Bishop's Beach
Bunnell St
Homer, AK
A wide public beach at the foot of Old Town, where a twenty-foot tide pulls the sea far out and leaves a whole world of tide pools behind.
Bishop's Beach is Homer's everyday beach, the wide public shore that opens up right below Old Town where the streets run out at the bluff. You park a couple of blocks from the middle of town, walk down to the sand and gravel, and suddenly the whole of Kachemak Bay is in front of you, with a wall of snow-capped mountains and hanging glaciers across the water. It is the kind of place locals walk their dogs at and visitors stumble onto and never forget.
What makes it special is the tide. Kachemak Bay rises and falls more than twenty feet, among the biggest tides anywhere in the country, so at low water the sea pulls far, far out and leaves behind a broad, glistening world of tide pools, mudflats, and stranded seaweed. Wander out then and you can find sea stars, small crabs, and anemones in the pools, then watch the ocean come quietly rolling back to cover it all again.
What Guests Love
- A long, easy public beach you can reach on foot from the middle of Old Town Homer
- Enormous tides that pull the water far out and uncover tide pools full of small sea creatures
- Big views straight across Kachemak Bay to the peaks and glaciers of the state park
- Eagles, shorebirds, and the neighboring Beluga Slough marsh alive with wildlife
Worth Knowing
- Kachemak Bay has some of the largest tides in the country, so check a tide chart and plan to explore the flats around low tide, never as the water is racing back in
- The beach is a mix of sand and mud that can be soft and slippery, so wear boots or shoes you do not mind getting muddy
- It is open and often breezy right off the water, so bring a warm layer even on a sunny day
- There is parking, a picnic shelter, and restrooms at the beach, and Old Town shops and the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center are a short walk away
Details
Homer, AK
Learn about Bishop's Beach
The beach and its giant tides
The first thing to know about Bishop's Beach is the tide, because it changes everything about a visit. A tide is the daily rise and fall of the sea, and here in Kachemak Bay it is enormous, moving the water up and down more than twenty feet in a single cycle. That means the beach you see is never the same twice. At high tide the water laps close to the bluff, and at low tide it retreats far out, leaving a huge sweep of wet sand, gravel, and mud to explore.
When the tide is out, shallow pools of seawater stay behind among the rocks, and these tide pools are little windows into the sea. Look closely and you may find sea stars, tiny crabs, snails, and soft anemones that wave in the water. Because the tide comes back fast and far, the golden rule is simple. Go out near low tide, keep track of the time, and start back well before the water turns, so the sea is never between you and the beach.
Beluga Slough and the marsh next door
At one end of Bishop's Beach the sand gives way to the mouth of Beluga Slough, a coastal salt marsh where fresh water from Beluga Lake meets the salt water of the bay. A slough is a slow, marshy channel, and this one is a rich, quiet place where the two kinds of water mix and a great deal of life gathers. An easy loop trail winds along the edge of the marsh, and it is one of the best spots near town to watch birds.
In spring and summer the slough and the beach together draw shorebirds by the thousands as they migrate along the coast, and Homer celebrates them each spring with a shorebird festival. Bald eagles are a common sight overhead, and the whole shoreline here is a designated place for wildlife watching. Between the open beach and the sheltered marsh, a single visit can turn up eagles, ducks, gulls, and long-legged wading birds picking through the mud.
A beach at the edge of Old Town
Part of what makes Bishop's Beach easy to love is how close it is to everything. It sits right at the foot of Old Town Homer, so you can walk down to the sand from the galleries and shops in the space of a few minutes. The beach has parking, a picnic shelter, and restrooms, and the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, which tells the story of the bay and its marine wildlife, is a short walk away along the Beluga Slough trail.
This is public shore, cared for by the City of Homer, and it belongs to everyone. It is a beach for slow mornings and long walks below the bluffs, for hunting tide pools with kids, for flying a kite in the wind or just sitting on a log with a cup of coffee and watching the light move over the water and the mountains beyond.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Homer
Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
About half a mile
A free public visitor center for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, with exhibits on the bay's seabirds and sea life, reached by a short trail from the beach.
Beluga Slough Trail
At the beach
An easy loop through the salt marsh at the edge of Bishop's Beach, one of the best short walks near town for birds and quiet.
Homer Spit
About 4 miles
The long natural sandbar reaching into Kachemak Bay, with a busy boat harbor, more beaches, and sea otters in the water.
Baycrest Scenic Overlook
About 4 miles
The highway pullout on the hill above town, with a sweeping postcard view over Homer, the spit, and the bay to the mountains.