McMullen Cove

A popular boating spot, McMullen Cove offers easy landing sites, campsites, and a short hiking trail.

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McMullen Cove Details

On the western side of Aialik Bay, just south of Holgate Arm, McMullen Cove has a great beach for landing boats. It is popular with kayakers as well as sail and power boaters. The landing beach is at the southeast end of the cobble spit inside the cove. The spit also offers plenty of campsites, in addition to those on the easternmost part of the beach on the flat rocks at the edge of the forest. A food storage locker is located at the south end of the rock spit, and a water source is on the southern side of the cove (a paddle from camp). Do not use the dead standing trees behind the beach for firewood - these are 'ghost forests,' victims of the 1964 earthquake of 1964. When the land they stand on dropped several feet, the ocean water rose, submerging their roots and preserving, or essentially pickling, the trees. Make time for a short hike up the boulder-and-talus slope at the back of the cove, and you'll find alpine lakes and open land above. Be aware that the beach at McMullen Cove might be closed seasonally to protect black oystercatchers.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

N/A

Region

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Nearby Parks Around McMullen Cove

Compare nearby parks around McMullen Cove when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

29.8 mi away

Kenai Fjords

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Lake Clark

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Katmai

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Denali

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Gates Of The Arctic

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499.7 mi away

Glacier Bay

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Nearby Points of Interest Around McMullen Cove

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond McMullen Cove while the map context is still fresh.

1.6 mi away

Quicksand Cove

Good campsites, reliable freshwater, and plenty of wildlife make Quicksand Cove a great stop on a paddle trip.

4.2 mi away

Northwestern Glacier

At the very end of Harris Bay, this tidewater glacier has a small beach nearby that serves as a common landing spot for paddlers.

4.3 mi away

Holgate Arm

Holgate Arm can be both stunning and challenging, and offers several campsites as well as a public-use cabin.

4.8 mi away

Verdant Cove

Verdant Cove offers great paddling, but camping is only permitted on the cove's southeastern shore.

5.3 mi away

Holgate Cabin

Holgate Cabin is a summer-use cabin on the Kenai coast.