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Caines Head Water Taxi

Quick Details

Departs Miller’s Landing 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

Departs Caines Head 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4:25 p.m.

Round Trip
$55
One Way Call to Book
$45

Water Taxi to Caines Head State Marine Park

Caines Head is one of the top water taxi destination points for drop-off and pick-up services. This hike is listed as one of the top 10 hikes in Alaska by Alaska magazine. It is a beautiful coastal and mountainous trail, with wonderful opportunities for photographing scenery and wildlife. Hikers can also spend time beach-combing on parts of the trail.

The Caines Head hiking trail begins near Miller’s Landing and must be walked on the low tide. (To learn how to hike the trail on low tides, please see our section on Hiking trails to Caines Head.) Caines Head is also a favorite destination of kayakers and campers, and during salmon season, it is a good place to fish off the beach for pink, chum, and silver salmon.

Caines Head is the scenic site of an abandoned World War II fort. The massive headland rises 650 feet above Resurrection Bay, against a backdrop of rolling alpine meadows and sharp peaks, giving way to a sweeping view of the Gulf of Alaska and the outer islands.

The shale-covered, forest-framed beaches of Caines Head have long been stopping points for boaters and fishermen. But early in World War II, as the territory of Alaska was attacked and occupied by Imperial Japanese ground forces, Caines Head and other Resurrection Bay vantages became strategic spots for defending the Port of Seward. Visitors are invited to explore the remains of Fort McGilvary, the South Beach Garrison, and the many natural attractions of this 6,000-acre state recreational area.

There are picnic shelters, campsites, and latrines near the main trail at North Beach. A ranger station, staffed seasonally, is located near the north end of the beach. The Derby Cove Public Use Cabin is near the beach at Derby Cove, the next beach north of the ranger station and campsites. No mooring buoy is provided at the cabin.

From North Beach, historic roadbeds lead to Fort McGilvray and South Beach. To reach the fort and sweeping vistas of the bay, take the left fork, one mile south of the North Beach Trailhead. Along the way, explore the remains of the old ammunition magazines and the bog meadows with their unique forms of plant life. The right fork leads 1.5 miles to South Beach.

Fort McGilvray, once the strategic command center, is perched on a 650-foot rocky cliff that offers dramatic views of Resurrection Bay. Here are the firing platforms of the two 6-inch guns that once sat ready to defend the Port of Seward. The fort is open to explore, but take a flashlight to find your way through the maze of underground passages and rooms. The cliffs around the fort are dangerous. Stay on the concrete pads and trails.

South Beach is a garrison ghost town with remains of the utility buildings and barracks that were home for the 500 soldiers stationed here from July 1941 to May 1943.

To book a water taxi trip to Caines Head, just use our calendar to find the time that works best. Have any questions about our Miller’s Landing to Caines Head water taxi service? You can always email or phone us with questions you might have and we’re happy to provide answers.

Our water taxi leaves Miller’s Landing every two hours from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Explore the best of Caines Head with our convenient and accommodating water taxi.

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