Protecting a Key Piece of Kachemak Bay State Park

Our Impact Our Projects Protecting a Key Piece of Kachemak Bay State Park

Five acres may not seem like a lot in Alaska, but sometimes the smallest properties hold the most significance.

Kachemak Bay State Park — Alaska’s very first state park — contains roughly 400,000 acres of pristine mountains, glaciers, forests and coastline. Nestled in Halibut Cove, a five-acre beachfront property that provides critical access to one of the most visited areas of the park was in danger of being closed to the public. Thanks to a collaborative effort, The Conservation Fund acquired this privately owned property in January 2022 and donated it to Kachemak Bay State Park in December 2023, ensuring that recreation and public access will be forever protected at this treasured place.

A Place Worth Saving

Five acres may not seem like a lot in Alaska, but sometimes the smallest properties hold the greatest significance to their surrounding ecosystems and communities. This parcel, known as the Saddle Trail Property, provides important beachfront access to nearby Saddle Trail — one of the most popular hiking trails in the state. Before 2022, the property had been under private ownership and in danger of being closed to Kachemak Bay State Park visitors. Today, the property is owned by the state of Alaska and public access to the park has been permanently protected.

The beautiful sandy beach in front of the Saddle Trail Property, locally known as Hawaii Beach, provides safe access for boats and water taxis transporting park visitors. The hike to Grewingk Glacier on the Saddle Trail is one of Homer’s most popular attractions and a significant economic driver for the region. On a busy summer day, water taxis drop off and pick up hundreds of tourists on Hawaii Beach. But when the tide is high and the beach is inundated, visitors are confined to a set of stairs at the start of the trail. Now that the Saddle Trail Property is protected by the state, park visitors can forever use the property for public access, recreation and water taxi transportation.

“
As a Homer resident, I can’t express how much Kachemak Bay State Park and this property mean to me. I am thrilled that Hawaii Beach and the Saddle Trail Property are protected forever and will be enjoyed by current and future generations, including my children. I am honored to have been a part of this special project.”
Chris Little

Alaska Associate, The Conservation Fund

Those who visit Hawaii Beach see evidence in the sand that unique history happened there. Old beach pilings reveal that the Saddle Trail Property was once home to a herring fishery in the early 1900s. During this time, Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet supported bountiful populations of herring, attracting fleets from California and the Pacific Northwest. Now protected, the Saddle Trail Property will help preserve this important history for Kachemak Bay.

Historic photo courtesy of the University of Alaska.

Our Role

Tourism and recreation are essential to the economy of Homer and the Kenai Peninsula, so protecting this small-but-mighty parcel of land for the park was a top priority. Thanks to this collaborative effort, TCF was able to purchase the Saddle Trail Property and raise $300,000 to be able to donate the land to Kachemak Bay State Park. Special thanks to Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park for its guidance and support and to all the funders that made this project possible, including the Homer Foundation, which contributed $20,000, and ConocoPhillips Alaska, which contributed $25,000.

View a Full List of Funders

Project Staff

Chris Little
Alaska Field Representative

More Projects

Project

Protecting Historical Legacy in Virginia

We’re helping state officials transform the only privately owned home of a Founding Father and its 1,240 surrounding acre...

Project

Connecting People and Nature at 14,000 F...

When public access to peaks along the Colorado Rockies was threatened, The Conservation Fund found a solution.

Project

A Toad with a Future

The Conservation Fund has aided in recovery efforts for even the most critically endangered species.

See more

Make a Difference

Help protect America's priceless natural landscapes and ensure that we have healthy environments, places to work and play, and real economic opportunity.

Donate Today
Close up of white fungi

BGES Inc.