If you're near Seward, this is a great hike either as a short or long day hike or as an overnight. The trail follows Resurrection Bay out of Seward along the coast with amazing opportunities to see marine and avian wildlife and definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

Note: The ~3 mile coastal section of the hike is only doable at a tide of -3 or lower. Please consult a tide table and plan accordingly or prepare for a wet and/or bad time!

The hike begins from a parking area past Seward towards Lowell Point. After you leave the parking area, there is a ~2 mile wooded section where you first ascend and then descend a sizeable ridge and approach the lowland coast. This section of the trail is well maintained and fairly wide and quite easy even with a heavy backpack.

The real fun starts after this section, however, when you get to the water at Tosina Point. The views open up and the next approximately 3 miles along the rocky beach are the reason to do the hike. We saw numerous bald eagles (including a brave one who flew very close to us), seals, gulls, and numerous other shore birds. If you're lucky, you may see whales or orcas as well apparently. The conditions on the beach can be tough with a heavy pack as the footing is mostly large, damp rocks. Take your time and bring poles if that's your style or if you're worried about falling.

We decided to camp in the camping are at Tosina Point which we'd highly recommend. We had a campfire on the beach using driftwood and made some new friends with a monstrously large dog Dan thought was a bear... Given it's only about an hour walk in and beautiful, it's tempting to camp here to avoid paying for a hotel in Seward if the conditions allow and it fits your timeline. The campsite themselves are in a wooded area without great views but a nice wide section of the beach is right next to the camping area.

We actually did not have time to continue all the way to the fort which is another ~2 miles each way and includes an ascent of ~600 feet. Apparently it is very cool to visit and we'll be updating this post hopefully shortly once we're able to do so.