Join Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks and Alaska State Parks for a free training on trail work. No experience necessary! Topics covered include: safety, hand & power tools, best practices for tread maintenance and corridor clearing, and what to expect for trail work trips in the Parks.

We are collecting information from our volunteers to better understand your interests and support your capabilities, answer our volunteer survey here.

HALIBUT COVE LAGOON SPRING OPENING WORK PARTY

Kicking things off with a spring work party in Halibut Cove Lagoon to help make the area safe, functional, and welcoming for the season ahead. From repairing ramps and walkways to refreshing interiors and essential facilities, there’s a job for everyone. Volunteers will be transported by boat departing April 24 at 10:30am and returning to the harbor on April 26 at 3pm. Stay in the rustic cabins with wood stoves, or bring your tent and enjoy even more fresh air. Group dinners will be arranged to celebrate around the campfire evenings. Contact kbsptrails@gmail.com and we will get you in touch with trip leader Dave Brann.

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TRIP LEADERS

Interested in leading trail work trips? Not sure where to start? We would love to hear from you! Our inbox is always open at kbsptrails@gmail.com or join us in-person at the April 18th training (see above) and let the instructors know you are interested in leading.

New leaders begin as co-leaders, partnering with an experienced leader on a smaller project you both feel good about. For safety, every trail project has both a leader and a co-leader. Once you feel comfortable and you are cleared by your leader, you can choose to step into a lead role yourself. Whether you plan to use hand tools or power tools, brushers or saws, or are tackling any of the other important construction, repair, clean-up jobs that keep our Parks safe and accessible and beautiful, we appreciate your willingness to step-up.

See more information about leading trail projects here: FKBSP Trail Work/Trail Lead Resources

UPCOMING EVENTS AND CALENDAR

• April 18 - Trail Crew Training - Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center - 4-6pm

• April 24-26 - Halibut Cove Lagoon Spring Opening Work Party

• April 30 - Shorebirds of Kachemak Bay with Aaron Lang organized by Kachemak Bay State Parks Citizens Advisory Board Trails Committee - Homer Methodist Church - 6:30-8pm

• May 6-8 - Alaska Statewide Trails Conference - Anchorage, AK

• May 10 - Shorebird Festival Friendship Walk - 10:30am-3:30pm

• May 16 - Trails and Tales with Roman Dial organized by Kachemak Bay State Parks Citizens Advisory Board Trails Committee - Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center - 5-7pm

• May 20 - Paddling Film Festival - The Porcupine Theater - 7pm

• May 22 - Kachemak Bay Water Trail & Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks Annual Social - Grace Ridge Brewing - 4-6pm

• June 6 - Trails Day

See the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks calendar for the latest on events organized by or related to Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks. You can also add the calendar to receive event information directly to your app. www.friendsofkachemakbay.org/calendar

EVELINE FIRST SKI/SNOWSHOE

New Year’s may be a distant memory but that sharp, frosty weather sure isn’t! It was great to see so many folks all bundled up for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and walking the frozen trails of Eveline. It was so cold, even the cookies had to be roasted over the fire! Thank you to grill-master Willy Dunne and everyone who came out to celebrate.

TRAIL COUNTERS

Early last year, Friends purchased and installed 3 trail counters to help collect good data on trail use in Kachemak Bay State Parks, which will be useful in determining trail priorities and securing funding for the Parks. The Glacier Lake trail alone tallied over 11,500 hikers from mid-May through October, with summer traffic consistently seeing over 1000 users per week. Friends made the decision to purchase 3 more counters to install in 2026. We will be collecting trail traffic counts on locations in Kachemak Bay State Park such as Glacier Lake, Grace Ridge, Sadie Knob, China Poot Lake, and more to be determined!

HOUSE BILL 321

HB 321 “State Game Refuge, Sanctuary and Critical Habitat Area” currently in the Alaska House Resources Committee, would update how Alaska designates and manages protected wildlife areas. The Friends board has written a letter of support and a hearing is scheduled for April 17th. See the Bill Summary or read the Full Text.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Alaska State Parks requires a new volunteer form and waiver to be signed each year, but we are making it really easy—now collecting all volunteer forms electronically.

Signed volunteer forms are required for anyone volunteering for Friends including for events, fundraisers, trail work, etc. Note: Volunteers must be 16 years or older, even if accompanied by a parent/guardian. Please check your inbox for an email from JotForm or get in touch with us if you are not sure if you’ve already submitted your form for 2026.

KBAYSAR ACADEMY

KBAYSAR Search & Rescue’s first cohort completed a 3.5-day intensive training at Kachemak Emergency Services, where 18 volunteers learned search techniques, wilderness first aid, mapping, and emergency response alongside K9 units and aircraft operations. Founded last spring, the all-volunteer team is now an official member of the Alaska Search and Rescue Association, with over 70 people already signed up. Learn more, get involved, and support this group here: www.friendsofkachemakbay.org/kbaysar

Become a Member or Renew your Membership for as low as $10

2026 SPRING FKBSP NEWSLETTER