Haines Area State Parks
(Southeast Alaska)
(Printer
version Haines Area State Parks)
The small town of Haines lies at the north end of Alaska's
southeast panhandle. Unlike most towns in Southeast Alaska, you can reach Haines
by road as well as ferry. The Haines Highway begins in Canada at Haines
Junction, along the Alaska Highway, and ends in Haines. Alaska State Parks has
five state parks in the Haines area:
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - Click here for
more information.
Chilkat Islands State Marine Park - This undeveloped, 6,560-acre park is
a group of islands just south of Chilkat State Park. It is 13 air miles south of
Haines. Access is problematic due to high and unpredictable winds, making a
regular anchorage difficult. Kayaks have the best bet since they can be brought
on shore and have a shallow draft. A bay on the middle island of Shikosi is
best. Beaches are rocky. Be sure to bring your boat above high tide mark when
pulling it on shore.
Chilkat State Park is seven miles south of Haines on Mud Bay Road. This
park offers a log cabin visitor center, 32-site campground, picnic area, boat
launch and trails. The campground sits in a mixed forest of evergreens and
deciduous trees at the edge of Chilkat Inlet. The boat launch provides access to
the inlet and the run of king salmon in early June. The visitor centers offers
incredible views of Chilkat Inlet and Rainbow and Davidson glaciers. The center
also has wildlife spotting scopes so you can spot the inlet wildlife, such as
seals, porpoises, and whales. Visitors have even been able to spy on bears and
mountain goats on the other side of the inlet.
There are three trails in the park. Seduction Pint Trail is an easy hike that
follows the coast, winding back and forth between the woods and the beach. This
trail is six miles long one way, and offers great scenery sights and wildlife
viewing opportunities. Battery Point Trail is another easy trail along the
beach. For those ready for a challenge, there is the Mount Riley Trail. This
trail has quite a bit of vertical rise to it, but the reward is a sensational
view of the entire area.
Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site is ten miles northeast of Haines,
taking Lutak and Chilkoot River roads, or five miles past the ferry terminal.
The park is at the south end of Chilkoot Lake, near the outlet of the lake to
the Chilkoot River. Park Facilities include a 32-site campground, picnic
shelter, and boat launch. The campground sits amid a beautiful stand of Sitka
spruce.
The park and surrounding area offers some of the best salmon fishing in
Southeast Alaska, with four salmon runs, starting in mid-June and ending in
mid-October. Because of the salmon spawning in the river and at this end of the
lake, this area is also a bear highway. Bears come down from the tundra to feast
on the salmon. Please learn proper bear/human etiquette - this protects both you
and the bears.
Mosquito Lake State Recreation Site is 27 miles northwest of Haines off
the Haines Highway. This quiet campground of 13 sites is nestled next to
Mosquito Lake, in a Sitka spruce and Western hemlock forest. There is a dock and
boat launch to access the lake, and a picnic shelter. This park is appropriately
named, so be sure to have plenty of insect repellent!
Portage Cove State Recreation Site sits on the water's edge near downtown
Haines and offers a wonderful view of the Inlet and surrounding mountains. There
are a handful of campsites, but only for bicycle or walk-in camping.
Sullivan Island State Marine Park is south of Chilkat Island SMP and 20
air miles south of Haines. This 2,720-acre park sits at the south end of
Sullivan Island. Two bays on east side provide access, but no anchorages. In
Lynn Canal, weather and winds are unpredictable, making anchoring very
difficult. Kayaks have the best bet since they can be brought on shore and have
a shallow draft. Be sure to bring your boat above high tide mark when pulling it
on shore. Beaches are rocky.
Source: Alaska State Parks.
For more information on Alaska State Parks, visit the Alaska State Parks web site.
Alaska
National Parks
Denali National Park,
Kenai Fjords National Park,
Lake Clark National Park,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska State
Parks by Region
Anchorage,
Interior Alaska,
Kenai Peninsula,
Kodiak,
Mat-Su
Valley,
Prince William Sound,
Southeast Alaska,
Southwest Alaska
Alaska State Parks by Name
Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski SRS,
Birch Lake
State Recreation Site,
Caines Head State Recreation Area and Resurrection Bay State Marine Parks,
Captain
Cook State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Site,
Chilkat Bald
Eagle Preserve,
Chugach State Park,
Clam Gulch
State Recreation Area,
Deep Creek
State Recreation Area,
Delta
Junction Area State Parks,
Denali State Park,
Haines Area State
Parks,
Harding
Lake State Recreation Area,
Independence Mine State Historical Park,
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park,
Kasilof Area State
Parks,
Kenai
River Special Management Area,
Kodiak Area State
Parks,
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area,
Ninilchik
State Recreation Area,
Point Bridget
State Park,
Salcha
River State Recreation Site,
Sitka Area State Parks,
State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay,
Summit Lake
State Recreation Site, Tok
Area Parks,
Totem Bight
State Historical Park,
Upper Chatanika State Recreation Site,
Wickersham State Historic Site,
Wood-Tikchik
State Park
