready-to-eat delicacy very welcome as a homecoming gift. Halibut can be smoked, too, but, because of its low fat content and delicate flavor and texture, doesn't come out as well as salmon. In Homer, Coal Point Trading Co., 4306 Homer Spit (tel. 907/235-3877; www.welovefish.com), will process and pack your catch as ordered. Ask your charter captain and they will come and get the fish directly from the boat.

Flightseeing & Bear Viewing

One gets used to thinking of the mountains across Kachemak Bay from Homer as the far side of a magnificent stage set, so it's somewhat mind-blowing to fly beyond that first line of mountains and see how they are just the beginning of much more complex topography of peaks, glaciers, chasms, and ice fields. The best person to show you that wild country is Bill de Creeft. His Kachemak Air Service Inc. (tel. 907/235-8924; www.alaskaseaplanes.com) offers spectacular scenic flights starting at $175 per person. Having flown out of Homer since 1967, de Creeft is experienced enough to qualify as a pioneer aviator, but the real old-timer is his favorite plane, a restored 1929 Travel Air S-6000-B, one of only six remaining examples of the executive aircraft, with mahogany trim and wicker seats, which he has been flying and caring for since 1969. Jim Reardon wrote a book about this relationship of man and plane. The tours begin with the thrill of a water take-off from Beluga Lake in this unique aircraft.

Homer has several air taxis providing access to the very remote areas of the southern Kenai Peninsula and lower Cook Inlet that you can't easily reach by boat. You can also use their scheduled service to explore, flying to Seldovia or even one of the two Alaska Native villages across the bay. If your main objective is to see bears, however, the best guides are at Emerald Air Service (tel. 907/235-6993; www.emeraldairservice.com). Ken and Chris Day specialize in all-day bear-viewing flight expeditions. Unlike some air services I've flown with, whose pilots may not know much about bears and land only briefly, the Days make a point of teaching about bears and their habitat in extended visits. They helped the National Wildlife Federation film an IMAX movie called Bears and starred in it along with the title characters. Trips include a flight by float planes on fresh- or saltwater and then a naturalist-guided hike to see the wildlife. The couple pride themselves on their care for the environment. The trips cost $595 per person.

Sea Kayaking

Silence fell as the boat pulled away from the beach, leaving us behind with the kayaks and our guide. For the rest of the day, my son and I absorbed the water-reflected sunlight and glided past fancifully shaped rocks and resident sea otters around Yukon Island. We explored beaches, picnicked, raced, and discovered tiny bays too small for any other craft. At the end of the day, we had a new friend in our quietly cheerful guide, Alison O'Hara, and discovered that she'd imperceptibly taught us a lot about sea kayaking. O'Hara runs True North Kayak Adventures (tel. 907/235-0708; www.truenorthkayak.com). Her 8-hour beginner day trips cost $145, including lunch and passage across the bay. Most kayaking day trips in Alaska towns barely get out of the small-boat harbor. This trip doesn't feel so tame -- it's more like a mini-expedition. They also offer more challenging overnight and multiday trips to remote waters in the area, and a $245 package that includes the day tour, a night in the attractive Hesketh Island Cabins, and a second day of hiking.

Various others offer Kachemak Bay kayak trips. You can choose through Central Charters. The protected waters, tiny islands, and remote settlements are fascinating paddling no matter who you go with, or, for experienced paddlers, if you go on your own. Kayakers can take a water taxi across and explore at will, camping or staying in cabins over much of the bay. Check with Kachemak Bay State Park for guidance. Mako's Water Taxi (tel. 907/235-9055; www.makoswatertaxi.com) offers rides and rents and delivers kayaks. True North Kayak also rents to experienced paddlers, and rents camping gear. For kayaks, expect to pay $65 a day for a double, $45 single.

Whale-Watching

Whales can't be counted on to come into Kachemak Bay, but a long-established tour-boat operator, Rainbow Tours (tel. 907/235-7272; www.rainbowtours.net), takes visitors beyond the bay to where whales turn up more predictably in the waters at the entrance of Cook Inlet and in the Barren Islands. That's a long ride and the waters outside the bay are unprotected -- the operators don't go in bad weather, but prepare to prevent seasickness anyway. The trip is a good chance to see humpback and orca whales and sometimes minke and fin whales. It takes all day, from 9am to 6pm, and includes lunch on board a comfortable 100-passenger vessel, the Rainbow Connection, which also serves the town of Seldovia as a passenger ferry. The fare is $125 adults, $110 seniors, and $85 children.