- Great for Families!
Caines Head 3/4-Day with Water Taxi
Quick Details
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Trips & Duration: Half Day
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Ages: Best for 10+
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Timing: 8 am Check in time - we get back at 1:30 pm
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This Trip: Kayak, Hike, and enjoy a water-taxi ride back
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Offered: May 15th - September 10th
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Difficulty: This paddle is Moderate, see below for details.
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Meeting Place: Meet at the front office, 13880 Beach Drive Seward, AK.
Person
$250
$ 225
Book the Guide!
Private tour up to 6 People
$ 13500
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
Clothing and shoes: Be sure to pack comfortable shoes that could get wet, and good layers. It’s never a bad idea to pack extra socks too, and to avoid cotton for longer kayaking trips, especially if it’s raining.
Packing: 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. Which can sit in front of you, on the kayak, under bungie cords.
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, we pull and launch your kayaks from shore so you should not be stepping into any water.
- Lunch and snacks
- Depending on the weather consider bringing gloves, beanie, sun hat, extra socks, sunglasses, sunscreen.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
Our sit-inside tandem kayaks are stable and well maintained. They come with a rudder for steering, spray skirts, life vests and paddles. Your guide is also fitted with necessary safety and first aid equipment.
Let your guide know before the trip if you need:
- Extra rain gear
- Pogies to protect your hands (paddling mittens)
- Neoprene Booties
- A dry bag
- A butt pad
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
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Start your morning by meeting your guide, getting geared up and ready to paddle along the coast to Caines Head State Recreation Area.
From there we paddle past Tonsina Beach, where salmon spawn (when in season), and view the beautiful yet mysterious ghost forest remains from the ruins of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake. We continue on to Caines Head State Park. Paddlers often see eagles, sea otters, sea lions, and sometimes mountain goats, black bears, and orca and humpback whales.
Hike up to Fort McGilvray through the stunning Chugach National Forest, admiring the blankets of moss and picking berries late summer. Then you will find yourself at the entrance of the WWII bunker. Hopefully, you brought your flashlight because it’s dark inside.
After the hike, you will take a relaxing water taxi ride back to Miller’s Landing on one of our landing crafts.
This paddle is ideal for those wanting to paddle, hike, and explore all that Resurrection Bay has to offer. No sea kayaking experience is necessary; however, be ready to paddle 5 easy miles and do a 4 mile hike.
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A $10 cancellation fee is imposed for all reservations canceled.
Cancellations must be received by email only to reservations@millerslandingak.com. The cancellation notice date is the date the email was received at reservations@millerslandingak.com. Phone cancellations will not be accepted.
Cancellations received by email 30 days prior to the first day of the reservation are charged a $10 cancellation fee and you will receive a refund of 90% of the total amount of the reservation.
Cancellations received by email 15 to 29 days prior to the first day of the reservation are charged a $10 cancellation charge and you will receive a 75% refund of the total amount of the reservation.
Cancellations received by email 14 days to zero days prior to arrival are charged a $10 cancellation fee and you will receive a 50% refund only if we are able to rebook your camping, cabin, fishing, kayaking, water taxi, shuttle, lunch, or activity. If we are not able to rebook your reservation, then no refunds will be issued and you will also be charged a $10 cancellation fee to your credit card.
A 100% refund will be issued for any activity that was canceled due to weather by Miller’s Landing. Miller’s Landing reserves the right to determine weather cancellations. Rain does not constitute a cancellation.Please note: Miller’s Landing encourages only guaranteed prepaid reservations. Unlike many other states, Alaska has a very short tourist season, which can make it difficult for us to rebook when we have cancellations without ample notice.
If you are booking a charter and lodging and your charter, water taxi, or kayaking is canceled due to weather, you are still responsible for the lodging or camping reservations and the normal cancellation policy applies. All of our activities are possible during rain, so rain does not constitute a cancellation. Miller’s Landing is not responsible for vehicle break downs, personal emergencies, flight delays, health issues or other unforeseen hardships. We will try very hard to work with you, but the cancellation policy will need to be applied if we cannot issue a raincheck or find an alternative solution that appeals to both parties.
Please understand that Miller’s Landing also incurs a hefty financial merchant fee from our bank for the cost of charging your credit card and again for the cost of refunding it, and there is also a cost involved for the time involved in processing and refunding your reservation in employee costs. Our goal when taking your reservation is to have a solid, guaranteed prepaid reservation. We strongly discourage the practice of making reservations without having an airline ticket or making tentative reservations. Thank you for your understanding.
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Gratuities are not included in the original sale price. A suggested 20% guide tip is greatly appreciated! Our guides work hard on building their knowledge and creating a memorable experience for you.
About Our Guides
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Our Guides are all experienced in kayaking and in outdoor leadership before joining our team. They often come from all different backgrounds; from being ski instructors, snowmobile guides, backpacking guides, or passionate outdoor enthusiasts. Which we believe helps build a strong diverse team with many skills who are all able to thrive and learn from each other. Everyone is trained for two weeks to refine their skills together and learn all they need to know to safely guide our clients. We instruct and certify our guides as ACA L2 kayakers, practice cold water rescue techniques, spend 6 amazing but grueling days in the backcountry as a team, and require that all guides have an up-to-date Wilderness First Responder Certification.
Check it out here: Kayak Guide Training Summer 2022 | Miller’s Landing (millerslandingak.com)
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Spend a summer outdoors and in the Stunning Kenai Fjords National Park and Resurrection Bay, teaching, guiding, and enjoying all the amazing experiences Alaska have to offer. Miller’s Landing is a family-run business that started operations shortly after Kenai Fjords National Park was established in 1980 and the tourism industry began to form in Seward. We work hard to provide every guest with a memorable experience, with a focus on safety, education, stewardship, and fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment.
We begin our hiring process in the winter, between December and January, and suggest you apply in December. Our training begins May 1st and the season runs until September 15th. We ask that guides are able to attend training and can stay until at least mid-August. Learn more about our requirements and the hiring process here: Kayak Instructor / Guide | Miller’s Landing in Seward Alaska (millerslandingak.com)
Related Activities
- Walk-in Friendly
- Best for 8+
Guided kayak tour to Bridal Veil Waterfall in Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska. A beautiful 70-foot glacier-fed waterfall hidden in a unique and lush rain forest!