Planning a trip to Right Beach yurt in Kachemak Bay State Park? This Kachemak Bay yurt is located across the bay from Homer, Alaska.
Not only is it located 50 yards above the beach, but it’s one of the closest yurts to the Grewingk Glacier hike.
In this post, I’m going to review the Right Beach yurt.
Right Beach Yurt Review
Right Beach yurt is a yurt located on Right Beach in Kachemak Bay State Park, across from Homer. It’s available to reserve from May 15 to October 15, but can only be accessed by boat.
Yurt Amenities
- Wooden sleeping platforms
- Sleeping pads
- Wood heating stove
- Double burner cooking stove
- 5 gallon water container
- Wood saw
- Pit latrine
- Fire ring
- Bear proof locker
- Two camping chairs
The yurt is equipped with a wood heating stove. You are responsible for supplying your own wood, but you may find some that the previous guest left behind.
Right Beach yurt is small and cozy. There are only four sleeping platforms to sleep four people, but you could definitely arrange it to sleep more people, especially if you bring your own sleeping pads.
Two different fire rings can be found and both have bench-style seating around them. One is in the forest and the other one is at the top of the beach, which is also where you’ll find the bear proof storage locker.
If you have a large party, there’s plenty of space to accommodate multiple tents and people around the beach.
There is NO running water, electricity, or trash service in the cabin. You will have to pack out what you pack in. You may want to bring some cleaning wipes so you can tidy up before and after your stay.
There isn’t a good water source near the yurt, so make sure to bring enough with you. We brought over 10L for our two night stay.
It was really nice to have the double burner stove and there were some canisters available to use. I think the only thing missing was some sort of table that we could prep food and cook on.
Right Beach Yurt Location
Right Beach is located in Kachemak Bay State Park. From Anchorage, you will have to drive four hours south to Homer. From Homer, you will have to hop on a water taxi for about 15 minutes to reach Right Beach.
When you arrive at the rocky beach, called Right Beach, you won’t be able to spot the yurt because it’s tucked away in the forest and hidden from view (on the left side of the beach), which makes it very private.
Since the yurt sits in a small cove, it’s important to know that you will get blocked in during high tide. I recommend bringing a kayak for the best experience.
Getting to Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail
The main reason why I chose to stay at this yurt was the proximity to the popular Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail. But right before I left, I found out that there was no trail from the yurt, and the area supposedly turned into an island.
We brought kayaks to ensure we would be able to access the trail, but we actually didn’t use them for our hike.
If you look at the map of yurt locations, it seems like the yurt is much closer to the trail and found on the spit outside of Rusty’s Lagoon.
However, the yurt is actually about one mile away from the trailhead and you will need to cross the tide where Rusty’s Lagoon empties into Kachemak Bay, as well as get around the rocky outcrop near Right Beach, which is only possible during low tide.
Hike Right Beach to Grewingk Glacier – 4.5 miles one-way
Right Beach to Grewingk Glacier is 4.5 miles one-way. The main Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail is flat, easy, and well-maintained. You may find very small sections that are overgrown.
In order to reach the trailhead from Right Beach, you will have to leave at low tide and come back at low tide.
First you will get around the rocky outcrop by Right Beach, and then you will have to cross Rusty’s Lagoon. It’s a very small channel of water but when the tide is high the water is deep and it’s also moving fast.
If you don’t time it right, you will have to wait around for the tide to go down, and the lagoon to empty, in order to cross safely.
We took our shoes off to cross this area on the way to the glacier and ended up crossing the water at a mid-thigh height on the way back. I wouldn’t advise to do this, plus there are jelly fish in the water.
If you bring a kayak, you can easily kayak one mile to the trailhead and leave your kayaks there for your return.
Other Nearby Activities
- Kayak around Halibut Cove. You can access the glacier from this side as well.
- Climb rocks and explore caves.
- Check out the Kachemak Crack climbing area.
- Watch the tide go in and out of Rusty’s Lagoon.
- Walk the beach and look for marine life. I saw sea otters, seals, starfish, and birds.
- Search for mushrooms in the fall.
- Plan a multi-day yurt hopping trip.
How to Reserve Right Beach Yurt
To reserve the Right Beach yurt, you will need to visit the Alaska Yurt Rentals site here. The yurt costs $77 per night.
Check-in/Check-out Times
- Check-in time: 12:00 p.m.
- Check-out time: 12:00 p.m.
What to Bring
If you want to make sure you have a good time, here are some extra things you’ll want to bring out here.
- Drinking water
- Firewood and kindling/fire starter
- Lighter or waterproof matches
- Toilet paper
- Camping lights (late summer)
- Cookware
- Coleman 16.4oz fuel canister
- Tide book
- Kayak
- Trash bags
- Waterproof boots
Conclusion: Here’s What I Really Think…
If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway near Homer, Alaska, then I recommend staying at Right Beach yurt.
This yurt is in a great location if you want to visit Grewingk Glacier, but I recommend bringing a kayak with you if you want to have the best experience.
It’s not the cheapest excursion since the water taxi costs around $80 per person, so I also suggest staying for multiple nights to get your moneys worth!
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Do you have any questions about the Kachemak Bay Right Beach yurt? Leave them in the comments.
