Kenai Fjords National Park has some of the best coastal scenery in Alaska
The voyage west from Seward to Homer, about 150 nm point to point, features a complex, deeply indented coastline with dozens of bays and fjords and hundreds of islands and islets. Preeminent Kenai Fjords authority David Wm. Miller states that the southern coast of the Kenai Peninsula has 750 miles of shoreline. The southern margin of the Kenai Mountains comprises the upland of the mainland shore. The 1,000 square mile Harding Icefield overlays most of the middle elevations of the range between Resurrection Bay and Kachemak Bay and spills several glaciers on the ocean side that reach or are visible from tidewater. Kenai Fjords National Park encompasses most of the Harding Icefield and nearly all of the mainland shore from Seward to Nuka Bay. Farther west toward Cook Inlet the shore continues to be deeply indented; the smaller Grewingk Yalik Glacier Complex overlays much of the lower elevation between Nuka Bay and Kachemak Bay.
The mountainous terrain of the outer Kenai Peninsula illustrates the effects of tectonic forces resulting from the clash of continental and Pacific plates, causing diastrophism (twisting forces) and fault zones. Glaciation formed much of the current landscape, with numerous glacial valleys and outwash plains evident. The most dramatic recent expression of those geomorphology forces was the 1964 earthquake that caused earth flows and landslides as well as significant subsidence, 3-6 feet in some parts of the region. Many parts of the southern Kenai Peninsula still bear the eerie remains of drowned or “ghost” forests—stands of silvery weathered spruces that died after the land suddenly subsided to a level that put their roots in the salty water table.
The area contains deposits of placer gold, copper, chromite, and lignitic coal, each of which attracted prospectors and mining enterprises in the past. Currently there is no active mining in the entire region, though oil and gas production is under way farther up Cook Inlet.
A dense rain forest covers most of the land, dominated by Sitka spruce and western hemlock mixed with alder, birch, and black cottonwood towering over an understory of damp mossy soils and muskegs with berry bushes, skunk cabbage, devil’s club, and other vegetation.
Contrasting with the relatively dry (25 inches) annual precipitation at Homer and points north on the Kenai Peninsula, the outer coast is hammered with more like 60 inches of precipitation, and weather is normally gray and drizzly in summer with cloud cover year around averaging 72 percent. Temperatures are mild in winter and cool in summer due to the maritime environment and the influence of the Kuroshio Current.
Dall’s porpoises frequently accompany small boats transiting these waters
This route is rich in wildlife and scenery. If the mariner is not in a rush it is well worth lingering a few days to explore. Salmon, halibut, and bottomfish angling is excellent and numerous streams have trout, Dolly Varden char, and salmon in season. Seabirds and marine mammals are abundant. In particular, harbor seals, sea otters, Steller sea lions, and humpback and orca whales are easy to spot, as are gray whales during the spring northward migration. Black bears, a few browns, a few moose, river otters, coyotes, and mountain goats inhabit the beaches and nearshore slopes. Tidewater glaciers are located in Aialik, Holgate Arm, Northwestern Fiord, and McCarthy Fiord, and numerous others are visible elsewhere. (Note: NOAA marine charts use the spelling “Fiord” while the National Park Service uses “Fjord.”
Uplands are in a mix of land tenure, including Kenai Fjords National Park, the Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park, state recreation areas and marine parks, and local Native corporations, with smaller amounts owned by individuals and the University of Alaska. Most of the islands along the route are administered as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Culturally modified trees are among the few remaining artifacts of the people who lived on this part of the coast until about a century ago
Archeological evidence indicates that the outer coast was first inhabited by people of Pacific Eskimo cultures about 6,000 years ago, and their descendants are now known as Sugpiaq, an Alutiiq culture. Russian explorers Bering and Chirikof were the first Europeans to visit, in 1741, to be followed by British and Spanish explorers also in the late 18th century, and by Russian fur traders in the early 19th century. In the early 20th century various groups of miners, loggers, fur farmers, and most recently commercial fishermen, have established presence on the outer coast. Now only the fishermen remain, only on their boats and only for part of the year. The bays were once dotted with camps and settlements and Native villages but little remains. A sharp eye will pick out the occasional cluster of pilings, collapsing cabin, litter of rusting machinery, or culturally modified tree (CMT) that was scarred centuries ago. Many beaches that are accessible by dinghy or kayak and suitable for beachcombing also provide access to mostly overgrown trails, roads, and even railroads that lead into the forest and up the valleys, ending at sites of abandoned mines or other long-forgotten endeavors.
Do not be fooled by the abundance of bays along this coast into believing that shelter and safe anchorages are everywhere. They are not. Water depths and unsuitable holding bottom in many bays make anchoring of small boats problematic. Strong winds from mountain passes, williwaws, ocean swell, and Gulf of Alaska weather render many apparently sheltered bays uncomfortable if not downright dangerous. Wind directions inside bays commonly are different from, and may be directly opposite to, prevailing winds outside. When possible, select anchorages that are recommended by local mariners for the conditions at the time.
While the United States Coast Pilot recommends anchoring in depths of as much as 25 fathoms, doing so would require more than a thousand feet of rode to achieve the recommended 7:1 scope. Most small vessels are not equipped with sufficient ground tackle and anchor pullers to effectively anchor in such depths, so where safe and practical this guide identifies anchorages in charted or observed depths at MLLW (mean lower low water) of 10 fathoms or less.
Tidal ranges are moderate, with spring tide extremes about 15 feet and normal ranges somewhat less. Check in the back of a tide book for correction tables for Seward District as far west as Chugach Passage and Seldovia District starting at Port Chatham.
Disclaimer: The following descriptions are for informational purposes only and are not to be used for navigation. They may be helpful to operators of small vessels with draft of less than 6 feet. Irrespective of vessel size it is essential that the operator carry and use official NOAA marine charts and a tide book with corrections for this area.