FIELD NOTES      Lowell Point Road reaches south from Seward along Resurrection Bay to this beach with campgrounds, services and a trailhead. From the beach, watch for sea otters and Steller sea lions cruising offshore, especially during high stages of the tide. A salt marsh transitions to intertidal areas and is a good place to spot shorebirds. Seabirds such as common murres, cormorants, kittiwakes and gulls may paddle or raft near the beach and fish processing plant. Bald eagles perch in the trees along the slope. A mature coastal temperate rainforest of Sitka spruce and hemlock covers the mountainside and attracts forest birds: chickadees, nuthatches, thrushes, sparrows and warblers. Watch for black oystercatchers on open beaches near Lowell Point.

HABITAT     Resurrection Bay beaches and intertidal flats are rimmed by a coastal temperate rainforest of towering Sitka spruce. Deep marine waters begin within a few hundred yards of shore.

HISTORIC CONNECTION      The Caines Head State Recreation Area contains the remains of World War II-era Fort McGilvray gun emplacement.

VIEWING TIP       Visit the 19-acre Lowell Point State Recreation Site during high tide to catch sight of marine mammals and shorebirds. Return at lower stages or minus tides to view intertidal life.

HELPFUL HINTS      Consult tide tables before hiking toward Caines Head; a portion of the trail can only be crossed during low stages of the tide. Stay on the trail to avoid cliffs and private property. Take a flashlight if you plan to explore the Fort McGilvray site. Cabin information at www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks

GETTING THERE     Take the Seward Highway—which becomes Third Avenue—through Seward until it ends (facing the SeaLife Center). Turn right on Lowell Point Road, drive 3.5 miles.