Point Bridget State Park Beach

Point Bridget State Park Beach lies at the end of a 3.5-mile trail in the remote coastal terrain north of Juneau, reached by driving 28 miles north of downtown on the Glacier Highway in Southeast Alaska. The beach sits at the mouth of Point Bridget, where Lynn Canal — a glacially carved fjord and the longest and deepest fjord in North America — opens toward the broader waters of the Inside Passage. The shoreline is composed of dark-grey gravel and cobble, fully exposed to the winds that funnel through the Lynn Canal corridor, and backed by open coastal meadows and a fringe of Sitka spruce and hemlock forest. At low tide the beach widens considerably, with gravel flats stretching toward a small exposed point that offers views across the canal to the dramatic peaks of the Chilkat Range rising on the opposite shore. The trail to the beach runs through biodiverse coastal habitat: open meadows with a remarkable wildflower assemblage in late spring and early summer, wetland areas hosting nesting shorebirds, and old-growth forest sections where Sitka black-tailed deer move quietly through the undergrowth. Ben's Lake, a quiet freshwater pond at approximately the 1.5-mile mark, is a reliable spot for waterfowl and occasionally Steller sea lions that stray up the adjacent stream. Brown bears are common in the park — both the trail and the beach are active bear habitat, and bear-aware hiking practices are essential at all times. The beach itself is remote and often completely empty even on summer weekends. There are no facilities — no toilets, water, or shelters — and the cold, fast-moving waters of Lynn Canal are not suitable for swimming. Primary draws are the extraordinary solitude, the fjord-scale landscape, wildlife watching, and for sea kayakers who paddle to the point, Steller sea lion haul-out viewing on rocky outcroppings near the headland. The trailhead is on Glacier Highway approximately 28 miles north of Juneau; standard passenger vehicles reach it without difficulty.