Emerald Cove Trail in Whittier, Alaska: The muddiest of the muddy hikes that ever mudded

Well… what else is there to say about the Emerald Cove trail? It’s incredibly muddy even in otherwise dry conditions, and Whittier is always wet. (It should be — it’s in the middle of a temperate rainforest.) Conditions on this trail are so slippery and muddy that most people are lucky to manage an average hiking speed of 1 to 1.5 mph.

Oh, here’s something else: The Emerald Cove trail actually leads to three coves. The first is small but very pretty, the second is enormous and spectacular, and the third is meh at best. If conditions are favorable and you’re not too weirded out by all that mud and the ever-present risk of slipping and falling in it, hiking the Emerald Cove trail to at least the first two coves can be a fun exercise in stomping through the mud like a five-year-old.

This is hike 67 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

Emerald Cove Trailhead Directions

From Anchorage, take the Seward Highway south about 50 miles. At mile marker 79, follow signs for the Whittier Access Road and take the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to Whittier. There is a toll going in to Whittier (currently $13 for passenger vehicles). Coming back out is free.

Tunnel traffic is one-way, with traffic queuing up and alternating directions every half-hour. There may be longer delays when a train passes through the tunnel, and there is no reliable cell service on the Portage side of the tunnel.

Once in Whittier, look for an early right turn onto Whittier Street, just as you’re driving into town. At an awkward four-way intersection, continue straight onto Blackstone Road and past the Buckner Building, an abandoned cement barracks. Follow signs for Emerald Cove as you veer right onto rough, unpaved Shotgun Cove Road; be prepared to steer around lots of holes. The trailhead is at the end of the road.

Hiking the Emerald Cove Trail

This trail used to start off with two fairly large stream crossings, but those are now bridged by the road. Instead, the Emerald Cove trail now starts out on a wooden boardwalk — one of many boardwalks and bridges placed through the superhuman efforts of trail crews.

However you’re hiking in a rainforest, which is basically a giant, open-air stomach digesting anything and everything organic — including boardwalks and bridges — so not everything is going to be quite as stable or sturdy as it might look.

Check out this head-to-head of what the trail looks like in (relatively) dry conditions versus the spectacular mud pits that formed during the wettest August on record:

You’ll quickly get a taste of the mud and slippery conditions so characteristic of the Emerald Cove trail, but at least the routefinding is straightforward: Keep going straight ahead on the obvious main trail until you reach a small, pretty waterfall about 0.7 mile from the trailhead. Patches of gravel trail around the waterfall are more evidence of the trail crews’ hard work in this area.

Just a tenth of a mile later you’ll get some gorgeous views down over the water, followed by a small ford. Take note of where you cross, because it’s easy to lose the trail on the other side and pop out too far downstream as you’re hiking back to the trailhead. The creek’s water levels are also tidally affected, which may cause some confusion.

From here the Emerald Cove trail continues weaving through increasingly thick, brushy undergrowth, occasionally passing alongside or even through small, sunny meadows.

The first “destination cove” will appear on your left, about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, with a short but steep downhill to reach it; locals call this Stair Step Cove.

The second “destination cove” is just past 2 miles from the trailhead; watch for an obvious trail fork leading left and down to the beach. I haven’t found a name for this cove on the map, but some kayakers who’d paddled there told me it’s called Bight Cove. I think you’ll understand why I consider this the logical end to the Emerald Cove trail… take a look.

In anything resembling decent weather, Bight Cove is spectacular. It has a broad shale beach to sun yourself on, a small lagoon cradled by natural rock formations, and enough driftwood to make an impromptu bench. This is the perfect place to have a snack, watch boats cruise past on their way to or from Whittier, and enjoy the puzzled looks from kayakers who wonder why you were crazy enough to walk here.

(You could, of course, just take the easy way out and paddle here instead of hiking.)

About That Third Cove

The true end of this trail, as far as I can tell, is at Emerald Cove — actually labeled as Emerald Bay on maps. But I’ve only hiked all the way there once, have no intention of doing it again, and don’t recommend that anyone else do so. It’s absolutely the “beariest” place I’ve ever been, littered with half-eaten salmon, piles of bear scat, and an undeniable feeling that humans are unwelcome intruders.

That cove isn’t particularly pretty, either, and in a typical year the brush between the second and third coves gets so thick that you literally have to part it to look for the trail. So there are lots of reasons to end your hike on the Emerald Cove trail at Bight Cove instead, despite the different names.

Choose Your Weapon (Footwear)

Most sane people opt to hike the Emerald Cove trail in rubber boots with good traction, or a combination of waterproof hiking boots, gaiters, and optimism. I usually go straight to the opposite extreme, wearing sandals and shorts if it’s warm enough or, if not, neoprene booties under sandals and gaiters.

My approach does have some downsides: Particularly, some of the mud pits have hidden branches and stumps of small trees that could easily cause an injury if you’re not careful — and unprotected ankles, shins and calves make prime targets.

GPS Resembles an Etch-a-Sketch

The Emerald Cove trail isn’t the best place to be heavily dependent on GPS for navigation. Yes, it definitely can help — but the tree cover here is dense enough that your GPS track may come out looking like it was drawn with an Etch-a-Sketch. It just won’t be very precise. So, hedge your bets by using some old-school technology: Pay attention to where you’re going, and turn around every so often so you can see what the trail will look like on the way back.

Be Bear Aware

Most, if not all, of the streams you pass along the Emerald Cove trail host salmon runs — and fish attract bears. Add in the heavy brush along most of the trail, and you have perfect conditions for a surprise bear encounter. Please be conscious of that and mind your bear manners.