Holgate Arm Landing Beach

Holgate Arm Landing Beach is the main backcountry camping beach at the southeast end of Holgate Arm, in Aialik Bay, just south of Holgate Public Use Cabin. It is a pebble shore for landing, camping and launching, not a drive-up stop. Go if you are paddling or boating through the arm; otherwise it is too remote to work as a quick add-on.

The nearby cabin is about a two-to-four-hour boat trip or a 35-minute flight from Seward, which gives you a sense of the commitment.

This beach is somewhat more sheltered than most in the arm, but the shore is steep and wind, ocean swell, icebergs and glacier-generated waves can still make landing difficult. Keep boats and kayaks at least half a mile from Holgate Glacier; calving waves and large icebergs can overturn small craft.

The camping area at the beach's south end is shared with independent campers. A food-storage locker sits just east of the cabin beside a large standing dead tree. Fresh water may be found near the beach trail, but it can be unavailable later in the season, so bring extra.

The beach is a good launch for Pedersen Lagoon and Quicksand Cove. Holgate Glacier sits at the head of the arm; from the cobble shore, include some foreground pebbles in a wide photo to give the distant ice scale. Bears are commonly seen on the beach, and mountain goats are often spotted on Holgate Head.