Tonsina Beach Hike Seward Alaska

Tonsina Beach Hike – Seward Alaska

The Trek Details

The Trek in a snapshot

Location

Seward, Alaska

Managing Agency

Unknown

Pets

Allowed

Fees

None

Restrooms

None

Camping

Allowed

Trail Condition

Good trail the whole way. You will cross over several bridges

Sights

Resurrection Bay, Seward, wildlife, Tonsina Beach

Water Info

Bring 2 liters of water

Best Season

Summer, fall

Distance

3.25 miles roundtrip

Time Required

2+ hours

Parking Elevation

112 feet

Summit Elevation

319 feet – but the Trek ends at sea level

Elevation Difference

319 feet

Trek Planner Maps

Trail Map

GPS Coordinates

Trailhead: 60.069882°, -149.443903°
Tonsina Beach: 60.047215°, -149.443496°

Experience. Discover. Explore.

The Trail

Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!

Be a responsible explorer

Tonsina Beach Hike is a beautiful adventure that exposes you to dense forests, fresh mountain creeks and an incredible expansive view of Resurrection Bay.

The Trailhead GPS Coordinates are for the Tonsina Creek road.  You can drive a little bit farther along the road but it soon narrows down to where only an ATV could get through.  Simply park and start hiking along the trail.



I found this device strapped to a tree near the trailhead. Not sure what it is...
I found this device strapped to a tree near the trailhead. Not sure what it is…

The trail is very worn and visible.  You will be hiking on a rocky trail for the majority of the hike as it makes it way to the beach.  It is a beautiful hike and it really doesn’t require that much time to complete.

There are ferns all over making the forest very dense and very quiet.  We didn’t hear or see many animals but we still enjoyed the lush vegetation.Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

The trail was almost completely covered by willows
The trail was almost completely covered by willows and other trees that made it seem like you were hiking inside a tree tunnel

The trail eventually levels off and you will come to an amazing overlook of Resurrection Bay and Tonsina Beach.  At this point you will hike down to the small bridge.

Pretty soon you will reach the flat area at the "summit" of the hike which is around this point
Pretty soon you will reach the flat area at the “summit” of the hike which is around this point
This area is overlooking Tonsina Beach. From here you will hike down to a bridge.
This area is overlooking Tonsina Beach. From here you will hike down to a bridge.

The bridge is very sturdy and is the only way to cross over the creek unless you want to swim across.  It was here that we found lots of old dying salmon slowly waiting out their existence in this quiet creek.



Here is the bridge you will need to cross.
Here is the bridge you will need to cross.
Old salmon fish
Old salmon fish

Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Cross over the bridge and you will be hiking through tall birch and spruce trees.  You could almost bypass this part of the hike but this is probably one of the coolest parts!



Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Another bridge inside the spruce forest
Another bridge inside the spruce forest

Tonsina Beach isn’t much farther.  The trail is easy and flat until you reach the rocky beach.

We saw lots of bald eagles and seagulls hanging around eating salmon.   We never did see any bears or moose but that doesn’t mean they aren’t around.  Just always use caution and be watchful as you hike.

When we visited, we were the only people on the beach.  It was very peaceful and I would love to do it again!

Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska



Tonsina Creek Seward Alaska

Personal Thoughts

Personal Thoughts

While working in Alaska, my mother came to visit me so I thought it would be neat to come check out Seward. Seward in itself is a really great place to visit and one of my favorite places in Alaska. After having lunch one day we decided to just explore around the city and we ended up at Tonsina Creek road. We got out of the car and started hiking, not knowing anything about where we were going. This hike ended being my mother's favorite thing she did while in Alaska and it is also one of mine.

Related Posts
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

4 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sarah

The device strapped to the tree is a trail counter- every time a hiker moves past the tree, it registers that movement. These devices help the state park managers keep track of how busy the trail is, either on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on how the have the trail counter calibrated. Pretty cool!

ann

This looks amazing! Can I park an RV at the trailhead?

4
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x