A Stay at Shearwater Cove, Alaska
Imagine yourself surrounded by rain-washed ferns and ripening blueberries, with bald eagles soaring overhead and salmon jumping out of the glacial blue water. You spot a seal peeking its head up from the rocky shores. Hummingbirds flit among the wildflowers. You have no phone service and no worries. Life is good.
Such a place exists: Shearwater Cove. This group of four off-the-grid yurts is just a 45-minute boat ride from Seward, Alaska. When I was planning my recent trip with my friend, Victoria, I tried my best to book unique places rather than your average hotel in town. And this place is definitely one of a kind!
The price includes the boat transfer from Seward’s harbor to the cove, and you just park your rental car (if you took one) in the overnight parking lots in town for $10 a day. We hopped on the boat at 10 am and made our way to Shearwater Cove.
When we arrived, our host, Leigh, gave us the rundown on everything: how to use the sink (yes, there’s running water), turn on the propane stove and space heater, use the shower, and use the pit toilet. There was an ice chest to put our dinner fixings in, as well as all the pots, pans, utensils and plates to cook with.
She also gave a tutorial on how to use the kayaks, which we were free to take out on the water whenever we liked, and she’s available to join as a guide if guests are inclined.
We decided to paddle out at 10 pm our first night, taking advantage of the high tide to paddle right up to a nearby waterfall that otherwise you’d have to beach your kayaks and walk to to see. 10 pm was also well after all the tour boats were finished ferrying people across the bay, keeping the waters calm for us to paddle through. Countless Humpy Salmon were spawning this time of year (mid-July) at the base of the waterfall, and bald eagles watched overhead. Victoria and I both agreed that seeing these salmon right under our kayak was the highlight of the whole trip!
On our second day, we hiked up to the viewpoint above the yurts and got a panoramic view of Resurrection Bay. It was rainy on our second day, so we cozied up in our yurt with coffee and books, just enjoying the slower pace of life out here.
The four yurts are well spaced, but ours (#1) had the best view of the cove and felt far away from the others. Yurt #4 was tucked well in the back for more privacy. We were invited for dinner on our first night by our neighbors, a group of guys from the East Coast who had caught enough halibut to share. As a vegetarian I didn’t eat any, but the blueberry reduction sauce was impressive!
Before we left, we got to chat with Charity, one of the owners. She told us all about how she and her partner built the place just themselves and a few friends, lugging lumber over the slippery rocks and building the yurt platforms on the cliffs. They’ve done a spectacular job creating this wonderland. If I find myself in Seward again, I’d love to come back here!
