Fat Tire Biking on Kenai’s Beaches
The City of Kenai has miles of beautiful coastline! In fact, Kenai was voted number 3 in the Top 25 Best Beach Towns in America. Among them are some of the best beaches for bike riding. Here, you can bike the beach for a few minutes, a few hours, a day, or even make it an overnight beach trip. There are endless fat-tire biking opportunities to be had in and around Kenai regardless of the season.
Bike riding at the beach isn’t seasonal. During the Alaskan summer, you’ll find soft sands, mild breezes, and sunny skies for nearly 20 hours a day! During the frigid winter, the low sun casts a peaceful orange glow over everything, making your ride along the beach uniquely Alaskan.
Safety Tips: Be sure to check the wind and tide tables before heading out. Avoid walking on the sensitive dune vegetation adjacent to the beach in some areas. Do not walk on mud flats and be mindful of private property and setnet sites next to the beach. Know water sources along your route. Be bear aware and follow bear safety advice. For additional information, visit Alaska’s website for more safety tips.
Captain Cook State Recreation Area
Looking for a quiet beach off the beaten path? Captain Cook State Recreation Area is the perfect place for you. To get to the park, you’ll need to head north from Kenai on the Kenai Spur Highway and go past Nikiski until the road ends. Park the car and turn right on the beach to head north towards Point Possession.
Hard-packed sand and interesting rock formations make for beautiful beach travel. Tides are such that it is safe to be on the beach at any time of the day. Going all the way to Point Possession is approximately 28 miles north from Captain Cook State Park, but this beach is enjoyable for any distance. Be sure to stock up on water if you go the entire way to Point Possession for an overnight trip.
Kenai North Beach & Kenai South Beach
There are miles of beach right here in Kenai to be explored with your fat-tire bike. You could spend hours cruising there and back again on either one of our splendid sandy beaches. For Kenai North Beach, the easiest departure spot is to take the Spur Highway to South Spruce Street and head towards the beach. For Kenai South Beach, cross the Kenai River using Bridge Access Rd, take a right on Kalifornsky Beach Rd, then another right on Cannery Rd. South Beach access can be found on Dunes Rd.
Kenai River to Kasilof River
It’s approximately ten miles between the mouths of the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. To fat-tire bike this distance, you’ll need to prepare your trip as an out-and-back or one-way with a shuttle set-up beforehand. If setting up a shuttle, leave a car at Kenai’s South Beach parking lot off Cannery Road and ride south from the Kasilof River Special Use Area off Kasilof Beach Stub Road.
Kasilof River to Homer
It’s approximately 56 miles between Kasilof River and Anchor Point. Do not attempt to cross the Kenai or Kasilof rivers without a boat, but the Ninilchik River, Deep Creek, and Anchor River may be crossed at low tide. The beach gets rocky for the approximately 16 miles between Anchor Point and Homer—to avoid some hiking on the beach, plan to stop riding at Anchor Point. Don’t forget to stop at the picturesque Happy Valley Falls near Ninilchik and be sure to gaze at the volcanic Four Sleeping Giants in the distance. From Homer, you can keep riding another 16 miles to the tiny town of Kachemak Selo.