Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
  • Great for Families!

Caines Head 3/4-Day with Water Taxi

Quick Details

Person
$250
$225

Paddle & Hike Caines Head with a Water Taxi Back!

Want to do the Full-Day Caines Head trip but don’t have the time or energy for the whole trip? No worries! Paddle out to awesome Fort McGilvray, and we can pick you up with the water taxi vessel for the ride back!

This Alaskan adventure tour includes paddling and hiking but with a relaxing water taxi back to Miller’s Landing! It is very popular with birders and naturalists. Paddle from beautiful Miller’s Landing area of Lowell Point to Caines Head State Park on the western side of Resurrection Bay, and enjoy a one-way water taxi back for wildlife watching — see eagles, sea lions, sea otters, Dall’s porpoises, and mountain goats. It’s a great way to save a few hours and a bit of energy after an exciting day exploring Alaska!

Paddle by Tonsina Creek, where salmon are spawning (when in season), and the beautiful “ghost forest” remains from the ruins of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake. Traversing further, we pass Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful cascading waterfall. On this Alaskan kayak excursion, we often see eagles, sea otters, sea lions, and sometimes mountains goats, black bears, and orcas and humpback whales.

This combo tour offers a 4-mile hike to explore the historical Fort McGilvray and its army bunkers and gun embedments left from World War II. The hike is fairly easy (650 feet vertical gain over the 2-mile ascent to the fort), and awaiting you at the top is a beautiful panoramic view of the Gulf of Alaska. No experience is necessary but, be prepared for an exciting, physically stimulating day. This trip is best for ages 12 and up!

Essential Details

DIFFICULTY

This trip is rated as moderate but easier than the Full-day paddle because you ride the water taxi back instead of kayaking back. On this trip you travel by kayak 5 miles to Caines Head North Beach, which takes roughly an hour to hour and a half depending on your group. After you land and your guide stashes your boats, you begin hiking to Fort McGilvray. It’s just over 2 miles to the top (5 miles round trip). With a 650-foot elevation gain.  The trail is well maintained and is set in the stunning Chugach Forest.

TIPS FOR A GREAT TRIP

Be sure to pack comfortable shoes that could get wet, and good layers. There is plenty of storage in the boats for spare layers, and other items if packed into small bags around 25 oz. Each guest also gets a dry bag to use during the trip if needed. Reach out if you have questions about gear.

Bringing a Camera? We use sit-in kayaks for this trip, you can have your camera around your neck or in a dry bag.

WHAT TO BRING

Be sure to pack comfortable shoes for hiking and kayaking, lunch or snacks to enjoy after the hike, and comfortable layers for being outdoors.

  • Water bottle
  • Rain gear
  • Synthetic or wool layers
  • Comfortable shoes for hiking
  • Lunch and snacks.

WHAT WE PROVIDE

We provide all the necessary kayaking gear like life jackets, light and easy to use paddles, spray decks to keep your legs dry, very stable tandem kayaks, and all the necessary safety equipment.

Before each trip we provide a short orientation on sea kayaking and safety, so everyone is comfortable before we hit the water!

THE WATER TAXI RIDE

The water taxi ride takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on the weather, tides, and if we see any wildlife. While the water is usually calm, it can sometimes get bumpy if the weather comes in. We always do our best to make the ride comfortable, but we can’t control the weather!

We make a couple other stops during the water taxi ride to pick up or drop off other kayak groups, which does not take long. It’s always best when we have a full schedule, you get to see more parts of the bay!

More Information

About Our Guides