Fort McGilvray★5.0

Northwest > Alaska > Kenai Peninsula > Seward, AK > Fort McGilvray

Grinnell Point and Swiftcurrent Lake from the Many Glacier Hotel
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Historic World War II coastal fort featuring concrete bunkers, tunnels, and gun emplacements perched on a high cliff with sweeping ocean and mountain views.

General Information

Hours:
Accessible year-round with no set hours; safest access is during daylight and favorable weather conditions
Fees:
No fee to explore the site itself
Parking at nearby trailheads and water taxi transportation may require fees
Pet Policy:
Dogs are allowed on trails but should be kept under control due to wildlife and steep terrain
Closest cities with hotels:
Seward (7 mi)
Seasons:
Best visited May through September when trails are accessible and tides allow safe coastal hiking
Location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6YQXbX6Fz2o3Zg9R7Fort McGilvray, Seward, AK
Website:
dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/cainesheadsra.htm

How to Get There

From Seward (7 mi): Drive south to Lowell Point, then hike along the coastal trail timed with low tide or take a water taxi across the bay and follow the trail from North Beach up to the historic fort.

Overview

Fort McGilvray was a World War II fortification on Caines Head, a 650-foot cliff above Resurrection Bay south of Seward, built to defend the bay and the railhead at Seward. Before the war, the defenses were four mobile 155-mm guns, and the fort was named in 1943 for an Army officer who commanded Fort Kenay in 1869. Its concrete bunkers, gun emplacements, and tunnels are in Caines Head State Recreation Area, reached by a low-tide walk from Lowell Point, with a public-use cabin.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort McGilvray", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0